My Problem

My mother has had a "stuck" power button for as long as anybody in my family can remember. No amount of Herculean smashing of the power button would make it work reliably. The Apple Store enabled the AssistiveTouch feature, which seemed to me like they covered up the actual problem by slapping on some duct tape. The power button looked fine to my inexperienced eyes, and from reading comments and stories online, it became apparent that the switch on the power and sensor cable was what needed replacing. Tired of hearing complaints about "the poor design of the iPhone", I took matters into my own hands...

My Fix

One hour and 52 minutes from start (power down) to finish (power on) - faster than expected! This was my first small electronics repair I had ever attempted, so I attribute my success to two things: (1) preparation prior to the repair, and (2) organization during the repair. And some good background music.

My Advice

PREPARATION: I read iFixit's guide and all related comments thoroughly, making note of all the potential trouble spots in the repair process. I also watched a couple of YouTube videos so I could see how each component came apart, as well as the techniques and forces required to perform the disassembly (the most important part).

FAT (BUTTER)FINGERS: I have sausages for fingers and the dexterity of a newly born giraffe. Magnetized tools, tweezers, and a mouse pad (or any non-slippery working surface) helped enormously.

ORGANIZATION: There were so many little screws and parts that needed to come out that I decided to follow someone's advice and use a large egg crate to keep track of all those pesky pieces (see attached photo). iFixit's guides have great photos and color coded instructions, which I used to label each piece that came out. Not every microscopic screw was the same size or length, so keeping them all in order as they came out made my life so much easier. Especially when I needed to put everything back in....in reverse!

TROUBLESHOOTING: If a step is not going how you had expected, STOP. Take a breath. Read the guide and look at the photos. Pull up that YouTube video again and watch that specific step. Examine your work. Does your technique need to change? Need a different tool? Did you miss or skip anything? No need to rush the repair. You cleared out your schedule, right?

My Problem

My friend was offered $38 for his iPhone 4S because the (+) volume button and the power button were broken. After $50 in parts/tools, he received $220 for the fixed phone. In addition, I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile three months ago with my unlocked CDMA iPhone 5, originally purchased outright in 2012. Since T-Mobile is on the GSM network, I purchased an unlocked GSM iPhone 5 on eBay for $250. The buttons barely worked and the screen was very scratched, so I swapped the screens and buttons with my CDMA phone. I now have a GSM iPhone 5 in amazing condition, and sold the CDMA iPhone 5 for $220 to a third party buyer.

My Fix

The repairs were both flawless. They were both time consuming (2-3 hours each), but this was also my first time.

My Advice

Please make the guides clearer about the specific tools required. Sometimes the tool list jumps into two columns, and this makes it hard to look at as a "check list." I missed the fact that I needed a flathead screwdriver for my repairs and had to improvise with a flat hair clip.

My Problem

The power/lock button stopped working and also the phone was barely able to stay alive for 15 minutes.

My Fix

I followed the repair guide and by and large the repair went very well. I skipped steps 20 and 21 as it is not necessary to remove the front facing camera for this repair. When I got to the power/lock button, I couldn't see any difference between the new one I bought and the one that was in the phone. However, I continued and replaced the old button with the new one anyway. I tested it once I reinstated the two 1.5 mm Phillips screws securing the power button bracket to the outer case, but it still did not 'click' or even move when I pressed the button. On further examination, it seemed that the problem was that the button does not make contact with the actual physical button on the securing bracket. So I removed the bracket and then the button. I decided to modify the button so that the small circular disc inset into the button had a bit more height. To do this I decided to use a two part epoxy glue (Araldite), of which I applied a very small amount with a tooth pick. To prevent the drop spreading out and flattening, I place it right-side up (i. e. glue side down) on two toothpicks until the glue had set. This worked well and it seems that you only about 1 - 1.5 mm of additional height. I would say that the correct part to replace would actually be the Power and Sensor Cable. I can't see how this fault would ever be the button, although replacing then Power and Sensor Cable is a bit more work. Anyway, I was happy with my fix and it seem to do the trick. From here I reassembled the phone following the guide in reverse and installed the new battery when I got to it. Completed reassembly and then plugged into the charger to charge up the new battery. After a few minutes the Apple logo appeared so I felt it was good. However, after the phone was on charge for a few hours, it did not boot to the home screen. Every time I removed the charge cable and re-inserted it, the logo would appear then disappear but would not boot up the the home screen. At this stage I was feeling uneasy and wondering if I had bricked it. But I decided that I would not panic yet, and as it was late, I would take a break and get some sleep then take a fresh look at it in the morning.

So after a good sleep, I decided that most likely (or at least, I hoped) I hadn't attached one or more of the cable connectors properly. So I decided to disassemble up to step 19 - removing the logic board. I then reassembled, taking a bit more time getting the logic board in place and this time it felt 'right'. I also took more time reattaching all the various ribbon connectors taking care to align them and ensure they snapped in place. I finally got the two screws by the dock connector back in. Turned it over, and voila! The home screen!.

I was so relieved. A successful repair.

The phone is going great, and battery life is like new.

My Advice

Take your time. Read the guide several times before you start. Watch the video a few time as well. Read all the comments relating to each step, which are after the last step of the guide. The steps where there are more than one screw of different sizes, put each sized screw in a separate cubby and in the order that they are mentioned in the guide. If your phone does not work at first don't panic. Calmly redo the disassembly and reassemble paying more care to ensuring the connectors all snap in positively.

My Problem

No problem I got everything fix

My Fix

Good

My Advice

No

My Problem

I dropped my phone off a 28' ladder. The screen shattered, the dock connector barely worked, and the power button would't work at all.

My Fix

The repair was straightforward once I found the correct guide

My Advice

I strongly recommend using the "Display Assembly" guide rather then the "Display & Touchscreen, Home Button Replacement" because the "Display & Touchscreen, Home Button Replacement" guide is missing a few critical steps!

My Problem

Power/lock button stuck

My Fix

The repair went smoothly even for a novice like me. Major advice is to be patient. If it is the first time you are opening your phone, beware that the rear panel might be a bit stuck and may not slide easily. The whole process took me about 40 min and I'd just reinforce that is very easy to loose both the small black ground clip on step 5 and the small grounding finger on step 25.

My Advice

My only concern is that the iFixit guide tells you to remove the front facing camera in the process of replacing the power and sensor cable and I believe this is not really necessary. I also have a feeling that the power switch itself in not the defective part in most cases. I would order the Power and sensor cable only and try that first and save the $4.95 of the power/lock button.

My Problem

The power button in the iPhone 4S wasn't working and the earpiece speaker when I stopped working

My Fix

both repairs failed. The button itself wasn't the issue it was the part that pushed up against it and the speaker didn't work out either. The button itself is just a hard piece of metal no issue with it and the speaker I don't know what's going on there.

My Advice

save your money and just invested in the new phone

My Problem

Broken screen

My Fix

Terrible.

My Advice

Pay someone that knows what they are doing...

My Problem

Cracked panels, front and back. Bad ear piece speaker, bad power button

My Fix

The repairs went extremely easy considering I have never repaired any type of phone. I purchased an IFIXIT tool kit from Radio Shack. That is how I found you guys. My parts came in on time and repairs took place. One phone I had to only replace the back panel, super easy. The other phone had some serious issues. I could not believe I had the phone in what seemed to be a million little pieces. I had to install a new sensor cable, which I’m really glad I order because that's why the power button was not working. I had to replace the ear piece speaker to. Somehow it came apart and the cooper coiling was unraveling. I put the phone back together and its works great. Looks and sound brand new. It took about a total of three hours for both phone repairs. Now if I had to do it again I could in less than an hour. Your pictures and step by step instructions are the bomb!! The only thing I can think that would help is; on the photos you color code the screws but the screw heads are not. So when that sucker is in a million pieces those little Minion screws are all looking alike. So maybe a screw set with the same color code would be freaking AWESOME!! I would have gladly paid for them. That is what slowed me down. All in all I give you guys an A+

My Advice

Keep up the great website!!!

My Problem

Nothing was fixed. I wanted to use the external shell of an iPhone to display a piece of artwork that I had created on my (working) iPhone.

My Fix

Great.

My Advice

Make sure you clean the front and the back of the glass before gluing it in place. This is true of every frame job, but with such a small area it's extremely important.