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iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement

What you need

  1. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement, Rear Panel: step 1, image 1 of 2 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement, Rear Panel: step 1, image 2 of 2
    • Before you begin, discharge your iPhone battery below 25%. A charged lithium-ion battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured.

    • Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.

    • Your iPhone 4 rear cover may have either two #000 Phillips screws or Apple's 5-Point "Pentalobe" screws (second image). Check which screws you have, and ensure you also have the correct screwdriver in order to remove them.

    • Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe or Phillips #000 screws next to the dock connector.

    • Be sure the driver is well seated when removing Pentalobe screws, they are very easy to strip.

  2. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 2 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 2, image 2 of 2
    • Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.

    • The panel will move about 2 mm.

  3. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 3, image 1 of 1
    • Pinch the rear panel with your fingers and lift it away from the iPhone. Alternatively, use a Small Suction Cup .

    • Be careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.

    • If you are installing a new rear panel, be sure to remove the plastic protective sticker from the inside of the camera lens and the sticker from the large black area near the lens.

  4. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement, Battery: step 4, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the single 2.5 mm Phillips screw securing the battery connector to the logic board.

    • Some devices may have two screws, one of which holds down the contact pad which is located above the screw indicated in red in the photo.

  5. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 5, image 1 of 1
    • Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the battery connector up from its socket on the logic board.

    • Pry from the top and bottom of the connector bracket—there isn't as much of an overhang on the sides, and you may damage the connector.

    • Be very careful to only pry up on the battery connector and not the socket on the logic board. If you pry up on the logic board socket, you may break it entirely.

    • Remove the metal clip covering the antenna connector.

  6. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 3 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 6, image 2 of 3 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 6, image 3 of 3
    • Use the clear plastic pull tab to gently lift the battery out of the iPhone.

    • If the tab breaks before the battery is freed, apply a few drops of high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol under the edge of the battery. Wait about one minute for the alcohol solution to weaken the adhesive. Carefully slide a spudger under the battery tab to release the adhesive.

    • Prying in other places may cause damage. Don't try to forcefully lever the battery out. If needed, apply a few more drops of alcohol to further weaken the adhesive. Never deform or puncture the battery with your pry tool.

    • If there's any alcohol solution remaining in the phone, carefully wipe it off or allow it to air dry before installing your new battery.

    • If your replacement battery came in a plastic sleeve, remove it before installation by pulling it away from the the ribbon cable.

    • Before reconnecting the battery connector, be sure the contact clip (shown in red) is properly positioned next to the battery connector.

    • Before reassembly, clean metal-to-metal contact points with a de-greaser such as windex. The oils from your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.

    • Perform a hard reset after reassembly. This can prevent several issues and simplify troubleshooting.

  7. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement, Speaker Enclosure Assembly: step 7, image 1 of 2 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement, Speaker Enclosure Assembly: step 7, image 2 of 2
    • Remove the following two screws:

    • One 1.2 mm Phillips

    • One 1.6 mm Phillips

    • Remove the thin steel dock connector cable cover from the iPhone.

    • Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the dock connector cable cover with a de-greaser such as windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.

  8. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 2 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 8, image 2 of 2
    • Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry the dock cable connector up off the logic board from both short ends of the connector.

  9. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 2 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 9, image 2 of 2
    • Carefully peel the dock ribbon cable off the logic board and the lower speaker enclosure.

    • Do not use excessive force to peel the dock ribbon cable off the logic board. Doing so may tear the cable.

  10. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 10, image 1 of 1
    • Use a plastic opening tool to pry the lower antenna connector up off its socket on the logic board.

  11. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the following screws securing the speaker enclosure assembly to the outer case:

    • One 1.9 mm Phillips screw

    • One 2.4 mm Phillips screw

  12. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 3 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 12, image 2 of 3 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 12, image 3 of 3
    • Use a plastic opening tool to lift the speaker enclosure assembly out of the case, being sure not to damage the EMI fingers on the attached Wi-Fi antenna.

    • Remove the speaker enclosure assembly.

    • Before reinstalling the speaker enclosure assembly's screws, be sure the Wi-Fi grounding fingers are installed below the lip in the iPhone's metal case as seen in the third picture.

    • Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points between the grounding fingers of the Wi-Fi antenna and the case of the iPhone with a de-greaser such as windex or isopropyl alcohol. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.

  13. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement, Cellular Antenna: step 13, image 1 of 1
    • Remove the two Phillips screws securing the antenna to the speaker enclosure.

  14. iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 14, image 1 of 3 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 14, image 2 of 3 iPhone 4 Cellular Antenna Replacement: step 14, image 3 of 3
    • Starting near the cellular antenna cable, use the edge of a plastic opening tool to peel the antenna off the speaker enclosure. Make sure you insert the plastic opening tool under the plastic the antenna is mounted on, not the metal plate.

    • Continue peeling the cellular antenna off the speaker enclosure, being careful not to rip the gold bracket attached to one of its edges.

    • Remove the cellular antenna.

    • When installing a new cellular antenna, be sure to slide the gold bracket over the ear molded into the speaker enclosure before sticking the antenna down.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Attached Documents

12 Comments

That's not a WIFI antenna. The part that you guys are showing is the Cell Phone Antenna.

Matt - Reply

Dose the way you put the screws back on have anything to do with nerwork connection failure?..

I resently replaced my screen and after the replacment my phobe was not connecting to the data network. So i am wondering if it might have anything to do with the screws?..

gerardo cerna - Reply

This is the GSM Antenna not the WIFI as indicated in the tutorial.

The WIFI and GPS antenna is at the top of the iPhone near the cameras.

FYI if anyone has weak wifi and GPS signal then a small metal tab has come off the EMI shield in the top most hole with the 5 screws, I had a problem with weak WIFI after changing the screen and the found that this was the cause, the little tab had come off the EMI shield when I had removed it.

Stephen Eaton - Reply

Do you know where to buy the replacement emf shields? I know that a metal tab broke off of the shield but I didn't pay too much much attention to it. Now I suffer with horrible wifi signal.

dsparks1024 -

My phone has the same issues with no signal. Did a replacement emf shield work?

Merc -

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