Changing iPhone 4 glass

[Jizanthapus]

Well, I have an iPhone 4 and seem to drop it a lot of the time. Luckily the back cover was the only side to smash but I dropped it again and cracked the front cover the other day :(

Basically does anyone know how hard it is to replace both glass screens? (The actual LCD screen is undamaged) and if there's any difference between the kits on eBay? As some are like £4.50 and some £20+.

Just trying to weigh up wether to fix it or not as I'm not paying £70 excess to go through insurance again!

[Bedford126]

It's pretty easy to do mate if you watch a guide on you tube and take your time.

Buy both the front glass with a digitizer mate they are pretty much impossible to separate

I done mine a few times now. Don't forget the mesh on the front speaker too.

[Randyransford91]

^ what he said. Don't rush it, take your time and remember where the screws have come from...

[Jizanthapus]

Cheers I'll give it a crack then, don't know what a digitiser is but I'll make sure I get that and the mesh!
Anyone know if its worth buying the dearer screens? Or are the cheaper ones pretty much the same?

[jones91]

Changing the glass itself isn't too hard, the hard part is making sure all the connections inside the phone are touching when you put it back together. After I changed my screen I couldn't get any signal and eventually had to pay the excess for a new phone

[Jizanthapus]

Changing the glass itself isn't too hard, the hard part is making sure all the connections inside the phone are touching when you put it back together. After I changed my screen I couldn't get any signal and eventually had to pay the excess for a new phone

This is what I didn't want to hear ha! If I mess it up its going to cost me more than if I just sent it off in the first place.

I mean the phone works fine, but it's just difficult seeing half the screen, and little pieces of glass keep falling out. Debating wether to just leave it as it is now...

[Randyransford91]

Seriously, watch a tutorial on YouTube as you go along... I buy £25 screens for the glass digitiser and LCD all together and everyone I've changed has been fine. And just make sure you take your time, and make sure you just check everything over.

[jones91]

This is what I didn't want to hear ha! If I mess it up its going to cost me more than if I just sent it off in the first place.

I mean the phone works fine, but it's just difficult seeing half the screen, and little pieces of glass keep falling out. Debating wether to just leave it as it is now...
I'm not sure if it was me just rushing it, but I've heard it happens to quite a lot of people too, but also heard of other people having no issues after changing the screen lol

Suppose it's just a case of try it, take your time and hope for the best :p

[Jizanthapus]

Thanks for the help people! Just looking on eBay though, and the £4-5 ones are just the glass I assume? Then the £20+ ones are with the LCD screen and digitiser? So as its just my glass that's broken, not the actual screen, do I just need the glass and digitiser? Or is the digitiser just for changing the LCD?

[Bedford126]

I'm not sure if it was me just rushing it, but I've heard it happens to quite a lot of people too, but also heard of other people having no issues after changing the screen lol

Suppose it's just a case of try it, take your time and hope for the best :p

Most of the loss of signal is the little round plug and socket that gets damaged. It's very fiddly to get in place without forcing it.

The glass is stuck to the digitizer it's a whole lot easier to buy both.

[jones91]

Most of the loss of signal is the little round plug and socket that gets damaged. It's very fiddly to get in place without forcing it.

The glass is stuck to the digitizer it's a whole lot easier to buy both.
Yeah I think i remember kind of forcing that back into place as it wouldn't go in lol, probably shouldn't of tried it myself as I have big fingers and hands lol

If you have small hands and fingers and quite good with fiddly things then you might be able to pull it off

[Davyy]

On iPhone 4+ isn't the digitizer all one thing with the screen?

I changed mine myself, took about three hours in total as you have to literally take everything out of the phone. Camera, speakers etc etc.

I put mine back together and there was dust on the camera :( so I left it.

[pugway92]

Its easy just dont mix up the screws every one is a different size thats the main thing, when you put the new screen in make sure you be careful with the lcd and digitizer cables when you put them threw the hole as they can rip or be damaged. Id say 20 pound is a decent price to be fair. If you have any problems or questions feel free to inbox me as i fix phones for my job lol.

[Randyransford91]

Thanks for the help people! Just looking on eBay though, and the £4-5 ones are just the glass I assume? Then the £20+ ones are with the LCD screen and digitiser? So as its just my glass that's broken, not the actual screen, do I just need the glass and digitiser? Or is the digitiser just for changing the LCD?

Waste of time just buying the glass as the glass and digitiser are bonded together so buy the lot for £20ish. As said before just do a map from where you have taken the screws, and take your time. I've done about 6-7 now and can change them sub 30 mins now!

[Nates-VTR]

Also make sure the front/back are for the right phone as the 4s doesn't fit the 4 even though they're identical sizes etc.. Took me a good hour to get a 4s back on my 4.

[Jizanthapus]

This really doesn't sound like a job I'm capable of. I might just leave it cracked, I'm not the most patient of people so I'd probably screw it up!

[Manu]

Once you're done, buy a case

[Jizanthapus]

Yep I have a case, I only stopped using it as I couldn't fit it into the car windscreen mount with the case on. But now I don't even use that so yep. Deffo going to use my case.

Pretty retarded making a phone out of glass though.

[Manu]

That's why I didn't buy one ;)


supposedly the next gen gorilla glass should be shatter proof, also apple applied for a patent that makes the phone land flat instead of on the edge. Coming to an iphone 7 near you.

[Scott]

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+iPhone+4+Display+Assembly+Replacement/11755/1

[Jizanthapus]

That would be a good idea, it's dangerous with shards of glass dropping out into my hand and my bed lol.

Thanks for that Scott, but after seeing it I think I'm just going to leave it as is. Too complex for me and I'm sure I would fuck it up more. Not due an upgrade till August aswell not good.

[Scott]

Have you called Apple themselves for a quote? Ordinarily if you go into the Genius bar they will offer to either send the broken one away for repair (i don beleive they have repair areas in the shop) at a cost of £XX, or they will offer you a refurbished phone that you can buy there and then and swap your broken one for. Not sure how much they will flog you the refurbished phone for but it will effectively be new with a full warranty. From memory.

[smiith]

Most markets have a phone bloke who will do an iphone 4 screen for £40ish.. I haggled when i had my 4S done and got it done for £37 with some free screen protectors :)

[Jizanthapus]

Have you called Apple themselves for a quote? Ordinarily if you go into the Genius bar they will offer to either send the broken one away for repair (i don beleive they have repair areas in the shop) at a cost of £XX, or they will offer you a refurbished phone that you can buy there and then and swap your broken one for. Not sure how much they will flog you the refurbished phone for but it will effectively be new with a full warranty. From memory.

I don't think there's an Apple shop anywhere round here to be honest - there's one called 'Storm' which sells Apple products but I don't think they do repairs? Might be pricey if I go to Apple though

Most markets have a phone bloke who will do an iphone 4 screen for £40ish.. I haggled when i had my 4S done and got it done for £37 with some free screen protectors :)

Think I might have to do this or a similar repairs shop. If its going to be the best part of £50 though I might aswell send it off to the insurance company and which has a £70 excess - then I know it's all legit!

[smiith]

Its legit anyway, my screen has been in over 6 months, and my mate had his done well over a year ago, and still going strong.. Ours were just in a little market sort of thing, some indian bloke did it, left the phone with him for about an hour, came back and it was sorted.

Got a battery in my 3GS as well a few years ago