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A few tips on replacement housing kits

I bought a replacement housing kit off eBay. After installation, I have a few tips to share.
-The housing looks very OE, except for the keyboard bezel/center plate. It is GLOSSY black. The material they used looks to be much more flexible so less likely to break. It does, however, look out of place, as there is a shiny gloss black ring around the middle of the phone now. The battery cover is rubberized, but feels much thinner to me. It's fit is OK, but it doesn't snap on quite as tight as the original one.
-You need to remove the old brass inserts from your LCD bezel and center plate. They need to be inserted into the new parts, otherwise you wont have anything to screw into. I inserted a screw into them, and a properly fitting screwdriver, and beat them in with a very light hammer. If you do not have a screw in them, you risk mashing the brass. The metal plate from the center plate and the metal plate from the lcd housing also need to be swapped over. I used a rubberized super glue from the hobby store (it is black in color).
-The rubber lcd mounts need to be peeled off (there are 4 of them) the lcd housing before the digitizer will come out easily. Once you place the digitizer into the new housing, make sure to put the rubber pieces back.
-The misc pieces of double sided tape will not be able to be re-used, instead buy some scotch double sided tape and stick a piece to some wax paper. Use a sharp hobby knife to cut it into slivers, and apply it in sections. Much easier!
-The battery cover does not come with glass, the microsd card cover is not in there, and neither is the usb cover.
I used this to switch a brown phone over to a black one. Switching colors will be difficult as there are missing pieces. Luckily I have many parts phones laying around that I could rob parts from along the way. The entire swap took about an hour and a half, $25, and 2 beers.
BTW, I got it here. The seller accepted a $25 offer and it arrived 3 days later.
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The center plate is already glossy on many OEM Dreams, including the ADP1.

interesting, i didn't know that! I have many G1's, but no ADP1 variety. I guess this is an upgrade then!

very cool. i just ordered one 3 days ago to go from black to bronze haha.
how difficult was it?

well, it depends on your level of experience with small electronics. Use the manual, it helps a lot! Do everything in sections. Allow plenty of time for stuff to dry (like the gluing of the metal parts to the new plastics) and make sure you have the right glue (do NOT use regular superglue! the rubberized version at the hobby store is perfect! regular super glue will fog the plastics). The biggest thing is definitely laying out the parts in a safe place, and take your time. If you are in a hurry, you will surely break something.

This is truly a great set of tips. I've been considering converting my brown G1 to black so that I can see the keyboard for a change. Right after the phone was released, I bought a dummy phone on eBay in the vain hope that it wasn't made of dummy parts as well. Now I think I may have to get the real thing and give it a go. Thanks again!

holy **** people. i cannot recommend this to anyone. this is the hardest / dumbest thing i have ever done electronics wise. im so screwed right now its unbelievable. i have taken apart and re done a tmobile dash, razr, and several phones....this phone is insane.
please heed my warning unless your very very very skilled do not attempt this.
op. how did you get the hearing speaker assembly back together with the clear piece? i have no idea what to do.
im a guy and a police officer and this project has almost brought me to tears because ive pretty much destoryed my only phone and my favorite phone. fml seriously.

trexxcrap2 said:
holy **** people. i cannot recommend this to anyone. this is the hardest / dumbest thing i have ever done electronics wise. im so screwed right now its unbelievable. i have taken apart and re done a tmobile dash, razr, and several phones....this phone is insane.
please heed my warning unless your very very very skilled do not attempt this.
op. how did you get the hearing speaker assembly back together with the clear piece? i have no idea what to do.
im a guy and a police officer and this project has almost brought me to tears because ive pretty much destoryed my only phone and my favorite phone. fml seriously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did this a few days ago and it wasnt really that hard, just time consuming.
the little clear plastic piece should fit in like this: if your looking down at your phone, with it facing normally towards you, the clear plastic piece should sit in nicely in the upper left corner of the housing, with the raised portion on the left side. there should also be a very small notch on the housing if you look closely, and the clear plastic piece should fit on the inside of that so itll fit nice and flush with the housing.
there should also be a black rubber piece that goes over the raised portion of the clear plastic piece. it fits losely on it but if you look closely you can figure out which way it goes.
the speaker just basically lays over the clear plastic piece loosely, in the left corner of it. make sure you have the two little gold connectors facing up and closer to the top edge of the phone.
everything should go together smoothly after that

I changed my bronze housing to a white one, during the transition I cut my long coax (by closing the phone on it), ended up with a few spare screws and some parts of the phone kinda don't fit quite right. I did manage to splice my long coax back together and its being held together by duct tape. So far its ok and I get a good strong cell signal but the gps wont get a lock which really sucks. My back light on the keyboard went out too but still works on the chin. Also my camera wont work at all and force closes every time, although I think its the command thats messed up not the camera itself.
I'm sure if I had to do it again I could without damaging it.
This aint no blackberry, its a busy device under the cover. I think I was just rushing myself too much. So anybody planning on doing this prepare to spend at least an hour or more if its your first time opening it up and be sure to read up on a dissasembly guide. I kinda just dove into it.
I bought it on craigslist for $50 because it looked like a dog chewed on it. I plan on getting one that fully works when I get the dough to do so.

there are projects that some should not ever tackle, and other projects that anyone could do. This is NOT a project for just anyone. You should be VERY familiar with the phone, and by all means, rtfm. The guide is available by searching and makes it much easier to complete the swap as it shows step by step how to disassemble and reassemble. There are some steps not shown, as they dont usually need to remove and replace the brass inserts and they would usually have a kit of tape that is die cut ready to use. I made do and it turned out great...but you have to know your limits. The stuff that stumped me, or pissed me off..was the stuff I wrote about in my OP. Apart from that, it was just a matter of patients and knowing what went where.
I have a replacement cable if you still need one, phatmanxxl...pm me for details. I have a couple "craigslist specials" that are just parted out since they had water damage.

gospeed.racer said:
I bought a replacement housing kit off eBay. After installation, I have a few tips to share.
-The housing looks very OE, except for the keyboard bezel/center plate. It is GLOSSY black. The material they used looks to be much more flexible so less likely to break. It does, however, look out of place, as there is a shiny gloss black ring around the middle of the phone now. The battery cover is rubberized, but feels much thinner to me. It's fit is OK, but it doesn't snap on quite as tight as the original one.
-You need to remove the old brass inserts from your LCD bezel and center plate. They need to be inserted into the new parts, otherwise you wont have anything to screw into. I inserted a screw into them, and a properly fitting screwdriver, and beat them in with a very light hammer. If you do not have a screw in them, you risk mashing the brass. The metal plate from the center plate and the metal plate from the lcd housing also need to be swapped over. I used a rubberized super glue from the hobby store (it is black in color).
-The rubber lcd mounts need to be peeled off (there are 4 of them) the lcd housing before the digitizer will come out easily. Once you place the digitizer into the new housing, make sure to put the rubber pieces back.
-The misc pieces of double sided tape will not be able to be re-used, instead buy some scotch double sided tape and stick a piece to some wax paper. Use a sharp hobby knife to cut it into slivers, and apply it in sections. Much easier!
-The battery cover does not come with glass, the microsd card cover is not in there, and neither is the usb cover.
I used this to switch a brown phone over to a black one. Switching colors will be difficult as there are missing pieces. Luckily I have many parts phones laying around that I could rob parts from along the way. The entire swap took about an hour and a half, $25, and 2 beers.
BTW, I got it here. The seller accepted a $25 offer and it arrived 3 days later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey I was wondering if anyone could tell me what they mean by "gaskets" here:
http://mikechannon.net/PDF Manuals/HTC Dream SM (A04).pdf

gospeed.racer said:
well, it depends on your level of experience with small electronics. Use the manual, it helps a lot! Do everything in sections. Allow plenty of time for stuff to dry (like the gluing of the metal parts to the new plastics) and make sure you have the right glue (do NOT use regular superglue! the rubberized version at the hobby store is perfect! regular super glue will fog the plastics). The biggest thing is definitely laying out the parts in a safe place, and take your time. If you are in a hurry, you will surely break something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you know what that rubberized glue is called ? Also maybe could you be a little more specific about gluing what plastic to metal you may be talking about ? Thank you...

I use Bob Smith Industries IC-2000 myself, here it is in their words:
"IC-2000™ is a rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate that forms superior shock resistant bonds on non-porous surfaces. The black colored CA has added flexibility for the bonding of metals, fiberglass, rubber, carbon-fiber and other advanced materials"
As for knowing what parts to glue, well...it is very apparent once you have the phone apart. You will have some pieces that need to be glued to the new plastic housing. You'll see. I am 2 phones back on working on G1's now, its been a while to work from memory.

gospeed.racer said:
I bought a replacement housing kit off eBay. After installation, I have a few tips to share.
-The housing looks very OE, except for the keyboard bezel/center plate. It is GLOSSY black. The material they used looks to be much more flexible so less likely to break. It does, however, look out of place, as there is a shiny gloss black ring around the middle of the phone now. The battery cover is rubberized, but feels much thinner to me. It's fit is OK, but it doesn't snap on quite as tight as the original one.
-You need to remove the old brass inserts from your LCD bezel and center plate. They need to be inserted into the new parts, otherwise you wont have anything to screw into. I inserted a screw into them, and a properly fitting screwdriver, and beat them in with a very light hammer. If you do not have a screw in them, you risk mashing the brass. The metal plate from the center plate and the metal plate from the lcd housing also need to be swapped over. I used a rubberized super glue from the hobby store (it is black in color).
-The rubber lcd mounts need to be peeled off (there are 4 of them) the lcd housing before the digitizer will come out easily. Once you place the digitizer into the new housing, make sure to put the rubber pieces back.
-The misc pieces of double sided tape will not be able to be re-used, instead buy some scotch double sided tape and stick a piece to some wax paper. Use a sharp hobby knife to cut it into slivers, and apply it in sections. Much easier!
-The battery cover does not come with glass, the microsd card cover is not in there, and neither is the usb cover.
I used this to switch a brown phone over to a black one. Switching colors will be difficult as there are missing pieces. Luckily I have many parts phones laying around that I could rob parts from along the way. The entire swap took about an hour and a half, $25, and 2 beers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently changing the center plate of my G1. I tried to take the brass inserts out but cannot seem to budge them. Any recommendations on how you took them out? Did yours involve cutting the plastic to get to them? Is there any other way to take them out without having to damage the center plate? (I am a bit worried that the new one may have some problems in snapping together and want the original one intact as a safety precaution)

[GUIDE] Xperia Arc Disassembly

EDIT
"meyourchum" has provded a link to get offical disassembly instruction with lot more information.
Check it for yourself
Hello folks,
I had a chance to work on my friends arc who bought a Rogers version and dropped it. He had it totally mess on the case and needed the full housing replacement.
I hope that doesn't happen to anyone. I didn't take any photos but I am trying to explain everything as it was to help anyone with this.
General Note:
- Anywhere you got stuck, watch some X10 Disassembly video
- Be very gentle to your phone in this process
- Besides all the screws the rest of the phone is put together with glue(Sticky Back) and snap(plastic for main board)
- Using this information on your own risk as I don't take any responsibility if anything happens to your phone.
Instruction
1) Remove the back battery cover. Thats the easiest part
2) Need star shaped screw driver[Trox](I bought the set for $5) there are 4 screws like that and two which opens with phillips screwdriver(tiny) This is what I bought
All the above we all have seen them
3) After removing the 6 screws remove the front fascia of the phone with a guitar picks, something skinny but sturdy*
* I recommend not using anything other than rubber or plastic in the whole process.
4) Main board is snapped in with plastic to the body which easily can be opened.
5) Little board on the bottom is glued(sticky back @ top) which you can remove with pulling little hard but make sure you don't break it.
6) Majority of the wire you see connected to mainboard can be discounted (snap in wires)
7) Removing the screen: from outside of the phone (like you are looking directly to screen like you normally do) you need to put something under neat and raise up the screen. This part has glue as well and its hard to lift but I did it and it should be possible.
8) if you are doing a full housing replacement, then there are stuff here and there that you need to remove and re-use it on the new housing(Like 3.5 mm jack, HDMI lid, etc.)
Good Luck and let me know if you have any questions.

1st time... ehm.. taking the Arc apart, that is!
Helluw there
Just read your post, and thought I wanted to share with you, that I might be opening one of these slick little things. My friend broke his display, and the ISP is talking about some 'off the scale' repair prizes.
...So, he asked me to do the job
Told him I didn't have any experience on the disassembling of this phonetype, but he trusts me it seems
I might return with some questions in case of problems, is that OK with you Nimche?
Greetingz

Hope u have the courage to make a video next time
Sent from my Arc using XDA premium App

xelion said:
Helluw there
Just read your post, and thought I wanted to share with you, that I might be opening one of these slick little things. My friend broke his display, and the ISP is talking about some 'off the scale' repair prizes.
...So, he asked me to do the job
Told him I didn't have any experience on the disassembling of this phonetype, but he trusts me it seems
I might return with some questions in case of problems, is that OK with you Nimche?
Greetingz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, no problem. I would be more than happy to answer. Lets see just some general stuff...
Note: anywhere you got stuck, watch some X10 Disassembly video
Note: be very gentle to your phone in this process
- you remove the back battery cover. Thats the easiest part
- you need that star shaped screw driver(I bought the set for $5) there are 4 screws like that and two which opens with phillips screwdriver(tiny)
All the above we all have seen them
after removing the 6 screws
note: besides all the screws the rest of the phone is put together with glue and snap(plastic for main board)
- remove the front fascia of the phone with a guitar picks, something skinny but sturdy*
* I recommend not using anything other than rubber or plastic in the whole process.
- main board is snapped in with plastic to the body which easily can be opened. I change full housing and not sure if you have to remove the hard key button from the bottom end of the phone too or not but that little board on the bottom is glue which you can remove with pulling little hard but make sure you don't break it.
- All the wire you see connected to mainboard can be discounted (snap in wires)
- There is a big one which goes to the screen you have to dis-attach that before removing the screen
- Removing the screen: from outside of the phone (like you are looking directly to screen like you normally do) you need to put something under neat and raise up the screen. This part has glue as well and its hard to lift but I did it and it should be possible.
Good Luck and let me know if you have any questions.

Can you answer this??? It get's hot here (and also in the same spot on the front.. so what's inside at this point??

CPU is right behind the second cover. I wish I could take some photos.

Nimche said:
CPU is right behind the second cover. I wish I could take some photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification. I was also suspecting since this area gets damn hot when playing games and even at charging (sometimes).
So seems like they move the CPU from behind the battery in X10 to near to the camera in Arc .

Can I change only the front faceplate around the screen without removing the mainboard? How easy would that be? I want to change mine to Misty Silver as Rogers only carry the Midnight Blue.
Also, for glued parts, do I have to glue them back on the new housing?

hellocng said:
Can I change only the front faceplate around the screen without removing the mainboard? How easy would that be? I want to change mine to Misty Silver as Rogers only carry the Midnight Blue.
Also, for glued parts, do I have to glue them back on the new housing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glue part, they are more sticky than glued. You just simply stick it back where it was.
Where is the silver face you found?
This is retarded from them...
Digitizer and screen(one part) are sticked to the front face. In order to for your to change the faceplate only(front) you may have to go through the whole process because the wires from digitizer are going through a big hole to the main board. You don't want to mess around with $700 or $800.
Inside, everything is small. really small. I thought I totally screwed up the whole thing. Technology has gone forward alot since I was a kid putting radio together.
Good Luck

prathaban said:
Thanks for the clarification. I was also suspecting since this area gets damn hot when playing games and even at charging (sometimes).
So seems like they move the CPU from behind the battery in X10 to near to the camera in Arc .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, there are two board one above battery and one below batter @ bottom of the phone
On top is the main board
on bottom is the board for hard keys.
Nicely put together but they could have done a better job there....

Are there three parts to the housing? I assume there is the front plate, middle housing with the chrome, and the battery cover. The mainboard should be in the middle with the chrome. So I can't just detach the screen front the front plate? What is holding the three pieces of housing together? The six screws?
There are silver housings on eBay from time to time. Though, blue is a lot more common.

Three pieces. Back battery cover which is nothing.
Then there are two main pieces.
Chrome which is more like a holder of the fascia.
If I remember correctly, the front Fascia is the one holding all the board on it including that metal look piece(aluminum probably)
I will take photos and upload here...

Uploaded photos to the first post...

Hey, I'm looking to replace the chrome piece which has a few nasty chips in it, after removing the second back cover, how easy is it to take off that chrome piece?

Great post

How can I replace digitizer? I dropped my phone and the glass cracked

anyone know where i can get the tiny screw driver? I cant seem to find the correct one. they are either too small or too big.

how easy is it to replace the front cover, ive cracked the top of it and chipped a bit out the side (surrounding the screen) i presume it'd be simple enough. And does anyone know where i can get a good quality/genuine front cover replacement?

soldiers33 said:
anyone know where i can get the tiny screw driver? I cant seem to find the correct one. they are either too small or too big.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, you could have sent a private message.
I bought the screw driver here at local tool shop. Home Depot sells them.
Its called Trox Screw Driver and I bought exactly this one http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100087664&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100087664&ci_kw={keyword}&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-100087664&ci_gpa=pla&locStoreNum=618
I don't have the packaging but they should be standard.
Good Luck

mps83 said:
how easy is it to replace the front cover, ive cracked the top of it and chipped a bit out the side (surrounding the screen) i presume it'd be simple enough. And does anyone know where i can get a good quality/genuine front cover replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can find the whole housing between $30 to $40 but the front cover is that actual main piece that holds all the internal components + the screen.
If the crack doesn't bug you much, I would not do it since you have to replace the sticker behind you battery as well, which is not easy to peel off + you have to take the screen off the old front fascia which is glued and kind of hard to take off.
Downside of the whole thing for me was the sticker. I have to find an alternative for this problem.

[GUIDE] How to replace a scratched camera

So not that long after getting a SGS2 at launch I managed to get the camera lens scratched. Pictures became fuzzy and useless. I guess some dirt got caught between my desk and the lens and upon nudging my phone the scratch appeared. I have since received follow up scratches further compounding the issue.
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So ladies and gentlemen, as I could not find much help on the subject, I present a quick guide to fixing said problem.
Polish - didn't work. I then discovered that the camera is covered by a protective screen which is integrated with the case. So... flea-bay, a Hong Kong distributor of replacement Samsung Galaxy S2 Housings and ten quid later I am presented with a new case.
1. Clear some space and give it a wipe down, don't want any more scratches eh?
2. Prepare your new back plate by cutting up a screen-protector and putting it over the camera lens. I'm going to redo mine at some point, but it will do for now:
3. Turn off and remove the usual gubbins from your phone (battery, sim, sd)
4. Using a precision cross-head screwdriver, unscrew the five screws on the rear of the phone. Use a small magnet to lift them from their resting position and put them somewhere safe (preferably in a layout you remember for their return trip).
5. The tricky bit is always separating the case. Do not be tempted to ram a screw driver down the side and twist, this will just mess up the case. I just used my finger nails and worked it free.
The top is the least resistive and easiest to get your nail in. Work the top loose and then work down each side a bit at a time. You can use your new case as a guide for where the clips are. Be careful not to snap the clips at the bottom of the phone. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't break anything, and if I can do it, anybody can.
6. You'll notice a couple of things different - strangely, I had an extra electrical connector at the top of my phone, no adverse effects yet.
The speaker system (and probably some other stuff) is embedded in the lower part of the phone.
A precision flat-head screwdriver gently levered on the left will unclip the left side. For the right side pop your screwdriver in from the other side where the battery cover clips into. The speaker part should just pop out.
Mine came out sans-grille. This isn't glued onto the case, so should just lift off, place back onto the speaker component before inserting into your new device.
7. Remove the protective sticker from the inside of the lens screen.
8. Pop the new back onto your phone, starting at the bottom and working your way up the sides evenly.
11. Replace screws, don't over tighten as you may break the plastic threads. Screw lightly anti-clockwise first and you'll feel the thread line up, this reduces the chances of you getting your thread crossed and wrecking it.
10. Remove the button support stickers and other protective coverings
11. Reinstall your gubbins and power up!
12. Snap away
Hope this helps.
Dash

A great guide, maybe I'll use it one day. The only thing i find strange is that i even have a slightly bigger scratch along the lens protection, yet my pictures still look good...

If you look closely at the first image you'll see faint scratches over the centre of the lens. The big one on the edge I don't think has an impact. It took me ages of peering in bright sunlight to spot them.

Dashers said:
If you look closely at the first image you'll see faint scratches over the centre of the lens. The big one on the edge I don't think has an impact. It took me ages of peering in bright sunlight to spot them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to bump this. This thread is interesting as, upon the first day I got this phone I realized that the place the camera is in seems to be an easy target for scratches. I mean, the camera and flash glasses are ridiculously exposed and when you put the phone on any surface it is actually laying directly over them. So, I was wondering, is there any way to protect the camera? I guess a screen protector would ruin picture quality, right?

i wld agree that yes, even with just resting the phone on table with time YOU WILL get some minor scratches.
Dident compromize my camera quality (yet) but i was affraid in time it will.
So i did what OP did-with screen protector i had spare.
I was not in a need to replace anything so i just cut small cube-shape of protector (thin,dare i say cheap one will work best, not some fancy,thick or reflective protector)
and then i just sticked it well outside the camera lens and put case back on. You cannot see it tbh and no picture quality decrease

So I cut square protective folie and put it on the camera glass... but what about glue which comes with protector folie? There are un-glue protectors but I am not sure the will snap to such small area at all....
Really pictures quality didn't decrease?

not at all.
although,my protector was sticky by itself i quess i wld suggest you do the same
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

Im saving this thread for when I scratch mine!

I am going forward to order new housing.
I will follow this guide then !
Thanks
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

great tutorial it should be sticky !!

I just got mine today and will do this swap later today! Checked the case out looks good, looked at the camera lens area and found scratches! Bugged me out that! Turns out there is a plastic covering over it
I got a black s2 which I've polished the chrome bezel off, to make it black and scrubbed the whole back casing to give it that matte finish, I ordered for a white one now to give it that contrasting 'Oreo cookie' look :silly:
Will post pics when done, wish me luck and pray I don't break anything!
UPDATE:
Well I managed to sucessfully do the swap and I must say this device looks killer this way! I am in love with it! The grip seems to have suffered a bit and t (Glossy vs textured) there were some difference between the original and the one I got (a cheap one but fits perfect with good finish) but nothing seems any different function wise.
Sorry for the horrible quality pics as I only had my Nexus 7 with me (Clicking pics with the ffc is a pain) I'll try to get high res images if anyone wants to see...

Good.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

mzone1510 said:
I just got mine today and will do this swap later today! Checked the case out looks good, looked at the camera lens area and found scratches! Bugged me out that! Turns out there is a plastic covering over it
I got a black s2 which I've polished the chrome bezel off, to make it black and scrubbed the whole back casing to give it that matte finish, I ordered for a white one now to give it that contrasting 'Oreo cookie' look :silly:
Will post pics when done, wish me luck and pray I don't break anything!
UPDATE:
Well I managed to sucessfully do the swap and I must say this device looks killer this way! I am in love with it! The grip seems to have suffered a bit and t (Glossy vs textured) there were some difference between the original and the one I got (a cheap one but fits perfect with good finish) but nothing seems any different function wise.
Sorry for the horrible quality pics as I only had my Nexus 7 with me (Clicking pics with the ffc is a pain) I'll try to get high res images if anyone wants to see...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks very cool! nice ideea man.

Thanks it's really useful

Very interesting.
Got a lot of dust inside the lens ..

Nice post
Great Work helped me very much::: (-:

Hi all! I got scratches all over that protective glass so pictures are unusable...
I want to purchase the part to replace it but i'm not too sure what to get from ebay..I found http://m.ebay.com/itm/141303100240?nav=SEARCH this,but is this what I really need or do I need something else?
Please,if this is not the correct part,can someone link me the correct one?
Thanks in advance!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Free mobile app

Dashers said:
A precision flat-head screwdriver gently levered on the left will unclip the left side. For the right side pop your screwdriver in from the other side where the battery cover clips into. The speaker part should just pop out.
Mine came out sans-grille. This isn't glued onto the case, so should just lift off, place back onto the speaker component before inserting into your new device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I dunno about 2011.. But by 2017 the little rubber band around the speaker was basically fused with that placed on the plastic frame.
In the end anyway, it was just about leveraging a bit more with the screwdriver on the bottom left corner of the thing.
Funnily, I discovered just afterwards that if camera is everything you care about there are alternatives.

Permanently Fix SGS2 Echo and Digital Noise Reduction/Cancellation Problems

Hi All
I spent the last 2 days trying to find a simple solution to this problem. Even though my phone is still under manufacturers warranty and Service Providers warranty I decided to just do this as working carefully there will be no indication that the phone has been opened or the "fix" has been applied
I for one couldn't take my phone to a service centre as they would have booked in my phone and gave me some Nokia 3100 knock-off budget phone for one and the repair would have taken 21 days and having business requirements that my phone needs to meet I decided to just do it myself.
So I decided to open it up myself and fix it and here is the guide on how to permanently fix the echo that people get when phoning you.
Problem:
When you receive or make a call people on the other end of the line hear a echo of themselves and this might be intermittent but seem to be worse when having any type of cover on the phone.
Reason:
The reason this occurs is because the speaker depicted in the 3rd photo labelled as "B" has a rubber seal at the bottom of it that has gone loose from the casing by either a drop or some vibration that is making the speaker's sound go into the phone and picked up by the NC (Noise cancellation) microphone shown in the same photo as "A" rather than be isolated and out the speaker hole on the front of the phone.
Fix:
This fix is fairly simple and permanent. You only need a 5mm x 12mm piece of cardboard or think paper that is around 0.5mm thick that can be used as a buffer.
Procedure:
Step 1:
Picture 1 Shows the phone screws that should be removed 1st depicted by round red circles. Keep the screws in the same order as you remove them as only 4 of the 7 screws have locktite on them and be sure when you replace them you put them back in the same position.
Step 2:
Picture 1 As depicted from 1 to 6 is the easiest way to follow to unclip your back and front cover from one another to not break any of the clips. The back cover is very rugged so don't be afraid to unclip it as it is unlikely to break.
See Below Picture no1
Step 3:
Picture 2 is how it should look like when the back cover has been removed. We will only be focused on the area in the red block called ZZ
See Below Picture no2
Step 4:
Picture 3 shows the 2 components that's interfering with one another. "A" is the NC microphone sensor. Be sure to check that the sensor is properly inserted into the rubber sleeve covering it. "B" is the speaker and is glued with some ridiculously little amount of glue into the housing of "B" and can be lifted with a tweezers or some small object to be able to lift it out of the housing in "B"
See Below Picture no3
Step 5:
Picture 4 Loosen the speaker by just moving it in this aspect north and south a bit until it can be lifted up. Please note the arrow as it flips the way the arrow is pointing to expose the casing it is housed in. Clean out the housing of any dirt and wipe the speaker off as well of any dirt or substance that might elevate the speaker a little bit in its housing.
Step 6:
Picture 4 Flip the speaker back into its housing and firmly press it down so that it seats itself well in the housing. The rubber that the speaker is surrounded with should press firmly in the housing to seal it of any noise coming into the phone.
See Below Picture no4
Step 7:
This is where you use the piece of cardboard or thick paper of 5mm x 12mm by 0.5mm thick and place it over the speaker. I recommend cutting up a business card as they are the correct thickness. When looking at Picture 4 the cardboard should be covering the whole red block as depicted by "C" and should look like Picture 5 when placed
See Below Picture no5
Step 8:
Close up the phone and screw everything back together. The piece of cardboard or thick paper will ensure that the casing press the speaker tightly in place and keep it there without letting it leak into the phone to cause the echo effect for people calling you.
Step 9:
Enjoy calls without any echo effect.
This is all very simple to do and my echo has gone away completely. The replacement part they are referencing to in other topics is not really the problem and has nothing to do with it. In the process of replacing that part the speaker gets loosened and removed out of the housing and upon putting the phone back together they securely glue the speaker back in place and thats why they get the same results.
If this guide helped please post and say so. The problem has no relation to software or anything other than the speaker leaking sound into the phone being picked up by the NC.
Hope this helps. My phone is working 100% without any issues.

nice find!!! Ill wait for some more feedback untill i test this myself
So its samsung's fault that we have problems!

I tested 3 different brand new phones and all had the issue. Does this mean that Samsung fails to correctly assemble all of it's phones?!

manmad said:
nice find!!! Ill wait for some more feedback untill i test this myself
So its samsung's fault that we have problems!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye to some extent. They should have used more glue to be honest but then it would have made it impossible to replace the part if it should break.
I fixed mine this morning this way that's why I made this post because I couldn't find anything to really help me to get this resolved and this is definitely the fix for it.

EQUANT said:
I tested 3 different brand new phones and all had the issue. Does this mean that Samsung fails to correctly assemble all of it's phones?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think about it this way. Anything comes loose with vibration. Maybe the delivery company man handled the boxes a bit on delivery or the vibration on the phone itself while being shipped could have loosened it as well.
Remember the Speaker needs to be completely sealed off from the internals of the phone and that's why you need the buffer so that the casing can keep it firmly pressed in place and sealed off from the internals.
Been on the phone a lot today and every person I ask tells me there is absolutely no echo.
And that coming from a 100% guaranteed echo for the last month

so, anyone else tested this?

manmad said:
so, anyone else tested this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would seem that ppl will probably do it and then not come back to post it worked because my "Thank You" count went up yet no replies
If your phone does this why not just do it? You have nothing to lose

Fixeeeed!!
OMG! It really worked thank you

I have tried this and it still seems hit and miss.
The case i use is a CaseMate Tough, it still echoes with this case fitted. If I use my other case a CaseMate Slim, it still echoes to a degree but not as bad.
Definatley no echo with no case though.
On a side note and not a whinge, probably worth mentioning in your guide which way the buttons go around when they fall out when you take the back off

hi toxic dust Thanks for your guide,i didn't apply the fix yet...i'm italian so it's alittle bit difficult for me to follow and understand every step.
Is it ok to use insulating tape (like black tape)??
And did i understand properly ...you have to cover with the tape the whole "C" area highlighted in red?
Thank you very much

Thanks, will try it.

You sir, are a genius!
I don't have the echo problem (even with my Otterbox) but I will definitely keep this thread in mind if something comes up.
Thanks.

gasss12 said:
hi toxic dust Thanks for your guide,i didn't apply the fix yet...i'm italian so it's alittle bit difficult for me to follow and understand every step.
Is it ok to use insulating tape (like black tape)??
And did i understand properly ...you have to cover with the tape the whole "C" area highlighted in red?
Thank you very much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I prefer not to use anything with glue on it. You could probably use insulating tape (black tape) but you have to remember there are heat distribution on the inside of your phone and it might stick now but with heat applied any glue a specially on tape like that becomes soft and might short your phone as glue becomes conductive when in a liquid form.
Thick paper wont conduct at all and heat has no effect on it hence the preferance to a solid piece of thick paper or cardboard.
I used a Business card and cut that to the size I needed. I'm sure you could find a Business card of some sorts lying around
Yes. You have cover the complete section marked as "C". You will see that the marked section is the complete speaker. Just make sure that the paper is properly sized and is on it directly because you need it to securely press the speaker in place.
Definatley no echo with no case though.
On a side note and not a whinge, probably worth mentioning in your guide which way the buttons go around when they fall out when you take the back off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine was echoing without a case so for me its a 100% fix
The buttons can actually go in any way round. It will just make your button a bit more stiff to press. If you want the button smooth it has little hinges. Those hinges have a little dent in them on the 1 side. Ensure that those dents show to the screen side.

Mine alsof does it without a case. I think I'm going to try it in a few days!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Thx toxicdust. Your solution worked perfectly!!!
I had this echo problem since I started using the Samsung Galaxy S2 with a Melkco case and was frustrated about it. Then I decided to buy a larger accupack (Samsung 2000 mAh type EB-K1A2E). This came with a separate backcover so I needed another case. The new flipcase (Samsung EF-C1A2B) is compatible with this larger accu. I hoped with this new (Samsung!) case the echo would have disappeared, but no, it was not! After reading about this echo problem in a different forums I stumbled on your solution. This was the first one that was likely to be a good solution and not some quirky workaround. So I started following your instructions and can now say the echo is completely gone! Wow man, thank you for this. Some extra details: It was easy to take the 7 screws out, but a little uncomfortable to open the back after that. Most easy is to simply use your fingernail in between the front and back of the housing on the side and go around. In my case the speaker seemed not as loose as in your case, so I didn't bother to try further to take it out. Only thing I did was checking the fixing of the two mics (seemed okay), pushed the speaker unit carefully in its housing (but did not seem to move though) and put a small piece of a business card on the speaker as you indicated. See the white piece in the picture below. I think I made it al little bit bigger then your 12 x 5 mm. The acoustical feedback loop has broken this way, so it is a perfect solution which only takes 10 minutes to do.

I am convinced. I will try it tomorrow
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

dutchiek said:
Thx toxicdust. Your solution worked perfectly!!!
I had this echo problem since I started using the Samsung Galaxy S2 with a Melkco case and was frustrated about it. Then I decided to buy a larger accupack (Samsung 2000 mAh type EB-K1A2E). This came with a separate backcover so I needed another case. The new flipcase (Samsung EF-C1A2B) is compatible with this larger accu. I hoped with this new (Samsung!) case the echo would have disappeared, but no, it was not! After reading about this echo problem in a different forums I stumbled on your solution. This was the first one that was likely to be a good solution and not some quirky workaround. So I started following your instructions and can now say the echo is completely gone! Wow man, thank you for this. Some extra details: It was easy to take the 7 screws out, but a little uncomfortable to open the back after that. Most easy is to simply use your fingernail in between the front and back of the housing on the side and go around. In my case the speaker seemed not as loose as in your case, so I didn't bother to try further to take it out. Only thing I did was checking the fixing of the two mics (seemed okay), pushed the speaker unit carefully in its housing (but did not seem to move though) and put a small piece of a business card on the speaker as you indicated. See the white piece in the picture below. I think I made it al little bit bigger then your 12 x 5 mm. The acoustical feedback loop has broken this way, so it is a perfect solution which only takes 10 minutes to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye I had the same thing. No matter where I googled there was absolutely no solution and decided to trouble shoot myself as I wont be waiting 21 days to get my phone back with "No fault Found" response from them in any ways. I also have the extended battery and that made me also use they Silicone case that makes it even worse
After seeing how rugged the SGS2 is in the drop test on SmartphoneEnvy.com I decided to not use a case anymore as a 5 foot drop directly on the screen barely scratched the casing and the screen got no damage at all.
I am glad the solution actually works for more people and thank you for the picture. If you don't mind I will put it in my guide at the top for better illustration

It worked! Thanks alot. Let's hope it stays fixed
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

Please read my post I have made the step by step instruction
Here the link below:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21795243&postcount=62

Cool. Even though you used rubber its cool. At least it fix the problem
Regardless of what is used it needs to be about 0.5mm think. Also remember that you might have had something underneath the speaker keeping it lifted regardless of the amount of pressure you put on it that's why its recommended to clean the speaker and the housing

Iffy Proximity Sensor

Hi All
Picked up a Nexus 4 a few days ago and only just noticed (as result of a call) that the proximity sensor is reporting that its "blocked" at all times, so the phone things its against my head. I can workaround this by using the "Power button to hang Up" option but at present cannot access any in call features.
When I look under good light the sensor, there are 2 areas so not sure which is the sensor, I can see what looks like a bubble under both. if you imagine what an air pocket looks like under a screen protector thats what it looks like but its behind the glass, perfectly centred. I guess its possible that something has broken here as a result of the drop, the top left corner was the point of impact, does that seem likely?
I got the phone cheap as it had a broke screen so have a new one coming. Its the full screen, glass and digitizer. Does anyone know of the sensor is part of the screen or does it sit behind and then I could be really screwed!
Ta

bert682 said:
Hi All
Picked up a Nexus 4 a few days ago and only just noticed (as result of a call) that the proximity sensor is reporting that its "blocked" at all times, so the phone things its against my head. I can workaround this by using the "Power button to hang Up" option but at present cannot access any in call features.
When I look under good light the sensor, there are 2 areas so not sure which is the sensor, I can see what looks like a bubble under both. if you imagine what an air pocket looks like under a screen protector thats what it looks like but its behind the glass, perfectly centred. I guess its possible that something has broken here as a result of the drop, the top left corner was the point of impact, does that seem likely?
I got the phone cheap as it had a broke screen so have a new one coming. Its the full screen, glass and digitizer. Does anyone know of the sensor is part of the screen or does it sit behind and then I could be really screwed!
Ta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so I did a little more reading and it seems that a gorilla has changed the screen on this phone in the past and he / she has used compound to stick the screen down and some of it has gone around the sensor and the resulting press down on the screen has created a few air pockets.
Looking less forward to changing the screen now as no doubt with my luck the "technician" will have used some crazy heat resistant glue!
Also....missing the speaker grille....funny how you only notice things after you have bought them!

Search for proximity sensor fix after screen replacement here on xda. I've found out that if you switch sides of the little rubber /plastic cover that covers the proximity sensor, your problem will be solved. And the light sensor will work with no problems as well.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Sp_Ark said:
Search for proximity sensor fix after screen replacement here on xda. I've found out that if you switch sides of the little rubber /plastic cover that covers the proximity sensor, your problem will be solved. And the light sensor will work with no problems as well.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really?
From reading the thing to do is either make the height of the bushing a little larger, height wise. Or, to increase the diameter of the holes.
I like your fix the best though....no messing about, just rotate.
Will give it a go, thanks!

It will work for sure, I posted this fix on a YouTube screen replacement guide of octopus glues I think and its confirmed to work from a lot of people. Then if you use a custom rom go to brightness settings while having auto brightness enabled and try changing light sources from dark to very bright places to see the instant lux values you get. If you are not satisfied with the result try custom auto brightness values.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

bert682 said:
Really?
From reading the thing to do is either make the height of the bushing a little larger, height wise. Or, to increase the diameter of the holes.
I like your fix the best though....no messing about, just rotate.
Will give it a go, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I discovered this "fix" in a random youtube comment (was that you @Sp_Ark?) just a few days ago, and it worked for me. Then I found a thread here that confirmed that this could be a solution (which could have saved me a week of frustration).
If there's actually something on the proximity sensor, then you might be screwed. Well, not really, or $10 from China. The module is a snap-in piece with connector ribbon that also has the headphone jack. The prox sensor is the smaller one on the right side (when looking at the screen).
Disassembly of the Nexus 4 is pretty simple compared to many other smartphones. You'll need a T5 TORX wrench/bit for the screws at the bottom, and a very small Phillips driver for all the screws in the inside. You'll also need a tool to split the 2 halves apart (your screen replacement might have come with tools). You can find a couple videos on youtube, as well as a detailed teardown (pics) at ifixit.com. If you have a hairdryer (or an actual heat gun) you can make the process easier by softening the glue with heat, but it's not absolutely necessary. Just go slowly and be careful when prying the halves apart so you don't flex it too much and break the glass back.
Which screen assembly did you get? You can get it where it's just the LCD and the digitizer, and you can also get it that has the bezel and speaker with it. When I replaced the screen on my N4, I got the whole deal with the bezel and speaker, since it meant less work and fewer things to screw up.

Planterz said:
Yep, I discovered this "fix" in a random youtube comment (was that you @Sp_Ark?) just a few days ago, and it worked for me. Then I found a thread here that confirmed that this could be a solution (which could have saved me a week of frustration).
If there's actually something on the proximity sensor, then you might be screwed. Well, not really, or $10 from China. The module is a snap-in piece with connector ribbon that also has the headphone jack. The prox sensor is the smaller one on the right side (when looking at the screen).
Disassembly of the Nexus 4 is pretty simple compared to many other smartphones. You'll need a T5 TORX wrench/bit for the screws at the bottom, and a very small Phillips driver for all the screws in the inside. You'll also need a tool to split the 2 halves apart (your screen replacement might have come with tools). You can find a couple videos on youtube, as well as a detailed teardown (pics) at ifixit.com. If you have a hairdryer (or an actual heat gun) you can make the process easier by softening the glue with heat, but it's not absolutely necessary. Just go slowly and be careful when prying the halves apart so you don't flex it too much and break the glass back.
Which screen assembly did you get? You can get it where it's just the LCD and the digitizer, and you can also get it that has the bezel and speaker with it. When I replaced the screen on my N4, I got the whole deal with the bezel and speaker, since it meant less work and fewer things to screw up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a "kit" off eBay, [URL="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181144377215?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181144377215?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT so it appears to be the complete screen. Ive watched a few videos but from the pictures it looks like the screen comes with the metal backing so I suspect I dont need to remove the old screen from the casing, thoughts?
Im expecting this to be the screen, bezel, and metal backing so I need to do is connect in my motherboard and all the other components.
Am I off in thinking this?

That's the full part. The one you've posted is the type I usually go for, they're good quality so far.

bert682 said:
I got a "kit" off eBay, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181144377215?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT so it appears to be the complete screen. Ive watched a few videos but from the pictures it looks like the screen comes with the metal backing so I suspect I dont need to remove the old screen from the casing, thoughts?
Im expecting this to be the screen, bezel, and metal backing so I need to do is connect in my motherboard and all the other components.
Am I off in thinking this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You made a wise choice, young padawan.
Yeah, that looks to be the entire front assembly, including the screen+digitizer, already installed in the bezel. Also includes the earpiece plus the speaker grill that you're missing. You'll have to swap over the guts, and that's about it. It's easiest to swap the power and volume rocker buttons first since it's a bit harder to get them where they go if you've got the logic board in the way. Just remember that the contact points need to make a ^ rather than a v when you're assembling it with the screen facing down. Tweezers are good to have, especially if they're very long and even better if they're curved. I also recommend doing this over a clean towel to avoid scratching the screen (there'll probably be a film over it too), and the fluffier the towel the better, to catch the tiny screws from flying and disappearing.
Honestly, getting the 2 halves apart is probably the hardest part. They make specialized tools for this, and often the sellers will include them, but it doesn't look like your purchase includes them (mine didn't either). Something plastic is the best choice, since you're less likely to cause cosmetic damage to the plastic (especially the bezel) if you slip (and you will slip). As I said before, GO SLOWLY. Work it apart a little bit at a time, alternate side to side, starting from the bottom. Eventually you'll be able to pull the 2 halves apart.
The battery will be stuck in pretty good and will need to be pried out. If I were you (and a week or so ago, I was you), I'd pop a new battery in while you're at it. At this point in the phone's life, it's probably had at least a few hundred cycles on the battery and has lost 10-20% of its original capacity. The other components shouldn't be nearly as hard to get out. Just pry in various points until the piece pops out. Do not force anything. Just work it out slowly. After you pop off the piece that covers the USB port, there's the board that has the port, and that can be slightly tricky to get out. Best way I found is to slip something small and flat (screwdriver?) into the port and push up and out, and the board should come out easily.
Thankfully, there's only 3 different screws used, and they're all easily differentiated from each other. There's the 2 T5 TORX that hold the halves together, the 2 very short screws with wide heads that hold the battery in place, and the rest that hold everything else are all identical to each other.
It looks like on your assembly, it comes with its own adhesives. Everywhere there's a blue film, pull it off and there'll be adhesive underneath. I'd recommend leaving the film on over the part where the sensor/headphone jack module goes until you're sure you can stick it in place with the proximity sensor not acting wonky. Download an app (I used Phone Tester) that can read the prox sensor. FYI, as long as everything is in place, and you've attached the battery, you can boot the phone without replacing the back cover, and test the sensor (just depress the center bit of the power button board). You don't need to screw everything in, but you should at least screw and tighten down the few that surround the sensor area. Once you've got it reading properly (best of luck), it's time to put all back together.
You should familiarize yourself with the teardown/reassembly guides out there. Go to ifixit.com and have everything ready to look at. This is the video that I used to guide me, and I watched it through a few times before I attempted it myself. You should be just fine with your phone after familiarizing yourself, but if you have any specific problems or questions, feel free to ask, and I'm all too happy to help.

Planterz said:
You made a wise choice, young padawan.
Yeah, that looks to be the entire front assembly, including the screen+digitizer, already installed in the bezel. Also includes the earpiece plus the speaker grill that you're missing. You'll have to swap over the guts, and that's about it. It's easiest to swap the power and volume rocker buttons first since it's a bit harder to get them where they go if you've got the logic board in the way. Just remember that the contact points need to make a ^ rather than a v when you're assembling it with the screen facing down. Tweezers are good to have, especially if they're very long and even better if they're curved. I also recommend doing this over a clean towel to avoid scratching the screen (there'll probably be a film over it too), and the fluffier the towel the better, to catch the tiny screws from flying and disappearing.
Honestly, getting the 2 halves apart is probably the hardest part. They make specialized tools for this, and often the sellers will include them, but it doesn't look like your purchase includes them (mine didn't either). Something plastic is the best choice, since you're less likely to cause cosmetic damage to the plastic (especially the bezel) if you slip (and you will slip). As I said before, GO SLOWLY. Work it apart a little bit at a time, alternate side to side, starting from the bottom. Eventually you'll be able to pull the 2 halves apart.
The battery will be stuck in pretty good and will need to be pried out. If I were you (and a week or so ago, I was you, I'd pop a new battery in while you're at it. At this point in the phone's life, it's probably had at least a few hundred cycles on the battery and has lost 10-20% of its original capacity. The other comments shouldn't be nearly as hard to get out. Just pry in various points until the piece pops out. Do not force anything. Just work it out slowly. After you pop off the piece that covers the USB port, there's the board that has the port, and that can be slightly tricky to get out. Best way I found is to slip something small and flat (screwdriver?) into the port and push up and out, and the board should come out easily.
Thankfully, there's only 3 different screws used, and they're all easily differentiated from each other. There's the 2 T5 TORX that hold the halves together, the 2 very short screws with wide heads that hold the battery in place, and the rest that hold everything else are all identical to each other.
It looks like on your assembly, it comes with its own adhesives. Everywhere there's a blue film, pull it off and there'll be adhesive underneath. I'd recommend leaving the film on over the part where the sensor/headphone jack module goes until you're sure you can stick it in place with the proximity sensor not acting wonky. Download an app (I used Phone Tester) that can read the prox sensor. FYI, as long as everything is in place, and you've attached the battery, you can boot the phone without replacing the back cover, and test the sensor (just depress the center bit of the power button board). You don't need to screw everything in, but you should at least screw and tighten down the few that surround the sensor area. Once you've got it reading properly (best of luck), it's time to put all back together.
You should familiarize yourself with the teardown/reassembly guides out there. Go to ifixit.com and have everything ready to look at. This is the video[/i] that I used to guide me, and I watched it through a few times before I attempted it myself. You should be just fine with your phone after familiarizing yourself, but if you have any specific problems or questions, feel free to ask, and I'm all too happy to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, I saw some cheaper screens but that one notes that its LG compliant etc. I bought a set of tools separately so will have all the stuff needed. Didnt think about the battery, will order one as it does make sense!
Thanks for the info, will update as I go.

If you want to have a working battery like it used to be before removing it, you have to be very patient and extra careful while trying to remove it. Use some heat for the glue and try with something very thin like a nylon guitar pick. In anyway don't bent the battery and don't start from top. It will be easier to first remove the mother board. Iv already destroyed 4 5 batteries while trying to remove them. Sorry for my English, I hope you understand.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Sp_Ark said:
If you want to have a working battery like it used to be before removing it, you have to be very patient and extra careful while trying to remove it. Use some heat for the glue and try with something very thin like a nylon guitar pick. In anyway don't bent the battery and don't start from top. It will be easier to first remove the mother board. Iv already destroyed 4 5 batteries while trying to remove them. Sorry for my English, I hope you understand.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea was extra careful, used a little heat. Someone has definately replaced the screen on the phone before but seems to have been careful enough as no screws missing etc, except the lost the little speaker grille
New screen in and working well. The proximity sensor seems to be working but it reports all or nothing rather than varied. Is this correct?

bert682 said:
Yea was extra careful, used a little heat. Someone has definately replaced the screen on the phone before but seems to have been careful enough as no screws missing etc, except the lost the little speaker grille
New screen in and working well. The proximity sensor seems to be working but it reports all or nothing rather than varied. Is this correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is normal.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

bert682 said:
New screen in and working well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! See, it wasn't too bad, was it? Ifixit gives the N4 a 7/10 for repairability, and that's pretty high for them. After replacing my N4 screen, friend/coworker asked if I could do the same for his HTC One M7 with a completely shattered, yet functional digitizer. I said "HEEEEEEEEEEELL NO!"

Planterz said:
Awesome! See, it wasn't too bad, was it? Ifixit gives the N4 a 7/10 for repairability, and that's pretty high for them. After replacing my N4 screen, friend/coworker asked if I could do the same for his HTC One M7 with a completely shattered, yet functional digitizer. I said "HEEEEEEEEEEELL NO!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, not with the correct tools. I will admit had I not bought the plastic tools, tweezers etc I may have struggled.
The battery was my main concern, its really stuck down, even though this had been replaced before and likely a less tacky glue used it was still tough. Had to use some heat to soften it and the "battery cover" has seen better days. Next thing to replace is that, just for piece of mind.
All in all, pretty nice experience, the phone seems more modular that other phones I have taken apart which is nice.