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iPod Touch 3rd Generation

iPod Touch 3rd Generation Front Panel Replacement

iPod Touch 3rd Generation Front Panel Replacement

15 - 30 minutes

Moderate

My Problem

Cracked/Shattered IPod Front Panel Touchscreen - Seemed a shame to throw-away the bulk of a still-working tool. As the total cost of sending it to a qualified repair shop reached 33% of the cost of replacement, alternatively repairing it at home for about half that cost seemed appropriate.

My Fix

The replacement Front Panel arrived w/in two business days of ordering from IFixit. A good thing.

Although installation video claimed 3rd gen and 2nd gen IPod replacement procedures were virtually the same, significant differences between the two were found - e.g., "locking tabs" for 3rd gen were not physically the same as described and presented in the video and installation guide. Not a great thing, but acceptable.

The Plastic Opening Tools, although exquisitely molded, were found to be somewhat less structurally-sound than anticipated from, let alone as presented on, IFixit's web page. Had I not bought two sets of Plastic Opening Tools, the repair may not have been successful on the first attempt. Not a good thing, but, still, acceptable.

My Advice

One, update your video and installation guide to reflect the true nature of the "locking tabs" in a 3rd gen IPod.

Two, the Plastic Opening Tools appear to be constructed of a polyester resin. Although this class of plastic does offer some advantages for such a tool - electrical non-conductivity comes to mind - "bend-deformation strength" is clearly not one of them, as the tool suffers rapid degradation (chipping, sloughing of its working end) during use. Suggest IFixit consider finding another resin - perhaps a glass-filled polycarbonate - out of which to construct the opening tools. Since opening any electronic device requires care and some acumen concerning electrical properties, perhaps considering a metal material of construction should not be dismissed out-of-hand. I, for one, found a "straight-pin" to be of enormous help during the repair process.

All in all, the repair went relatively smoothly, and IFixit's web-site provided valuable resources to that end.

iPod touch (3rd Gen) Front Panel Assembly Image
iPod touch (3rd Gen) Front Panel Assembly

$29.99

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