Any experience with white screen at or below room temperature only?
A few weeks ago my just-out-of-warranty iPhone 3GS began to display a white screen when returning from sleep. Going through the unlock/lock sequence a few times would usually make the screen come up normally. I tried all of the standard remedies that an internet search brings up (hard reset, restore, hold magic buttons), but nothing worked. I took it to an Apple store genius who opened it up and said the LCD connector was loose, and he had fixed it. As soon as I walked out of the store, the phone white-screened again. I tried reseating the connector myself, but it didn't help.
The ringer switch is also finicky, but probably unrelated.
The digitizer is fine as I can still interact with the phone even when the screen is white.
I discovered after a long drive in the summer heat that the phone behaves perfectly normally when it's physically warmer than about 85 degF. I can hold it under my arm for a few minutes or use a hair dryer for a few seconds to temporarily alleviate the problem. This tells me that there's a faulty connection somewhere in the LCD path. Is it more likely on the LCD/ribbon cable side or on the logic board? I'm leaning towards the LCD since it should be easier to change the temperature of components closer to the surface.
Does anyone have any experience with the white screen of death only when the phone is at room temperature or lower? Any ideas for isolating the problem without access to another phone?
Is this a good question?
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This will remain a mystery for the ages. I decided to try the Apple store again, and this time they agreed to replace the phone for less than the cost of parts and tools to replace the LCD and headphone jack ribbon cable. The tech said it seemed like the LCD was starting to fail, but I don't know if he really verified that it was the LCD. Philosophically, I prefer to repair, but WAF-ly, I prefer quick turnaround. Thanks for the help.
by Zac