Database Users

Crushed my Uni's LCD, now I need to decide what to do

Hi all,
a few hours ago, I somehow - don't know how - managed to destroy my beloved Universal's LCD screen. Now there are two huge deadpixel areas with colored lining and the rest of the display doesn't work correctly either. I am pretty sure there's no way of repairing it.
The thing is, that I have another Uni at home, that has a broken USB port. I took it to a service company and they said that the MB is fractured and they would have to replace it, which would cost over USD 700. Yet I think that they might have lied and that the phone could be repaired just by replacing the USB port. I can't say for sure though, as I don't have the skill needed to open the device and check it..well I could actually do without the skill as the disassembly manual is pretty easy to understand and follor I'd say, but I don't have the correct screwdriver Anyway, that is my situation. Now I have two options and I would really appreciate it, if you shared your opinions on what's better:
1) I could take the working LCD screen for the Uni with broken USB, and let some service company replace the other uni's broken LCD with it. Or, I could do it myself, if it wasn't really difficult.
The advantage is, that it would probably not take as long as the other option, so I could use the device again sooner
The disadvantage is, that the Uni that is now in a state where it MIGHT be reapired (again, maybe the service guys were right and the whole MB is beyond repair), would be completely useless.
2) I could buy a new LCD on ebay (about USD 160 incl. shipping). Then I could try to repair the USB port and sell the then-working Uni for some USD 400, maybe more, maybe less.
The advantage of this option is, that I could make some money.
On the other hand, it would take much longer before I could use my Uni again and, in case it's the MB that is broken, I wouldn't be able to sell the other device and could easily end up spending some 160 USD for a display that I could have for free.
Well, sorry for such a long post, I see that I could have been a bit briefer, but if you made it all the way through to here, I'd like to ask you for your opinion. I am currently thinking that the first option would be better, but I'm nowhere close to a decision. Thanks a lot.
longlife

Longlife said:
Hi all,
a few hours ago, I somehow - don't know how - managed to destroy my beloved Universal's LCD screen. Now there are two huge deadpixel areas with colored lining and the rest of the display doesn't work correctly either. I am pretty sure there's no way of repairing it.
The thing is, that I have another Uni at home, that has a broken USB port. I took it to a service company and they said that the MB is fractured and they would have to replace it, which would cost over USD 700. Yet I think that they might have lied and that the phone could be repaired just by replacing the USB port. I can't say for sure though, as I don't have the skill needed to open the device and check it..well I could actually do without the skill as the disassembly manual is pretty easy to understand and follor I'd say, but I don't have the correct screwdriver Anyway, that is my situation. Now I have two options and I would really appreciate it, if you shared your opinions on what's better:
1) I could take the working LCD screen for the Uni with broken USB, and let some service company replace the other uni's broken LCD with it. Or, I could do it myself, if it wasn't really difficult.
The advantage is, that it would probably not take as long as the other option, so I could use the device again sooner
The disadvantage is, that the Uni that is now in a state where it MIGHT be reapired (again, maybe the service guys were right and the whole MB is beyond repair), would be completely useless.
2) I could buy a new LCD on ebay (about USD 160 incl. shipping). Then I could try to repair the USB port and sell the then-working Uni for some USD 400, maybe more, maybe less.
The advantage of this option is, that I could make some money.
On the other hand, it would take much longer before I could use my Uni again and, in case it's the MB that is broken, I wouldn't be able to sell the other device and could easily end up spending some 160 USD for a display that I could have for free.
Well, sorry for such a long post, I see that I could have been a bit briefer, but if you made it all the way through to here, I'd like to ask you for your opinion. I am currently thinking that the first option would be better, but I'm nowhere close to a decision. Thanks a lot.
longlife
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, if i were you id do the following:
buy a battery charger to be able to charge your uni with the broken usb and then sync it to your pc by using bluetooth instead....
one uni up and running...
for the other uni that has damaged lcd... i suggest you bring it to the service center and let them look at it (to be on the safe side)... if you know what you are doing, of course doing it yourself will be faster.....
now while your uni is in the service center.... you can use the other uni that has the battery charger instead...
dont know if you like my idea though... hope they helped...

rnzk8 said:
well, if i were you id do the following:
buy a battery charger to be able to charge your uni with the broken usb and then sync it to your pc by using bluetooth instead....
one uni up and running...
for the other uni that has damaged lcd... i suggest you bring it to the service center and let them look at it (to be on the safe side)... if you know what you are doing, of course doing it yourself will be faster.....
now while your uni is in the service center.... you can use the other uni that has the battery charger instead...
dont know if you like my idea though... hope they helped...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for a fast reply Your idea is really good, but the problem is that I don't have BT in my PC and I don't have the battery charger either. Even though I could buy both of them, my Uni would be probably back from the service center before it arrived And the fact is that I will probably be able to do without the Uni for a while (I have a Nokia 1600 as a backup phone so I will be able to keep in touch with ppl and even though I will miss all the stuff Uni offers, I should survive )
However, your idea has led me to a thought that I might be able to sell the device together with the charger and BT module, I don't know if anyone would like to buy it though. And even if someone did, maybe the money he would give me for it wouldn't even cover the cost of the LCD I'd have to buy.
Anyway, thanks a lot for sharing your idea! If nothing else, I now realised that I can use the dead-LCD Uni to charge both Unis' batteries and use the dead-USB Uni while the other one is in repair =)

I picked up a Uni in a market in london for 20 quid ( i Know ), the screen was broken, hence the price.
I basically bought it because in was in very good condition, i was going to take the innards from my uni and put them in the broken unis case.
I got back to the car and plugged the broken uni in and it worked, apart from the cracked bit on the screen.
I took it home and swopped the screens over, it took about an hour, now i have taken my uni apart before this, to have a look and to see if i could replace the touch screen, wasn`t working correctly, but i am in no way an expert at it.
I have included the dis-assembly instructions with this post, i would highly recomend you have a go yourself.

more instructions

i have the same problems before.if ur usb port is broken,u can repair it for cheap so that it charge ur battery again,but sync via usb will be forever disabled.and bluetooth wont help.as for the screen,u can swap the dead usb screen with the dead screen one.and then u'll end up with 1 perfect working uni (and swap the housing too,so that the working one will have the slightest scratch) and 1 junk uni with broken usb and broken lcd.as ppl in the used pda store can tell that ur usb is broken without reparing the lcd,just tell them u have broken lcd and want to swap with their other used phone.i swap it with another uni for usd 100.

Just curious, if you haven't sold or sent this unit anywhere yet, does the motherboard on the one with the broken screen still work 100%? If so I'll buy the motherboard off of yah . At least that way you can cut your losses and at least keep some money, I'll buy anything else that works 100% too. I'll leave you a PM.

Thanks a lot for the instructions! I think I will check with the service center first though, and let them offer me a price for the repair and then, if the price is too high, I'll try to switch the LCDs myself. Well I'd actually like to switch the whole upper part of the device (LCD, D-pad, webcam, etc.), because I guess it will be easier and apart from that, the older one (the one with working LCD) is in a better cosmetic condition
davieshyland said:
I picked up a Uni in a market in london for 20 quid ( i Know ), the screen was broken, hence the price.
I basically bought it because in was in very good condition, i was going to take the innards from my uni and put them in the broken unis case.
I got back to the car and plugged the broken uni in and it worked, apart from the cracked bit on the screen.
I took it home and swopped the screens over, it took about an hour, now i have taken my uni apart before this, to have a look and to see if i could replace the touch screen, wasn`t working correctly, but i am in no way an expert at it.
I have included the dis-assembly instructions with this post, i would highly recomend you have a go yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

hebigakure said:
i have the same problems before.if ur usb port is broken,u can repair it for cheap so that it charge ur battery again,but sync via usb will be forever disabled.and bluetooth wont help.as for the screen,u can swap the dead usb screen with the dead screen one.and then u'll end up with 1 perfect working uni (and swap the housing too,so that the working one will have the slightest scratch) and 1 junk uni with broken usb and broken lcd.as ppl in the used pda store can tell that ur usb is broken without reparing the lcd,just tell them u have broken lcd and want to swap with their other used phone.i swap it with another uni for usd 100.
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Click to collapse
So you gave the used-PDA store a Uni with broken USB and LCD plus USD 100 and they gave you another, fully working, Uni?
I'm not sure if I understood you well..but if I did, what you had said sounds pretty awesome

Got sold a broken phone, couple of questions before attempting LCD repair.

I bought a Cingular 8125 from a seller on another forum and it arrived with a broken LCD. Also, the battery is dead and can't be charged. (Not to mention the missing stylus and lots of scratches on the case... all for a "like new" phone... but I digress.)
I was able to borrow a battery from a coworker with the same phone, and it does power on. The screen is all white with multicolored splotched around the cracks in the LCD. I was also able to hook it up via USB and browse it through Activesync, so I'm guessing the phone is running.
Is there any other way I can test that it's going to work before I invest in a new LCD/digitizer? Another coworker mentioned there might be an emulator I could run on my PC to control the device and place calls with it, does such a thing exist?
Finally, does anyone have experience with a particular ebay sell of LCDs that they could recommend? I've seen a bunch listed in the $50-$60 range, including shipping. Does anyone have any suggestions on a source for replacement LCDs other than ebay?
Thanks,
-Brett.

your not sol yet.
Well to answer your questions in order;
Yes there is something that will let you control and make calls useing your computer, its called SOTI Pocket Controller, look for it.
I bought a mda with a broken lcd on purpose cause after looking into it i found that replacing the lcd isn't so hard. i bought my lcd from ebay and my phone is running great ever since the repair. your going to need to get the service manual and a new lcd ofc, also a torx #5 (type of screw driver) and a #0 phillips head.
good luck with your phone
-capn

capncucci said:
Well to answer your questions in order;
Yes there is something that will let you control and make calls useing your computer, its called SOTI Pocket Controller, look for it.
I bought a mda with a broken lcd on purpose cause after looking into it i found that replacing the lcd isn't so hard. i bought my lcd from ebay and my phone is running great ever since the repair. your going to need to get the service manual and a new lcd ofc, also a torx #5 (type of screw driver) and a #0 phillips head.
good luck with your phone
-capn
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Click to collapse
I'll look for a copy of the SOTI Pocket Controller, that's exactly what I was looking for.
I've already downloaded the service manual, I've got the screwdriver, I can pick up a torx.... but what did you mean when you said "and a new lcd ofc"? Is that "a new lcd of course"?
Also, do you remember who you bought the LCD from since you seemed to have a good experience?
Thanks!
-Brett.

!
Glad I could help, yea I meant of course, sorry lol. im 1337.
i cant remeber but it was some random company that sold refurbished lcd's, just pick one that has a good rating and a decent price and hope for the best, sorry its all the advice i can give=/.
good luck!
-capn

Hi pal, try this software, this software allows you to control your phone from pc with mouse and many other things. It is called my mobiler and i use it very often.
1) Connect your phone through AS
2) Let my mobiler install cabinet on your phone
3) Run it an click on the system tray where is the symbol of the phone and cable and select open mobiler, this will show you your screen.

zzoinks said:
I bought a Cingular 8125 from a seller on another forum and it arrived with a broken LCD. Also, the battery is dead and can't be charged. (Not to mention the missing stylus and lots of scratches on the case... all for a "like new" phone... but I digress.)
I was able to borrow a battery from a coworker with the same phone, and it does power on. The screen is all white with multicolored splotched around the cracks in the LCD. I was also able to hook it up via USB and browse it through Activesync, so I'm guessing the phone is running.
Is there any other way I can test that it's going to work before I invest in a new LCD/digitizer? Another coworker mentioned there might be an emulator I could run on my PC to control the device and place calls with it, does such a thing exist?
Finally, does anyone have experience with a particular ebay sell of LCDs that they could recommend? I've seen a bunch listed in the $50-$60 range, including shipping. Does anyone have any suggestions on a source for replacement LCDs other than ebay?
Thanks,
-Brett.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Brett, I've got some info you need to look into when buying a replacement lcd, there are two types that i know of, their distinct differences are the fact that one has a black flex cable, and the other has a gold one(One is the first generation lcd, and the other is the second generation). I made the mistake of not opening my 8125 after i bought it the same way you bought yours, with a broken screen... I bought an lcd with a gold ribbon cable(back when they were $90+) and it <i>worked</i> with my 8125 except the colors were mixed a.k.a. not as they should be. I bought another lcd(yes, another $90+ since the seller didn't offer a return policy) which <u>matched</u> the color of the old cracked lcd that came in my 8125(the ribbon/flex cable was black). And all was perfect!
So if you haven't yet, take your 8125 apart and make sure you know what lcd it has. Ebay listing for these lcds are pretty definitive on whether they use an lcd with a black or gold ribbon cable. Good luck!

Thanks for the tip! I was checking them out on ebay and I did notice that some sellers made it clear there was a difference.
I bought a T5 torx driver this weekend and managed to get the back of the phone off, exposing the main board.... but didn't get any further than that. I'll have to check the color of the ribbon before I order.
Do you remember if yours was a refub LCD or not? I've seen all but one seller (who was located in Hong Kong) are selling refub units. I'd prefer a new one, but I also don't want to wait 2 weeks to get something form Hong Kong. Any problems with a refurb?
Thanks,
-Brett.

I'd like to know myself the difference between a refurb unit and a new unit. Maybe they replace the digitizer of faulty lcds and then resell the "fixed" units, or maybe there is some other thing about the lcds that make them impossible to sell as new~
Btw my lcd (as it was claimed by the seller) was new. I got it in the mail from Hong Kong inside of bubble wrap and Hong Kong Newspaper post. I looked at the lcd and it sure <i>looked</i> brand new, new enough to immediately apply a screen protector before i installed it into my pda(so that the screen protector covers ALL of the screen and doesn't miss the corners or the sides, it's the best way to apply a screensaver if you ask me).

Bolik said:
Hi pal, try this software, this software allows you to control your phone from pc with mouse and many other things. It is called my mobiler and i use it very often.
1) Connect your phone through AS
2) Let my mobiler install cabinet on your phone
3) Run it an click on the system tray where is the symbol of the phone and cable and select open mobiler, this will show you your screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do I align the screen with this program?

boi said:
how do I align the screen with this program?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download and try this :-

zabardast_1 said:
Download and try this :-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much!!!
I will try this as soon as I get home.
Boi

zabardast_1 said:
Download and try this :-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the download

ewww...vista.
i dont even think microsoft really supports vista the way you would like for using your MDA. Best way to do anything to your phone (and what most of these roms seem to require) is Win XP.
For some reason microsoft wanted to change the way things were handled and I for one am not really happy with it.

Figured this might be the best place as ever. Before I part my Wizard and pay some large fee for a 8525.
Has anyone seen problems with the screen flickering and going mostly white/gray (with lines).
I had dropped my phone a few weeks back - I bought a replacement screen on Ebay and swapped it out - worked great for two weeks. All of a sudden, on Saturday night it went from working to just flickering. Could the new LCD's cable have gone bad? Anyone seen this?

KyleK29 said:
Figured this might be the best place as ever. Before I part my Wizard and pay some large fee for a 8525.
Has anyone seen problems with the screen flickering and going mostly white/gray (with lines).
I had dropped my phone a few weeks back - I bought a replacement screen on Ebay and swapped it out - worked great for two weeks. All of a sudden, on Saturday night it went from working to just flickering. Could the new LCD's cable have gone bad? Anyone seen this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had problems the first time I replaced my screen where I turned it on and it was completely white. Turns out I didn't have the connector properly seated. I took everything apart and made sure to fully seat the cable into the connector close the little clamp securely. After that it worked fine.
It might be worthwhile to take the phone apart again and make sure the ribbon cable connector hasn't come unseated.
Good luck!
-Brett.

zzoinks said:
I had problems the first time I replaced my screen where I turned it on and it was completely white. Turns out I didn't have the connector properly seated. I took everything apart and made sure to fully seat the cable into the connector close the little clamp securely. After that it worked fine.
It might be worthwhile to take the phone apart again and make sure the ribbon cable connector hasn't come unseated.
Good luck!
-Brett.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I have the phone in pieces right now. I've tried blowing out the connector/etc. Going to try to clean it.
Btw, sorry about the thread hijack. I meant to post this in another thread for Wizard repairs, somehow got sidetracked and dropped it here.

zabardast_1 said:
Download and try this :-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your help. I have now replaced the LCD from China but the expansion slot would not recognise any card. Did I do something wrong? Thanks in advance.

MyTouch 3G slide screen not working

Hey guys, I have had this phone since August of 2010 and personally its really nostalgic, in all reality I prefer it over my Galaxy S, Especially for the Slideout keyboard and seems to have better ROM support :/ But around November 2011 the screen would spaz out not respond and just not turn on. Sometimes it would but so dark it was nearly impossible to see it. I'm not sure if the screen is dead I haven't used it since November when I got my Galaxy S. If the screen is dead, is there any type of repair service? or a way to buy a top half for the screen and replace it?

Look on Ebay, there are lots of these phones for cheap.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using xda premium

Sounds like a loose connection on the cable for the screen. I had the same problem with mine. I'm still using this phone now. Free fix if you can figure out how to take the phone apart & basically unplug & re-plug. Be super careful though! And of course it could be a different problem.

You can buy a new one very cheap in amazon or ebay i dont think it worth to repair

Not sure it's the right place to post this, I replaced the digitizer in my old MT3GS (cracked in my pocket), and ever since, Ive have the screen-spazzing issue as well - wasn't my first time replacing a screen, either. For me, the solution _every time_ has been hit the power button to lock the screen, hit it again to get back to what I was doing... Never had to totally power down to fix the spaz :\
If it'd interest you at all, I'd be willing to send you the phone, charger brick, (and the metal case if I can find the damn thing) for $50+ship - thats what I paid for the new digitizer... If you have better troubleshooting skills than I do, good on you, because I've torn this one down and put back together again at least 2 or 3 times since replacing the digitizer, and can't find a single loose connection - maybe you'll have better luck than me?
Thanks
L4T

I called a repair shop I found on craigslist and they mentioned it's more than likely the flex cable, not the lcd screen or glass digitizer. These phones' cables go through lots of wear due to the sliding mechanism. They gave me a 70 dollar estimate, so I just don't slide my phone out anymore to prevent the screen from spazzing out or blacking out for good (it happened to a friend of mine's MTS3g). I've also seen the cable for sale online on ebay or repairsuniverse but I'd rather wait for my full upgrade than invest in it AND risk not fixing it.

I really wanna use this phone again, the slide mechanism is so worn on it you can feel it its kinda tough to do its not springy like it was outta the box, also on ebay these phones still run close to 200 dollars, I would take it apart, as its out of warranty anyways, but I don't have the proper tools to do so, like the mini philips head and the tiny socket wrench. And I hear it is most likely the flex cable but as I said I can't access it.

Uses for a N7 Mobo?

I've got a broken nexus 7 that I tore down after the screen shattered with a good motherboard... Is there anything I can do with it? Any possibility of outputting to a screen?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

You might be able to check the wiring to the screen on the nexus and see if the wire leads match any of the know configurations of other video sources and possible hard wire it into another video source. You might have to change the resolution to match the screen you use though. Anyway, you will still have to use a keyboard and mouse.

You could scour the internet to see if the LCD panel & digitizer can be purchased somewhere. But possibly that might cost half as much as a replacement.
You could sell it on eBay as a "broken - for parts" listing.
You could see if Asus will quote a repair for you.
If everything still operates normally as far as the USB port & physical buttons are concerned (it still operates correctly as far as software is concerned), donate it to a dev who wants to try cracking APX mode on the N7; either that or become that dev yourself! I suppose there are folks who are willing to try, but don't want to put their own unit at risk of hard-bricking.
Well that's 4 suggestions. Sorry to hear about your device.

Mine shattered too and I took the battery out. Will use it for my replacement (which I got the N73G) if the battery ever dies.
Sorry for your loss.

cyanogendroid said:
I've got a broken nexus 7 that I tore down after the screen shattered with a good motherboard... Is there anything I can do with it? Any possibility of outputting to a screen?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't mention if the LCD broke as well.
If the LCD is still working, just use a USB mouse with the device.
Otherwise, if the LCD is no good, part-out the unit.
Look to ebay for avg asking prices for various modules.
As for the MoBo, since this system was really designed to be touch-centric, unless you can really create a new ROM for the unit that doesn't rely on touch (the Ubuntu ROM maybe?) it's uses are limited.
With the Ubuntu ROM you might be able to turn it into a web/media/file server. But then again, it may not start up if it can't find all the peripherals it thinks should be attached.

Possible uses for a N4 with dead digitizer

Hi all. ok, so basically i dropped my n4 a few months ago and it cracked the top of the screen a little but it took out 80% of the touchscreen. its only usable now by constantly rotating it in the hope that what i need to touch is in the area which works. I have since bought a new phone (z1) but it seems a waste to have a perfectly ok n4 sitting around doing nothing.
choices are to
a) sell it (not get much for it i'm guessing)
b) fix it (replacement screen and digitizer cost a lot more than its worth doing plus i most likely wouldnt be able to do it myself)
c) repurpose it.
so i guess the real question is, what can i use it for? i cant seem to find any decent remote control apps so that i can use a touch screen of a diff android device to control it so its all a little tricky to do stuff on.
any ideas?

You can buy replacement LCD assembly on eBay for under 130 shipped. If you're in US. The job is pretty straight forward. On YouTube there are a lot of walkthroughs
Sent from my neXus⁴ using Tapatalk 2

Paper weight
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

1slow4G said:
You can buy replacement LCD assembly on eBay for under 130 shipped. If you're in US. The job is pretty straight forward. On YouTube there are a lot of walkthroughs
Sent from my neXus⁴ using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, i know, i'm in the uk though and they seem to be in excess of £70. given that i mess up putting a screen protector on i dont think i'd be able to put a new screen on. especially given i could probably buy a 2nd hand n4 for about £100 these days it doesnt really seem to a be a lot of point in going to all that effort.

thefunkygibbon said:
yeah, i know, i'm in the uk though and they seem to be in excess of £70. given that i mess up putting a screen protector on i dont think i'd be able to put a new screen on. especially given i could probably buy a 2nd hand n4 for about £100 these days it doesnt really seem to a be a lot of point in going to all that effort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i pulled apart my broken n4 to have a look inside. there's no way i'd bother attempting a repair without the correct tools and lots of skills. it only takes a slight error to mess it up.

I bought an assembly digitizer+screen and it came with all the tools. It took me 13 minutes to take it apart and put it back together. I took it apart later to do the thermal mods too. It's really not that hard. I did it with no static protection, and I was very very careless pulling it apart. I even bent the board with the usb plug on it and it still works.
Seriously just fix it yourself.

well the point of the thread really was for ideas for using it with the dodgy touchscreen. i honestly cant see a point in spending nearly the cost in getting a 2nd hand n4 to repair mine.

Home entertainment console? Combined with slimport or something else this can make your TV a smart tv
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

thefunkygibbon said:
well the point of the thread really was for ideas for using it with the dodgy touchscreen. i honestly cant see a point in spending nearly the cost in getting a 2nd hand n4 to repair mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use OTG and connect mouse to the phone through USB. What say?

Repair it.

yeah i'm going to order a usb host adapter. might get a hdmi cable thing too. is there a special type of cable thats required? searching on ebay for them they seem to mention slimport and they are like £20 which is a bit more than i wanted to spend given i'm not sure what i'm using it for yet!
does anyone know if there exists a combined usb host/hdmi/charging cable?