My Problem
The phone was accidentally left on the the bumper of a truck and it fell off and was run over. The screen took a beating but the case saved the rest of the phone. The screen was still working and usable. There were however several cracks and chunks were missing from the screen.
My Fix
I ordered the iPhone 5 display assembly kit only. It didn't have the front facing camera, ear piece, light sensor, or home button. The device arrived in a couple days to my home in California. I unboxed it and it was expertly packed.
I unboxed all the pieces and laid everything out on a micro fiber cloth. I like to use the micro fiber because it holds all the little pieces and won't scratch the device. I reviewed the repair procedure and it was pretty straight forward after you remove the two bottom screws. Most difficult part (not really but it was a challenge) was getting the suction cup to stick to the packing tape used the keep the screen from further cracking. After the screen was lifted from the bottom it was just a matter of releasing the rest of the tabs and freeing the damaged screen from the case. I was careful along the way not to pull to hard to prevent any of the delicate ribbon cables from tearing. Don't try to rush taking the broken screen out. Take is slow and easy.
Transferring the missing components was just as easy. The camera, light sensor and earpiece are installed in a way that makes it hard to mess up. Take your time. The home button took a little finesse since there is a mild adhesive holding the button on the display.
After all the components were installed onto the new display. Installation was the reverse of dis-assembly. Taking care not to damage the plastic tabs at the top of the screen. That needs to be inserted first, the the rest of the screen can be snapped into place, then the two screws can be secured.
In about 20 min the new screen was in place and operational.
My Advice
Keep track of those tiny screws and the order in which they were removed. They may look the same but some are different.
The closer you place the suction cup to the home button the easier it would be to opening up the case. Using a couple layers of a thick packing tape makes removing the cracked screen simpler. Try not to get any packing tape down the sides of the phone when taping the screen. I had a little sliver hanging down the side and it prevented the screen from releasing easily.
The pry tool is your friend, use it. Don't try to muscle the screen out of the case. Getting the screen off the case is the hardest part after that your home free.
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