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| 104 | Solutions |
| 237 | Guides |
| Member Since 01/03/2018 | |
We're just some folks with repair on our minds...
I’m Arthur—technical writer, teardown engineer, researcher, and photographer at iFixit.
I have the illustrious honor of taking devices apart, identifying components, figuring out how things work, and showing others how to fix stuff. In addition, I perform electrical analysis and research how emergent tech works.
A day at the office: working on Google Pixel 3 guides
I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a master’s degree in electrical engineering, with a focus on control systems and mechatronics. Along the way, I designed high efficiency DC power circuits, grew organic OLED panels in a vacuum, and programmed a small swarm of robots to autonomously navigate and map out a cluttered room. My thesis work involved training neural networks to detect hidden structural faults in commercial buildings using acceleration sensor data. I enjoy both the theoretical and practical hands-on nature of my degree.
Making single pixel OLED panels in vacuum
Much of my time at iFixit is spent instructing people how to fix stuff by writing step-by-step repair guides. So far, I’ve written over 180 guides for devices ranging from Rug Doctors to iPads. As I research, disassemble, and document repair procedures, I’m always learning something new. Working on smartphones necessitated a good understanding of how lithium-ion batteries work; writing Rug Doctor guides taught me how to remove rivets— something I haven’t had to deal with in smartphones…yet.
Installing a rivet onto the Rug Doctor
I am also a member of iFixit’s team of teardown engineers, publishing informative, in-depth reports on the inner workings of newly-released gadgets such as the Magic Leap One and the iPhone XS. These teardowns include chip analysis and explanations for complicated concepts (such as waveguides) in layman’s terms.
Identifying chips for the iPhone XS
I’m curious by nature; I enjoy exploring long-forgotten roads, trying non-mainstream food, and disassembling new smartphones! I like retro, well-designed mechanical machines; I own four typewriters and drive a Suzuki Samurai.
Driving the Sammy on Quatal Canyon road
iPhone 5s Home Button
| Event | Count | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| Someone completed your guide | 5196 | 31128 |
| Admin approved your guide | 218 | 26328 |
| Admin approved your wiki | 126 | 6275 |
| Someone liked your guide | 865 | 2838 |
| Post was voted up | 152 | 1824 |
| Post upvoted containing a link to your guide | 489 | 1432 |
| Answer accepted | 46 | 1380 |
| Categorization accepted | 431 | 276 |
| You translated a guide | 5 | 42 |
Charge the battery for at least a few hours. If the battery does not charge, double-check all connectors, especially the interconnect cable. Does the phone react to a charging cable? If not, something may be broken between the USB port and the motherboard.
Yes! The LCD is not glued to the display.
Ja! Das LCD ist nicht mit dem Display verklebt.
Hi Bob,
Your eBay experience is definitely not an exception! eBay kits usually contain inferior or incorrect tools. Be careful not to strip any screws!
It looks like our custom adhesive for this phone is temporarily out of stock. The Tesa adhesive card is a great alternative, as it has many widths for different applications. You can find instructions for the adhesive card here.
If you are working with custom cut adhesives, the general rule of thumb is to peel the clear backing first. Figure out which component the exposed adhesive sticks onto, and apply it there. Next, peel the colored liner to expose the remaining adhesive.
Hi Anthony,
The first string of comments at the bottom of this teardown goes into the cooling setup in more detail.
I think the fan creates a slight vacuum/negative space in the chassis, pulling fresh air from vents across the board and expelling it out the back.
Hi Jack,
The step above this removes the grounding contact. Is there another one that is missed?
Correct. You cannot damage the microphone by pressing anything into the hole. For more details, see here.
Hi Erik,
As stated in the warning at top, this teardown is an educational first look at the device, and is not meant to be used as a guide. Our repair guides will show up here, and contain accurate details (such as tools needed, how to unlock ZIF connectors, etc.) as well as step by step instructions on how to complete the repair.
Hi Jane,
Unfortunately, this drill is designed without an easy way to remove the batteries. As a last resort, you can try cutting out a hole in the plastic enclosure in order to access the batteries easier.
Hi John,
If the phone buzzed, that usually signifies that it has booted up—having no image at that point usually means some kind of display issue. I would suggest disconnecting the display connector, carefully checking for any debris in the socket, and carefully re-connecting it.
I’ve also seen a comment in another Pixel guide that suggests plugging in the display connector before the battery. If that works, please leave a comment!
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