Database Users

Broke the front glass of my G2 :( -- FIXED! :)

Everything works fine (except for the camera focus, which I can live with since everything is in focus always as it is because it shoots at like f/8). What's weird is that it has survived so many other falls onto concrete, and this just happens now.
I really need to replace the glass as soon as possible. It looks pretty unprofessional cracked like this.. I am out of warranty (bought the phone in September 2010 from T-Mobile), and T-Mobile no longer has any G2s .
I've looked through a few people who have mentioned replacing their front glass, and would like to do so myself. Anyone have advice regarding how I could do this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-dR8CHEGjY

less than $20 for new digitizer, takes 30min -- leave yourself an hour if your new to this

Sweet thanks! Looking forward to getting this done. Will keep this thread updated.

Ordered it from the website. Hopefully will get it soon.

captainreynolds said:
Ordered it from the website. Hopefully will get it soon.
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I highly advise AGAINST super glue for securing the digitizer.

silverton said:
I highly advise AGAINST super glue for securing the digitizer.
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Okay - what would you recommend instead?

the glue that is on your phone now will sufice. when heat it up with hair dryer (be carefull if you use a heat gun) most of it will stay along the frame of your phone. just keep it warm and quickly put new digitizer back. have done it twice now with g2s and countless times with g1s and no dust has ever seeped in.
but with g1s i often replaced the casing as well. here i would use 3m double sided tape that worked very well. if you are also replacing the case or for some reason dont feel the glue is enough use this
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

I recommend 2mm 3M adhesive tape. I have used it for the 3 g2s I own and it holds darn well. Its less then 5 bucks on amazon and you will have quite a bit of it. Dont use glue. I always take off that old black tape.
http://www.amazon.com/Adhesive-Sticker-Digitizer-Supersonic-Incredible/dp/B004WIQW3U

demkantor said:
the glue that is on your phone now will sufice. when heat it up with hair dryer (be carefull if you use a heat gun) most of it will stay along the frame of your phone. just keep it warm and quickly put new digitizer back. have done it twice now with g2s and countless times with g1s and no dust has ever seeped in.
but with g1s i often replaced the casing as well. here i would use 3m double sided tape that worked very well. if you are also replacing the case or for some reason dont feel the glue is enough use this
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
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Okay - thanks for this!
Darkseid83 said:
I recommend 2mm 3M adhesive tape. I have used it for the 3 g2s I own and it holds darn well. Its less then 5 bucks on amazon and you will have quite a bit of it. Dont use glue. I always take off that old black tape.
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The tape doesn't make the digitizer bulge away from the surface at all? I feel like it would. I'll give that link a buy though, just in case.

the tape he and i is refuring to is thinner than paper, i have not needed it for a g2 before but only have done 2 digitizers on these so i cant say its never necessary unless you are replacing the case as well, but its cheap to have around and may be needed
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

The tape doesn't make the digitizer bulge away from the surface at all? I feel like it would. I'll give that link a buy though, just in case
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No if you stack it right I had to stack three pieces of that tape to flush it. It does not move around if you tape in the right spots. Its very thin and almost invisible.

That is weird... I did the SAME thing last week lol! I busted it on the concrete too and everything. It scratched up the bezel pretty bad too. I had insurance so I ended up getting the MT4GS (aka HTC Doubleshot). I love how speedy it is but I REALLY miss the development here and the GREAT community here in the Desire Z/G2 sub forum As far as repairing/replacing the screen (the digitizer specifically), everyone here gave great advice. I used to repair phones for a number of years and we always used a sealant very similar to double sided tape that y'all were mentioning. It basically was foaming glue that acted similar to silicon or something. I agree that about not using super glue. Bad idea. Also be careful with the ribbon wires and watch a few videos prior to disassembly. There were a few tear down threads here I'd keep handy while repairing. Good luck to ya!

Make sure you are VERY careful when removing the lcd its very fragile. I reaced my digitizer easy and was careful and lcd got mrssed up ie no pic. Ordered a new lcd and it had not brightness control always dim waiting for new replacement now. Side note once new screen comes in I will be selling this phone if anyone is interested i have 3 of them only need 2
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA

Son of gun. The last three screws I need to remove do NOT fit with the philips head screwdriver that was recommended. Now I get to scramble around with my phone in pieces trying to find a smaller philips head screwdriver. Awesome.
They are philips head, not torque screws. I checked and triple checked.

Anyone have any idea what to do here? I can't find smaller screwdrivers anywhere. Home depot has got nada.

Go out and buy a precision screwdriver set or maybe a eye glasses repair kit. Only the first 3 screws are torx T5. Also there is 7 of them tiny ones not 3. There is 3 on either side and one more under keyboard backstop
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA

anoymonos said:
Go out and buy a precision screwdriver set or maybe a eye glasses repair kit. Only the first 3 screws are torx T5. Also there is 7 of them tiny ones not 3. There is 3 on either side and one more under keyboard backstop
Sent from my SGH-T959V using XDA
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No it's the three screws across the back at this time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=u-dR8CHEGjY#t=251s).
They are smaller than all the others and I still cannot get them out. I cannot find an eye glasses repair kit or precision screwdriver set small enough.

http://www.repairsuniverse.com sent me the screwdrivers for the Inspire 4G. Pretty sure the digitizer is for the G2 but I'll have to check the screen sizes to make sure.
Update. Fry's elecronics had a repair kit for smartphones that fit the screws. Still working on it.

captainreynolds said:
No it's the three screws across the back at this time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=u-dR8CHEGjY#t=251s).
They are smaller than all the others and I still cannot get them out. I cannot find an eye glasses repair kit or precision screwdriver set small enough.
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if you keep watching the video you will see that when he removes the sticky keyboard backstop there are three more identical size screws mirrored from the ones you are talking about right on edge of phone, and then when you remove that piece after you remove the screws there wiil be one more (this makes number 7 ) screw of the same size tiny. Also i dont think it is metioned in the video but when you go to remove the keyboard backstop (the shiny piece under the sticky strip ) use your safe pry tool to unlock the tabs from the edge and then you must slide the piece towards the center of the phone it does not just pry off there are tiny tabs holding one side down opposite of the screws ( edge of phone ) And as far as the screwdriver for eye glasses repair, is it you cant find one or it just does not work? You should be able to find one at any walgreens or equivalent drug store or pharmacy. You could also try a hobby shop they might have something that will work. I personally use quite a big screwdriver to disassemble you just need to make sure it has a sharp point at the tip of the star ( mine is a phillips number 00 ) Believe me once you get it apart once you will be that was so easy.

Video - Xperia Z constructed in ONLY 5 minutes!

If you have any interest in how the water resistant Xperia Z is put together then the below video is a must-watch. It shows engineers constructing three Sony gadgets in just five minutes, this includes the Xperia Z, Cyber-shot RX1 and a Handycam camcorder.
The skill involved is immense as these guys slowly piece together a beautiful phone from a number of component parts. Click through for the video below (the Xperia Z is being shown on the bottom-left window of the video).
Youtube : Here

That's amazing. I wonder how many products those guys have put together to know how to do it so fast, fluid and precise.
Sent from my skz_tenderloin using Tapatalk HD

Zerosuit Connor said:
That's amazing. I wonder how many products those guys have put together to know how to do it so fast, fluid and precise.
Sent from my skz_tenderloin using Tapatalk HD
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Yes, have a look at Z.. It is fully covered by metal plates inside the chip so as to withstand water and dust damage!
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app

Just found this post hidden, awesome

gire.prasad said:
Yes, have a look at Z.. It is fully covered by metal plates inside the chip so as to withstand water and dust damage!
Sent from my LT15i using xda app-developers app
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I think the metal plates are for cooling

Brilliant video.
The plates could be for cooling but generally these type of plates are for shielding from Electromagnetic interference.
I'm curious about the fact that the back plate of the XZ is simply "pushed" on. Surely it can be removed and re-placed quite easily then?

alias_neo said:
Brilliant video.
The plates could be for cooling but generally these type of plates are for shielding from Electromagnetic interference.
I'm curious about the fact that the back plate of the XZ is simply "pushed" on. Surely it can be removed and re-placed quite easily then?
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You are suprised? Thats the only way an unibody works. Its simple glued together.

Bioschnitzel said:
You are suprised? Thats the only way an unibody works. Its simple glued together.
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Not surprised, I said curious. By glued do you mean it has sticky tape of some sort? I didn't see him remove any protective film from sticky tape or anything, so where is the adhesive?
EDIT: I just noticed there was a cut in the Xperia video just before he applied the back cover so I assume t hat's where I removed the protective film from the adhesive tape or similar.

alias_neo said:
Not surprised, I said curious. By glued do you mean it has sticky tape of some sort? I didn't see him remove any protective film from sticky tape or anything, so where is the adhesive?
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The video is cutted
I dont know how it is glued, but thats the only way and this method is used in many smartphones.

I couldn't look away from rx1, it is a master pieces.
I think Sony really consider manufacturing and assembling process
Sent from my C6602 using xda app-developers app

alias_neo said:
Not surprised, I said curious. By glued do you mean it has sticky tape of some sort? I didn't see him remove any protective film from sticky tape or anything, so where is the adhesive?
.
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The adhesive is very similar to what is used in car windscreens.. Using a hair dryer, you can heat and soften it and then remove the glass if damaged. As this phone is IP57, hopefully spare glass panels will come with new adhesive.

they skipped the soldering part.

[Q] Anyone use thier Nexus around metal dust

I am in dire need of something to replace my Incredible s.
I work around steel fabrication, meaning lots of steel dust and shavings. After a year, I already had to replace my Incredible s speakers because they became loaded with metal dust, and they are already going out again after a few months.
Anyone use their Nexus in smiler conditions?
I was about to hit the buy button when I read Sony announced the Xperia ZR (water and dust proof/resistant), and now am holding off to see the pricing. It also does away with the two only things that made me hesitate on the Nexus in the first place, memory (I can slide my 32gb card into it) and no glass back.

cjunk said:
I am in dire need of something to replace my Incredible s.
I work around steel fabrication, meaning lots of steel dust and shavings. After a year, I already had to replace my Incredible s speakers because they became loaded with metal dust, and they are already going out again after a few months.
Anyone use their Nexus in smiler conditions?
I was about to hit the buy button when I read Sony announced the Xperia ZR (water and dust proof/resistant), and now am holding off to see the pricing. It also does away with the two only things that made me hesitate on the Nexus in the first place, memory (I can slide my 32gb card into it) and no glass back.
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Hm, metal shavings aren't gonna be good for any phone, even less so for the n4..

The grill holes for the ear piece are small and metal shavings shouldn't get in it to bad I've had to blow mine out a couple of times with canned air but it was from dust of mudding and then sanding dry wall.
Now as for the speaker I think this would go out very easily as the grill holes are bigger
Personally I would look at the HTC one, it's made from a solid price of aluminum and Injected molding for the plastic parts however I do not know what the speaker grills look like for the one. Just seems like it may do better around metal
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

If you can get a hold of something to block the openings on the phone, the N4 should be fine. I have no experience with anything near metal dust, but I imagine it could be pretty bad for any device's internals having direct exposure to it (short circuiting and whatnot).
That Xperia ZR sounds like it would be a better choice though.

The only real problem I have is that the speakers have magnets, and hold onto any steel dust that get through the screen covering them. The rest of the phone stays clean with a screen protector and tpu case. I never find any more then a few specks under the case or under the back cover.
when I pulled the speakers out they had a good teaspoon of steel dust stuck all around them.

I'm a steel fabricator as well. What I do is keep my nexus 4 in a zip lock bag. A thicker and smaller one that I got from a shipment of bolts.
Sent from my Nexus 4

Well.... I weld and work on heavy equipment everyday and have never had a problem. That said I take caution with my phone but there has been a few "incidents" and the only issue I have ever had was caused by media from a blasting machine scratching the screen. I am sure it has been exposed to metal shavings but have never seen any on the speaker grills. I love my nexus, but it isn't the most rugged phone. If I had genuine concern for contaminates from the work environment I would look into a dust and water proof model. Speaking of which Cat has its own android phone coming out....
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

I work around paper dust. It gets everywhere. I have a seidio active case. The dust pools at the speaker and camera openings.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

There's also a waterproof ruggedized version of the s4 coming out
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

why not put some extension at your tpu case to prevent metal dust to infiltrate?
back speaker is easy to protect...
Inviato dal mio Nexus 4 con Tapatalk 2

cjunk said:
....... and no glass back.
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Your wrong my friend....... It does have a glass back! And I've seen it broken all ready.
a pigeon delivered this message.... ** your welcome **

gohan040 said:
Your wrong my friend....... It does have a glass back! And I've seen it broken all ready.
a pigeon delivered this message.... ** your welcome **
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Not that it matters much here, but the "Z" has a glass back, the newly announces "ZR" is reported to have a plastic back.

what if you stick a piecee of tape over the speaker and ear piece before going to work everyday? sounds kinda cheap but it might work

Take a look at the Cat B15 http://catphones.com/ or JCB Toughphone http://www.jcbtoughphone.com/ or Fortis phones.
They are all listed on Amazon and would likely hold up better than the Nexus even in a hard case.

old thread update
For those that googled this lile i did
Been welding for 11 years and been through about 16 phones
A lifeproof case or a redpepper case keeps everything out.
If you dont like typing through a loose peice of plastic like myself
Clean out speaker ports daily with a magnet
Do not use compressed air. I have damaged several speakers with this method.

Replacing JUST the N4 back glass on the battery door?

Is it possible to JUST replace the back glass on the battery door? Has anyone attempted this? Ive looked and seen that the whole part (glass and door) is around 60 dollars which is kinda pricey and just the glass is around 20 which is alot better in my book so I was wondering if it is at all possible? Thanks for any info!

Nocturnal86 said:
Is it possible to JUST replace the back glass on the battery door? Has anyone attempted this? Ive looked and seen that the whole part (glass and door) is around 60 dollars which is kinda pricey and just the glass is around 20 which is alot better in my book so I was wondering if it is at all possible? Thanks for any info!
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Yes its possible, you just have to be careful with the NFC and inductive charging coils

lopezk38 said:
Yes its possible, you just have to be careful with the NFC and inductive charging coils
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Thanks thats good to know. Is there a guide or anything that shows how and where to be careful and whats the best way to remove the glass from the back?

Nocturnal86 said:
Thanks thats good to know. Is there a guide or anything that shows how and where to be careful and whats the best way to remove the glass from the back?
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Not to be jerk but it's not rocket science. There is no best way to open it. There's only one way to do it. Just take off the back case and replace it with the new one and that's it. don't worry about the stuff inside the back cover. It's glued tight.
Here's a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZDAIgwbXk4
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

scream4cheese said:
Not to be jerk but it's not rocket science. There is no best way to open it. There's only one way to do it. Just take off the back case and replace it with the new one and that's it. don't worry about the stuff inside the back cover. It's glued tight.
Here's a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZDAIgwbXk4
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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Thanks but I emphasized JUST the glass cause thats what I want to do JUST the glass not the entire back cause its potentially cheaper to go that way not the entire back which I know is easier to do but it costs more. I havent seen anyone actually replace JUST the glass which is what I was asking about. Idk if its glued to just plastic and i can break it apart and pry it off then clean and re-glue or stick, or if the nfc and wcharging contacts are glued to the glass in some way or what, thats where I want to be careful

it is possible. the best bet is to go ahead and remove all the glass pieces and that will determine which part to order. be carefule because the nfc and wireless charger are glued directly to the glass so if you rip the nfc or wireless charger you need to buy the whole thing. there is a foil attached to the inside of the back that is extremely easy to rip. mine was shattered into a lot of tiny pieces so it took a long time to remove all of the glass. so now i can just buy the glass instead of the whole back cover. it is a pain but it can be done.

justin g. said:
it is possible. the best bet is to go ahead and remove all the glass pieces and that will determine which part to order. be carefule because the nfc and wireless charger are glued directly to the glass so if you rip the nfc or wireless charger you need to buy the whole thing. there is a foil attached to the inside of the back that is extremely easy to rip. mine was shattered into a lot of tiny pieces so it took a long time to remove all of the glass. so now i can just buy the glass instead of the whole back cover. it is a pain but it can be done.
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ok interesting i thought it may be like you described. My back isnt completly shattered just by the speaker grill and then its spread out in large cracks so its not a terrible shatter. Do you think it would be easier to remove the glass since it isnt completely shattered? And should I use heat to soften the glue and lessen the chance it rips off the nfc sticker? And would you happen to have pics or know of pics of what it looks like under the glass or with the glass removed? Thanks for your help and info!

I can pull the back off mine later and get a pic. But I'll have to wait until I get off work.

Nocturnal86 said:
ok interesting i thought it may be like you described. My back isnt completly shattered just by the speaker grill and then its spread out in large cracks so its not a terrible shatter. Do you think it would be easier to remove the glass since it isnt completely shattered? And should I use heat to soften the glue and lessen the chance it rips off the nfc sticker? And would you happen to have pics or know of pics of what it looks like under the glass or with the glass removed? Thanks for your help and info!
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heres some pics. i outlined the foil so you can see where its at. i have a wide peice of clear tape where the glass was at to hold the wireless charger in until i get a new glass. heat definitely helps to soften the glue.

justin g. said:
heres some pics. i outlined the foil so you can see where its at. i have a wide peice of clear tape where the glass was at to hold the wireless charger in until i get a new glass. heat definitely helps to soften the glue.
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Oh wow thanks man! Looks like there's a few gaps for the glass and the nfc charging coil is loose without the glass. Interesting. I wonder how it will look on the inside after the new piece of glass is placed like messy or as clean as the original look. Do you know what should be used to stick the new glass? I'm still debating if I should do this lol
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Im not real sure what to use either but I'd say to use some epoxy of some sort. I don't know if it would eat away at the paint on the back side of the glass or not. So I'd test it on something besides your phone first. I don't think two side tape would stay very well.

[Q] Silver Digitizer Ribbon Tape

I apologize if I am asking a question that has been answered already, but I did try looking through different posts before I submit this one. Today I replaced the LCD w/Digitizer for my Nexus 4 while I was at work (BIG Mistake). After I took the broken screen off the frame, I forgot to set that little silver piece of tape that covers the digitizer ribbon to the side for the replacement set. So the custodial staff come by to grab my garbage can and dumped into a bigger bin of trash, so I said thanks you (not remembering that I tossed a hunk of glass with the old ribbon cable and tape attached, just tossed 10 minutes prior). I could have cried at my desk like infant who just lost his pacifier. Could anyone help me out by tell me what to look for or where to buy that little piece of protective tape? Thank you so much for any help and thanks for reading my painful story. :crying:

I would assume eBay or Amazon. I'm not too sure what it's called but I know it's an adhesive tape
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

xSharpi said:
I would assume eBay or Amazon. I'm not too sure what it's called but I know it's an adhesive tape
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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Ok cool and thank you so much for the tip. Yesterday, I stumbled across something called EMI/RFI shielding tape on both sites but I wasn't sure if that is what I need. Do you think the phone will get damaged if I do not replace that that adhesive tape? Again thanks for the advice and thank you to anyone else who can help guide me on this.

FronJohn said:
Ok cool and thank you so much for the tip. Yesterday, I stumbled across something called EMI/RFI shielding tape on both sites but I wasn't sure if that is what I need. Do you think the phone will get damaged if I do not replace that that adhesive tape? Again thanks for the advice and thank you to anyone else who can help guide me on this.
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It shouldn't be damaged at all. Just got my new screen replacement and unfortunately it doesn't have the silver shielding so its exposed. So far no issue at all what so ever
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

xSharpi said:
It shouldn't be damaged at all. Just got my new screen replacement and unfortunately it doesn't have the silver shielding so its exposed. So far no issue at all what so ever
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
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Sorry for the late thanks you, I really appreciate you getting back to you. Recently my situation has changed a little (Yay! ). Now I am experiencing "Ghost/Phantom touches" like others that I have read about. So I ordered a new battery because mine was going bad, but I am wondering if that tape would have helped prevent the "Ghost/Phantom touches" from happening? I say that because if that tape is some type of EMI shielding tape, it's probably there to block out other signals from interfering with digitizer. Currently, I am trying to get in contact with 3M to ask them which of their EMI shielding tapes will be suited for this. This is product I am trying to confirm:
3M™ Aluminum Foil Shielding Tape 1170
If anyone ask any input on this, I would really appreciate the info.

FronJohn said:
Sorry for the late thanks you, I really appreciate you getting back to you. Recently my situation has changed a little (Yay! ). Now I am experiencing "Ghost/Phantom touches" like others that I have read about. So I ordered a new battery because mine was going bad, but I am wondering if that tape would have helped prevent the "Ghost/Phantom touches" from happening? I say that because if that tape is some type of EMI shielding tape, it's probably there to block out other signals from interfering with digitizer. Currently, I am trying to get in contact with 3M to ask them which of their EMI shielding tapes will be suited for this. This is product I am trying to confirm:
3M™ Aluminum Foil Shielding Tape 1170
If anyone ask any input on this, I would really appreciate the info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having the same problem as you and I tried shielding the sensor with kaptonfoil and with aluminum tape. Unfortunately without succes, because I'm still getting the ghost touches.
Some are suggesting a battery replacement (cant quite understand why this would be the cause). did replacing the battery work for you ?

FronJohn said:
I apologize if I am asking a question that has been answered already, but I did try looking through different posts before I submit this one. Today I replaced the LCD w/Digitizer for my Nexus 4 while I was at work (BIG Mistake). After I took the broken screen off the frame, I forgot to set that little silver piece of tape that covers the digitizer ribbon to the side for the replacement set. So the custodial staff come by to grab my garbage can and dumped into a bigger bin of trash, so I said thanks you (not remembering that I tossed a hunk of glass with the old ribbon cable and tape attached, just tossed 10 minutes prior). I could have cried at my desk like infant who just lost his pacifier. Could anyone help me out by tell me what to look for or where to buy that little piece of protective tape? Thank you so much for any help and thanks for reading my painful story. :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi man, I'm having the same problem with ghost touches, I search for Aluminium Electronic Insulating Aluminium Tape and found this: 3M™ EMI Embossed Aluminum Shielding Tape 1267, I'm going to buy it and if the problem is solved Iwould post here, if you have solved the problem please tell me.
Stupidly change the screen without care and lose that tape :crying:
Thanks... :good:

Emaxus said:
Hi man, I'm having the same problem with ghost touches, I search for Aluminium Electronic Insulating Aluminium Tape and found this: 3M™ EMI Embossed Aluminum Shielding Tape 1267, I'm going to buy it and if the problem is solved Iwould post here, if you have solved the problem please tell me.
Stupidly change the screen without care and lose that tape :crying:
Thanks... :good:
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Click to collapse
Sup man,
Sorry for really late response but never bought any yet but what i will say is that after bought a new battery the issues went away. But i thin i will still buy some of that tape because I wonder if it serves as a mini heat sink (sorry for silly theory). When my screen gets hot, I get distortion when the screen is on.