iPhone 4 Rear Camera Replacement

Step 1 Rear Panel



• 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.
Step 2



• Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.
• The panel will move about 2 mm.
Step 3
• 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.
Step 4 Battery
• 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.
Step 5
• 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.
Step 6
• 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.
Step 7 Rear Camera
• Remove the following five screws securing the connector cover to the iPhone:
• One 2.3 mm Phillips
• Two 1.6 mm Phillips
• One 1.4 mm Phillips
• One 4.8 mm Phillips
• Remark: in order to remember their proper positions, it might be helpful to draw 5 circles on a sheet of paper, placing each screw in the corresponding circle.
Step 8
• Use an iPod opening tool to slightly lift the top edge of the connector cover away from the logic board.
• Use the tip of a spudger to pull the connector cover retaining clips away from the inner frame.
• Remove the connector cover from the iPhone.
• Before reassembly, be sure to clean all metal-to-metal contact points on the connector cover with a de-greaser such as windex. The oils on your fingers have the potential to cause wireless interference issues.
• There is a tiny metal part on the top screw hole, make sure this stays on. It's a key part of the wireless and GPS antenna.
Step 9
• Use an iPod opening tool to carefully lift the rear camera connector up off its socket on the logic board.
Step 10
• Remove the rear camera from the iPhone avoiding to move some of the connectors to the right.
• After reinserting the new camera, verify these connectors if the IPhone does not power on.
• Remark: The battery (not shown on the photos) should be disconnected but doesn't need to be removed entirely.

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Andrew Bookholt

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