Database Users

[Q] Repair or Replace?

Today, I dropped my baby edgewise onto concrete. The digitizer shattered right along with my heart!
Although the breakage occurred on the same corner as the digitizer's connection, the phone continues to function as normal, albeit with the increased risk of minor cuts.
I have done minor repair to cell phones in the past, and I have worked with LCD screens as well, so I am sure that, given the proper manuals or repair videos, I could replace the digitizer myself.
On eBay, I discovered that a replacement screen for our phones (tmobile, usa) was around $70.00 US. My warranty asks for a $130.00 deductible, if I want to completely replace the phone.
My HD2 has had none of the hardware issues that seems to have plagued some of the other users on this forum, so I hesitate to take the chance of getting a bum unit. On the other hand, this is a very expensive phone and as such it is a shame to try and fix it.
So... what do you guys think? Should I repair or replace my phone?

although I have no personal knowledge of you or your situation, I would recommend just doing the replacement yourself
Seriously though, that's exactly what I'd do. I think you have the skills, and maybe if you learn the process on this phone you can then offer your services to others who might not be able to handle it themselves. Or are too lazy. Me, for example

Apparently it is really easy to rip this little cord and pretty much ruin your phone. I would only do it if you think you have the expertise. At least be very careful of not damaging that cord.

Not worth the risk, you say you have insurance and a $130 deductible. So if you replace the digi your gonna void that warranty your paying for and god forbid you rip a wire or strip and kill the phone. Then you gonna get one on CL for $250. I'd just pay the $130 and get a brandnew one. I think there selling fast enough they should have cleared out the bum units by now. Also I'm not sure if there are so many bum units out their as bum owners who don't know WTH there doing. When I got my stock HD2 it froze occasionallly, and was pretty slow. Custom roms changed all that where I don't ever even worry about having to reset the phone. If I didn't do weird POC and hacky things with it I don't think I'd ever need to reset it at all.

Dropped my G2 = glass cracked!

I've found a replacement screen on eBay for $68 but have no idea how to replace it. I don't see any disassembly of the screen on any of the teardown pics. Any help would be much appreciated.

Insurance thru tmo. Better off getting brand new out the box. Just my thought.
[G2/HTC Vision]

Yeah, that would be ideal but I bought the phone used. No insurance. Also everything, including the touchscreen, works perfectly fine still. The glass is just cracked.

djodpm said:
Yeah, that would be ideal but I bought the phone used. No insurance. Also everything, including the touchscreen, works perfectly fine still. The glass is just cracked.
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You can call T-Mo, have them add the premium insurance, and then call back in a couple days and have them give you a replacement under the plan for $130.
EDIT: Make sure to get confirmation on this before you go through.
Of course, $68 is much better than $130. This link to a Desire Z teardown shows the top panel being taken apart (about 2/3 of the way down the page). It's a hell of a process; one that might leave you with more than just a screen issue if something were to go wrong.

Pix please and also what link are r u looking at? $68 seems to cheap. Just wanna make sure you dont end up with a mytouch or hero screen

Wow, thanks for your help so far guys. Sorry about the links, it wouldnt let me post a normal link since Im a new user, so just cut and paste.
Here is a link to the replacement screen I found on eBay, its actually $58:
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280580921344&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_2532wt_785
And here is a photo:
picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YQQk9mou_kp-7iN6ItklDtTVQVAkEM77fsYCIJiprL0?feat=directlink

djodpm said:
Wow, thanks for your help so far guys. Sorry about the links, it wouldnt let me post a normal link since Im a new user, so just cut and paste.
Here is a link to the replacement screen I found on eBay, its actually $58:
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280580921344&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_2532wt_785
And here is a photo:
picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YQQk9mou_kp-7iN6ItklDtTVQVAkEM77fsYCIJiprL0?feat=directlink
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats pretty bad on the phone but yes that is the right screen.
You cracked the touch screen part not the lcd which would of cost more.
Good luck with replacing it. Idk how good you are at this stuff but for me it doesnt look to hard just make sure you have all the right tools.
and @ EfemaN
thanks for the link. and has anyone looked to see if the led has multi- color?

i don't think you can add insurance now. only at the time you bought the phone.
actually when i bought, they added insurance w/o telling me. i found it later and canceled cuz it's 6.99/mo and deductible is 130. i thought 130 is way too much.
how much will HTC charge you? around 200?

HTC wont even repair them yet, that is the worst part. Below is the email I got from HTC customer service.
We apologize for any issues you are experiencing with your device and would be happy to assist. Unfortunately, we are not currently supporting this device for repair. We will have RMA options available soon, but do not have an ETA on when this will take effect. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Customer Care at 1.888.356.2375.

I was able to remove and re-add insurance back over the last year or so that I had my Blackberry. There's no harm in just calling to ask.
I just called T-Mobile to have a new G2 sent (having radio issues), and during the usual agreement word-for-word reading, the rep mentioned the "if we find that you screwed up your phone" fee of.. I believe she said around $280, and if I remember correctly, it was $130 for the Blackberry. That $68 screen seems a little more attractive now...

I called and tried to add insurance to my G2 today. T-Mobile said I had the phone more than 15 days and could not add it :-(
They did say that there is a year warranty on the phone that covers defects, but not breaks caused by consumer.
I also asked if they have an open enrollment period like some phone insurance companies do and they said that they didn't.
The DID however say that if I went to a T-Mobile store and got any repairs or exchanges done, I would be able to add insurance.
FYI my G2 is in perfect condition. Was just wanting to know if I could add it. Wish I would have when I had the chance.

Just so you guys are aware..
Insurance can be added only during an open enrollment period - purchase of a new phone or a warranty exchange. More or less, whenever T-mobile gives you a phone, you have 14 days to add it to the line.
That being said, the qualifying event that enables you to add insurance to your line doesn't necessarily have to cover the phone that was purchased or exchanged. The insurance will actually follow the sim card (iphone excluded) so that if you put your sim card into another device, that is actually the device that is currently covered.
Now, if you have a phone that can't receive a signal (totally inoperable as a phone) you might run into some difficulties actually making the claim. While it is technically policy, they would certainly prefer to see some usage on the phone you're trying to make a claim on. Depends on who you talk to, really.
Figured I would share. Toodles.

Bishybob said:
I called and tried to add insurance to my G2 today. T-Mobile said I had the phone more than 15 days and could not add it :-(
They did say that there is a year warranty on the phone that covers defects, but not breaks caused by consumer.
I also asked if they have an open enrollment period like some phone insurance companies do and they said that they didn't.
The DID however say that if I went to a T-Mobile store and got any repairs or exchanges done, I would be able to add insurance.
FYI my G2 is in perfect condition. Was just wanting to know if I could add it. Wish I would have when I had the chance.
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Click to collapse
why dont you sim unlock your phone and see if you cant get signal, get your replacement device, which would be covered as a defect, and then add insurance to that one. I prefer sprints insurance, they will even let you claim a phone you got used from ebay/cl or whatever. Also, you might want to look into a third party insurance provider, as asurion is who covers it through every carrier anyway. They will always just tell you to call them, wont make anything easier.

Does anyone have a better tear down link than this?: tjworld.net/blog/htc-desire-z-tear-down
This assumes that the 1/2 that the screen is attached to is separated from the other 1/2 of the phone. I ordered a new digitizer and am just waiting for it to arrive. I was quoted $50 labor from a local shop here in NYC. I ordered the part for $36.

good luck with this man
it really sucks to have almost no good guides on how to take apart a phone
i did a screen replacement with my old vibrant
it was terrible

[Q] Sprint's repair service (Screen repair)

H'okay. So. I recently pretty much shattered my Evo's screen, though everything still works and the phone is still fully functional. Therefore I've been a little lazy with going and getting it repaired.
Now that I have the day off tomorrow, I'm wanting to go to go into my local Sprint repair center and having them switch out the screen for me.
I just had a couple questions:
1. I do pay $7/month for insurance on the phone, will they charge me for the screen? If so, would it be worth it to just pay my $50 deductible for a new phone? (This is what I've paid in the past for a blackberry through insurance, I want to assume its more for a smart phone, but I have no clue). I've read mixed things on this, where screen repair costs $35, free, etc.
2. Should I unroot and factory reset my phone before I take the phone in? Again, I've read mixed things on here/google. I've heard that they no longer care, especially for a simple screen repair. I've read people have had their warranty revoked. I'd just like some insight on the issue?
Sorry if these have been answered several times, like I said, I did some research before posting and never really got a straight forward answer.
Thanks.

bosswick said:
H'okay. So. I recently pretty much shattered my Evo's screen, though everything still works and the phone is still fully functional. Therefore I've been a little lazy with going and getting it repaired.
Now that I have the day off tomorrow, I'm wanting to go to go into my local Sprint repair center and having them switch out the screen for me.
I just had a couple questions:
1. I do pay $7/month for insurance on the phone, will they charge me for the screen? If so, would it be worth it to just pay my $50 deductible for a new phone? (This is what I've paid in the past for a blackberry through insurance, I want to assume its more for a smart phone, but I have no clue). I've read mixed things on this, where screen repair costs $35, free, etc.
2. Should I unroot and factory reset my phone before I take the phone in? Again, I've read mixed things on here/google. I've heard that they no longer care, especially for a simple screen repair. I've read people have had their warranty revoked. I'd just like some insight on the issue?
Sorry if these have been answered several times, like I said, I did some research before posting and never really got a straight forward answer.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First... The deductible on an Evo is $100. and Insurance no longers covers screens as far as I know. They did for a little while but when my wife broke her screen we found out they no longer did... Because they felt bad for her not knowing they replaced hers for free and she didnt have to pay the deduct. She also did not unroot prior to taking it in... some people say you should... some will say not so... I personally wouldnt...

They changed the policy. Now any physical damage will cost you $100 for a new phone, they wont just replace the screen for 35 anymore. I would unroot it or snap it in half. Just don't want to take the chance of telling you no because its rooted. Either way your looking at $100 or eBay and replace it yourself. Good luck.
Edit: just checked eBay and you can snag a screen and all the tools for $17. I would go that route lol

Damn. Looks like I was late on the good repair service. ><
Hmph. I've been looking into repairing the screen myself. The only problem I could see me having is getting the current, shattered screen off. I don't have any type of tool to apply heat to break the adhesive down, and I'd see it as being VERY tedious getting all the glass shards of screen totally off. Literally the only thing keeping my screen together and probably on my phone is my screen protector, haha.
Well, I guess it's time to look into ordering some tools and a LCD display, cause I'm not gonna fork over $100 for a refurb'd Evo when mine works perfectly and has done so for the past year. :/

I don't know when they changed that policy... but I brought mine in on monday, guy thought it was a cracked screen, so he was just going to replace it... but he broke something when taking it apart, so he ordered me a brand new one...
But the point is... he was in the process of taking it apart and replacing it... he asked beforehand if I had insurance... so I'm pretty sure they still cover that... Try a different store maybe?

Ask for a one-time courtesy replacement, we're allowed to do that. Otherwise, it's $100 to Asurion unless you want to attempt it yourself.
It may be a little bit more expensive but spring for the complete front panel kit instead of just the digitizer. The LCD may be damaged underneath without showing it, so you could run into problems if you replace the digitizer. Plus, it's a lot easier.
I've only done one digitizer replace and it's not the best thing in the world. Front panel is way easier. Just remember to move the earpiece speaker and front camera.

I have to bring my phone to Sprint for...

...a broken front glass. I've had my Evo since launch, naked, and finally dropped it on something hard enough to break it - the parking lot. Needless to say, the glass is cracked, so I'll need to bring it to Sprint (I have TEP), but first, a few questions:
1) I need to unroot (the phone is still very usable), but if I get an exchange, is the newest version of Android rootable for the Evo4G?
2) If it's NOT rootable, I know a guy who replaces glass on iPods, iPhones, and other smartphones, (including the 4G) and he'll charge me for the glass and that's it (<$50). Problem is, now it has a few nicks in the side, and that will bug the **** out of me.
Any ideas/tips from anyone that's gone through this with Sprint or suggestions otherwise?
Thanks

You'll get referred to Asurion unless the tech is feeling exceptionally nice that day.
They've been cracking down on courtesy repairs recently, mainly because the front assemblies are around $100 a pop.

If you get an exchange you will be able to root using Revolutionary (do a search). I've done several.

Go to amazon, the digitizer is anywhere between $11-$20... Not a real tough fix...

I'd go the amazon route as well. My friend fixed his wife's evo pretty quickly and for $15 I think.

Wow, thanks everyone! I do have TEP for the phone, but replacing it myself doesn't look to difficult and I'm pretty handy. I already have the torx and pry tools, so I may just go that route. Thanks for the feedback!

And even if you don't want to do it yourself, there is no need to actually take it to a sprint store. They will just tell you to call Asurion.

sitlet said:
And even if you don't want to do it yourself, there is no need to actually take it to a sprint store. They will just tell you to call Asurion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So this third party company basically just handles the claims?

sitlet said:
And even if you don't want to do it yourself, there is no need to actually take it to a sprint store. They will just tell you to call Asurion.
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Click to collapse
Not necessarily. I'm on my 4th screen replaced at no charge from my local store. I have TEP, the sheet shows $35 for screen repair without it. 3 times I walked in and was out in 30-40min. Once they had no screens and gave me a loaner while a new shipment came in.
Perhaps corporate stores are just referring to Asurion now, but all the stores in my area still repair in shop.

I just had to turn in a phone because the USB data lines were not working. They refused to do any diagnosing while it was rooted. You might be able to try a stock-looking ROM perhaps. But I unrooted following guides here, took it in, got the new phone a while later, rooted it, and I'm back.
Nine days later, I drop the phone on concrete face-down. So now I'm sitting with this new phone and a cracked screen. Ebay has a number of complete housings with LCD for $40-60. With that, swap in your motherboard and it should be all good. I will be going this route over the next few days.
Ifixit.com has a guide to take it apart. You have to do the first few steps to see what model LCD your phone uses. Some have a wide ribbon cable and some have a narrower one. I just looked this afternoon and mine is a wide type cable. Maybe older phones are narrow.

Go with number 2 because it should be easy to fix to do. And just deal with the side nicks and scratches. After all it was your own fault for not having it protected somehow.

{ParanoiA} said:
Go with number 2 because it should be easy to fix to do. And just deal with the side nicks and scratches. After all it was your own fault for not having it protected somehow.
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Nowhere did I say it WASN'T my fault. It's not like I'm out to **** over Sprint. I think having the phone since launch and never dropping it naked is pretty ****ing good in its own right, thank you very much.

I had the Otterbox Commuter (which is an amazing case, imo) from day one (Dec 2010), but have since gone naked. The phone is too sexy to cover it up with anything. I gladly take the risk of dropping it.

Bottom 20% of my digitizer went bad. Sprint said they'd fix it for $35 till they found out it was rooted. They said if I brought it back with stock software they'd still do it. I brought it back with a stock ROM but they claimed water damage and wouldn't fix it. Dirty ****ers.
For $20 and an hours worth of time I fixed it myself with a part from Amazon. You'll need to pick up a safe pry tool kit ($2). I ordered one setup for an iPod and it worked fine. They also say you'll need a T4 driver but you'll need a T5. Lowes has a Torx multitool that works great for $10.
There is a youtube video that shows step by step how to replace the EVO digitizer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdSIVMQ-G08

I guess it depends on the store.. I don't have insurance and they also charged 35$ but they never said anything about root. I was running cm7 and didn't even change they boot animation to stock..
There also was no root method at the time..
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

mobius999 said:
Not necessarily. I'm on my 4th screen replaced at no charge from my local store. I have TEP, the sheet shows $35 for screen repair without it. 3 times I walked in and was out in 30-40min. Once they had no screens and gave me a loaner while a new shipment came in.
Perhaps corporate stores are just referring to Asurion now, but all the stores in my area still repair in shop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I brought mine in asking for screen replacement and they told me to call asurion. Yes I have tep
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

AHrubik said:
Bottom 20% of my digitizer went bad. Sprint said they'd fix it for $35 till they found out it was rooted. They said if I brought it back with stock software they'd still do it. I brought it back with a stock ROM but they claimed water damage and wouldn't fix it. Dirty ****ers.
For $20 and an hours worth of time I fixed it myself with a part from Amazon. You'll need to pick up a safe pry tool kit ($2). I ordered one setup for an iPod and it worked fine. They also say you'll need a T4 driver but you'll need a T5. Lowes has a Torx multitool that works great for $10.
There is a youtube video that shows step by step how to replace the EVO digitizer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdSIVMQ-G08
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the day after i got my evo i had to go to the sprint store to do something with it (i forgot) but the tech came out and tried to pull the "water damage" BS they always pull. I told the prick that i just got it YESTERDAY and why the hell you people always try to pull the water damage bs? he had nothing to say. I was being a bit loud in front of everyone in the store and you should have seen teh look on his retarded face. these doosh bag techs at sprint suck!! they would rather find a way out of fixing it than actually fixing it.

T-Mobile unlocked HTC HD2 dead - very strange, please help!

I bought the phone reasonably new off Craigslist as a travel/GPS phone in the summer of 2010 and it worked OK for six months or so. Then I decided it would be a good idea to re-flash it and ended up bricking it to a point where it would buzz when turning off and then turn off immediately. Fortunately, an e-mail to HTC later, they asked me to send it to their repair center in Texas and fixed it the same day they received it and sent it back. Not a penny charged to me and I didn't even think the phone was in warranty. I basically got back my old phone flashed back to default and it worked beautifully.
About nine months ago I went abroad to the Netherlands and the phone was working good as new with a Vodafone SIM card. It worked until December 2011 when I returned to the States, turned it off and put it away in a drawer. Before anyone asks - never dropped it, not a drop of water has ever touched it, it was working just fine. Six months later (otherwise known as a month ago), I traveled again, but now, having had my iPhone4 unlocked, barely had the need for the HTC. However, I am about to make a trip to a country where I will need GPS and won't have an iPhone data plan, so I figured I'd turn on the Leo and check that it was still functioning.
It wasn't. It wouldn't even register a yellow light when charging. Soft reset impossible, so was hard reset. My friend, whom I got the idea to get the HD2 from in the first place, had a couple of spare batteries and a plug-in charger. I tried both replacements (charged in the wall unit) - no dice. I called HTC and they called it an end-of-life product and refused to even have me send it in to get checked, so I took it to a repair shop and was told I would likely need a replacement motherboard. Checking eBay there isn't one damned thing called an HTC HD2 motherboard. So what do I do? What can be the problem and how can I replace the board? Is there a site that deals in OEM HTC parts or is there a part model I should be looking for? Or would I even be able to fix it myself without a soldering iron? I guess my other solution would be to sell it as is for the remaining parts, but it's a great GPS if nothing else, so I don't want to give up on it quite yet...

highlanderfil said:
I bought the phone reasonably new off Craigslist as a travel/GPS phone in the summer of 2010 and it worked OK for six months or so. Then I decided it would be a good idea to re-flash it and ended up bricking it to a point where it would buzz when turning off and then turn off immediately. Fortunately, an e-mail to HTC later, they asked me to send it to their repair center in Texas and fixed it the same day they received it and sent it back. Not a penny charged to me and I didn't even think the phone was in warranty. I basically got back my old phone flashed back to default and it worked beautifully.
About nine months ago I went abroad to the Netherlands and the phone was working good as new with a Vodafone SIM card. It worked until December 2011 when I returned to the States, turned it off and put it away in a drawer. Before anyone asks - never dropped it, not a drop of water has ever touched it, it was working just fine. Six months later (otherwise known as a month ago), I traveled again, but now, having had my iPhone4 unlocked, barely had the need for the HTC. However, I am about to make a trip to a country where I will need GPS and won't have an iPhone data plan, so I figured I'd turn on the Leo and check that it was still functioning.
It wasn't. It wouldn't even register a yellow light when charging. Soft reset impossible, so was hard reset. My friend, whom I got the idea to get the HD2 from in the first place, had a couple of spare batteries and a plug-in charger. I tried both replacements (charged in the wall unit) - no dice. I called HTC and they called it an end-of-life product and refused to even have me send it in to get checked, so I took it to a repair shop and was told I would likely need a replacement motherboard. Checking eBay there isn't one damned thing called an HTC HD2 motherboard. So what do I do? What can be the problem and how can I replace the board? Is there a site that deals in OEM HTC parts or is there a part model I should be looking for? Or would I even be able to fix it myself without a soldering iron? I guess my other solution would be to sell it as is for the remaining parts, but it's a great GPS if nothing else, so I don't want to give up on it quite yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Insisting to look up on ebay will get you eventually to success, but a good working MB may be purchased up to 70-80USD.
Replacing it needs no soldering, but I wouldn't recommend to DIY if you're doing this first time in your life!
But if you feel confident(and a bit lucky), watching some good videos about, may help you fulfill this job.
Good luck!

bib*oops said:
Insisting to look up on ebay will get you eventually to success, but a good working MB may be purchased up to 70-80USD.
Replacing it needs no soldering, but I wouldn't recommend to DIY if you're doing this first time in your life!
But if you feel confident(and a bit lucky), watching some good videos about, may help you fulfill this job.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Looks like I might just be better off selling it for parts.

highlanderfil said:
Thanks. Looks like I might just be better off selling it for parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If so, I'm interested in!
PM me, we could work it out...

Do you happen to have insurance on the phone? If you have a plan through someone like tmobile and you have insurance you could always file through them. You could also look for one on ebay that has a cracked screen or something like the charger port when up. That way you could get the motherboard you need. Just make sure the phone is in good condition otherwise. I know someone in the past had a problem and if i remember correctly they couldn't find it. I think but dont quote me that this was the motherboard..when it has the pcb board (printed circuit board) attached. Found here. This was years ago so please consult someone else before buying. Amazon also has a lot of parts you can order so looking there might be useful.