Database Users

[Q] LCD replacement

SO, my brother dropped the phone and slammed the car door shut. the phone still works and the glass (yay gorilla glass, lol) is fine. but the inside lcd screen is cracked. so i need a new screen and digitizer. i looked at the the steps and the replacement seems fairly simple.
the problem is finding the right vendor. all the replacement parts say "LCD" screen. but isn't ours super amoled.
the 2 places that have replacement parts are
http://www.repairsuniverse.com/samsung-fascinate-i500-lcd-touch-screen-replacement.html
but i read some reviews and they are quite sketchy.
and the other is ebay.
i know these both of these aren't OEM but i guess i just need the phone to work.
does anyone recommend where to buy the screen. price and reliability wise.

I would definitely stick with an amoled screen replacement...even if you have to get samsung to do it because I wouldn't think that you can just replace the amoled screen with an LCD one willy nilly and it work as intended... especially considering the amoled is a completely different screen type... im in no way an expert on this though its just my 2 cents on what i would personally do.

the problem is that i dont know where i can buy the oem part from samsung. and the screen on repairs universe says super amoled (LCD).
i looked on craigslist and the cheapest fascinate was 260 dollars.
i guess i will try the repairs universe product.

Things like this make me glad I have insurance.
Sent from my Super Clean Voodoo Fascinate

replacing the screen
So I was in the same boat until about 2 hours ago. Last Saturday I dropped my phone on the ground when I was getting out of my car and did not notice it. I was visiting my friend and noticed i did not have my phone so I thought i left it at home. Long story short, either i or the person who parked in the spot i was parked in afterward ran over my phone when it was screen down on the pavement. to make things worse by the time i backtracked far enough and found the phone it had snowed about a quarter inch. I thought everything was okay until i noticed that the top left hand corner was extremely cracked. Surprisingly enough though the phone still worked. Heart broken because one of the things i love to do is to put my friends quality of screens to shame with the quality of the fascinates screen.
The link you posted to repairsuniverse.com is the same place I ordered my screen from on Saturday night. I was worried that I would not get the screen I needed or just the glass and not the LCD.... yada yada yada... In my hasty research i did before I bought the replacement screen, I seen somewhere that it was the super-amoled touch screen that came originally with the phone. So after looking for any competitive pricing and finding none, i bought it.
I got the replacement screen today and it took me about 2 hours to replace it. It feels like the same screen, the touch response is the same and the amazing clarity is there as well. I don't know if you can order the glass of the screen separate or not. It took me 2 hours to replace the screen because it was a pain in the arse getting the old cracked screen all out. It came out in like 100 pieces. Not like the you tube video that was essential to my successful transplant. When I was examining the new screen, I did notice some samsung markings on some of the hardware on the back of it. I do think the screen that I got from them is an OEM part. Not only because of the samsung markings but of how the screen was matching up color wise everywhere with the old screen. But I did not see how it could be sold as 2 different items. Everything matched up great when installing as well. And it does have the verizon and samsung logos just like my original screen.
The price was worth it to me since i scored the phone off amazon for a penny. I am very impressed that the damn thing was even usable after being ran over by car. My htc touch pro would have never survived
Needless to say that I have working almost like it as good as new. The bottom buttons are all persnickity now, I might have missed taking off the back plastic on the screen in that area. I don't know. the buttons were more responsive on the cracked screen than they are now, so i don't think that it is the side effect of being run over by car. So I might have to take it off and check that out, the rest of the screen is just like new with looks and response. I may just be blowing the buttons out of proportion because i am looking for anything that I may have done wrong with the install.
I would go with this screen if i was in your shoes. Good luck I hope it works out.

and
I guess they are separate parts, I just looked at the sight and noticed this
Full Screen Assembly. Both super AMOLED (LCD) and Glass touch screen digitizer pre-installed.
after switching them out I know i don't have the expertise to put them together, unless another handy you tube how to video was done!

thanks turtle, your post encouraged me to buy the part from repair universe.
i was worried because i read reviews and they were really shady (screen comes broken in shoddy packaging and they refuse to give you a refund.)

how in the world did you get the screen to stick to the phone. did you use your own adhesive glue or use the stuff already on the phone. i kind of ripped it all off when i was taking off the screen.

wow thanks for the very informative post, I'm not in this issue right now but I have had friends crack a screen. Good to know its pretty straightforward.

[Q] Should I Ghost Armor my HD2 screen?

So in a week or two I am going to replace the screen on my T-mo HD2. It's perfectly fine, except that end call button issue, and it's bugging me enough that I want to replace it. After I do that, should I get the screen Ghost Armored? My current screen is almost scratchless after months of use, but in the upcoming months, I'll be traveling to DC then China, so I don't want to risk scratching it up.
SO, my question is..
1. Is the Ghost Armor worth the $25 or however much it is?
2. Is there any good alternatives to Ghost Armor I should know about?
3. Is the HD2's screen scratch resistant enough that I should go without any protection?
Thanks for any advice!

12months without protection & like new.
25bucks no way, can buy digi for that, perhaps a cheap screen protector while travelling! don't like them myself on glass screens ...

ElectroBeijing said:
So in a week or two I am going to replace the screen on my T-mo HD2. It's perfectly fine, except that end call button issue, and it's bugging me enough that I want to replace it. After I do that, should I get the screen Ghost Armored? My current screen is almost scratchless after months of use, but in the upcoming months, I'll be traveling to DC then China, so I don't want to risk scratching it up.
SO, my question is..
1. Is the Ghost Armor worth the $25 or however much it is?
2. Is there any good alternatives to Ghost Armor I should know about?
3. Is the HD2's screen scratch resistant enough that I should go without any protection?
Thanks for any advice!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure why the button issue leads to a replacement of an almost scratchless, perfectly working screen? But if I were to get a new screen, $25 for a protector is way too much, personally I use mirrored protectors at about $1 every 3-4 months or so. As far as Gorilla glass claims - mine got scratched, I too thought nothing can touch it.

enigma1nz said:
I am not sure why the button issue leads to a replacement of an almost scratchless, perfectly working screen? But if I were to get a new screen, $25 for a protector is way too much, personally I use mirrored protectors at about $1 every 3-4 months or so. As far as Gorilla glass claims - mine got scratched, I too thought nothing can touch it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's because the ribbon that connects the digitizer is located right underneath the end call button, so too much pressing of that button can lead to the ribbon coming loose. To get to the ribbon you have to take the screen off, and I don't think you can do it without breaking the screen to take it off. If there was another way to fix the button without replacing the screen I'd totally do it, but I haven't found any ways from my searching.

I suggest you try your own disassembly prior to getting the necessary parts and see how everything is positioned.

enigma1nz said:
I suggest you try your own disassembly prior to getting the necessary parts and see how everything is positioned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading your first post, that got me thinking that I might not need to do a screen replace after all... I've watched over some HD2 dissassembly videos, and I'm thinking that I might be able to remove the screen, reattach the ribbon so it's firmly in place, and put the screen back... All I'll need is the $3 repair kit from Amazon, saving me the cost of a new digitizer. Also, would screen protectors like this
http://www.amazon.com/EMPIRE-Crysta...GIQA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328106829&sr=8-1
or
http://www.amazon.com/HTC-HD2-Mirror-Screen-Protector/dp/B003GE7FIW/ref=pd_sim_cps_1
This be good? The reviews aren't too bad, and they're way cheaper than Ghost Armor, so I figure there's no harm in it!

I simply love my mirror protectors, they look amazing on and last forever, unless you have a habit of dropping your phone into a bag full of sharp objects. I really replace it every few months because I am a girl and want it to look PERFECT, not because it becomes too scratched or unusable, they barely scratch. You can order the same in clear, of course - same strength and protection, just no mirror.
The only downside to mirror protector is visibility reduced even further in bright sunlight. You might want to try both and see which one you prefer, they are cheap, well, $25 will buy you a whole lot of any type.
Stay away from matte protector finish, I found them to not only be rubbish and feel funny to touch, the colors of the screen looked muted and washed out.
Everybody comments on my mirror protector, haha, they think it's some kind of cool new-age screen technology - fancy looking LCD

Do you have a link to the mirror protector you have? I've been looking at some and they seem pretty nice, but I haven't found any on Amazon yet that have good reviews. Thank you for your help by the way

Another screen broken advice needed

Hello all,
I bought a Galaxy S4 for my partner, and stupidly didn't get it insured.
The screen got cracked quite badly, so fr £120 a local lad put a new screen on. Later that week it got dropped onto mud on the way to nursery and smashed entirely.
I now have a predicament, either give up the phone and go back to my sluggish s3, or ask you guys this question:
Where is the best and most value for money place to get a smashed screen fixed (you can't see anything just a rim of light) somewhere reputable that will use genuine parts and guarantee their work? I really don't want to just leave it on the shelf and am worried that without good advice I will end up with another shabby repair.
Your input would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks and Happy Christmas,
Ric

If you only break the front glass like what happened to mine, you can get new glass for £5 and DIY. (If you're confident working on things like that - it is a bit of a nightmare of a job to separate the glass from the touch sensor)
But if there's no picture on the screen at all then you've killed it completely. A new full screen assembly is about £90 on eBay I think, so £120 is about the right price for someone to do it for you.
BTW, the first time you broke your screen, if you could still see the picture on the screen was fine, then the guy probably charged you £120 to change the £5 front glass. I've heard of people getting ripped off like that.
Most of the time it is just the front glass that is broken. Unfortunately this latest time, it sounds like you've been unlucky.
You could always take out phone insurance, leave it a couple of months, and then the screen breaks.

knuckles1978 said:
If you only break the front glass like what happened to mine, you can get new glass for £5 and DIY. (If you're confident working on things like that - it is a bit of a nightmare of a job to separate the glass from the touch sensor)
But if there's no picture on the screen at all then you've killed it completely. A new full screen assembly is about £90 on eBay I think, so £120 is about the right price for someone to do it for you.
BTW, the first time you broke your screen, if you could still see the picture on the screen was fine, then the guy probably charged you £120 to change the £5 front glass. I've heard of people getting ripped off like that.
Most of the time it is just the front glass that is broken. Unfortunately this latest time, it sounds like you've been unlucky.
You could always take out phone insurance, leave it a couple of months, and then the screen breaks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ha, the first time the phone broke, my misses threw it against a metal door obliterating the top and matrix thingy so an extensive repair was required. I'm well aware of the £5 DIY jobby hairdryer thing but this second breaking is again both screens, and I don't want a shabby repair I want the original screen part so that it is as strong as it can possibly be. I paid this guy £120, but the screen was so weak it broke dropping on mud! SO I still need to know, where can I get it fixed with genuine Samsung parts? Samsung only? Are the any reputable companies members would use to have their £500 phones repaired?
Thanks to the guy that replied I can't see your name now I'm replying somehow...

In pretty sure there aren't any fake AMOLED screens, not like phones that use LCD - there are hundreds of fake LCD's for those phones. But there are fake front glass panels.
If I wanted to make sure that genuine parts were used I'd order the screen assembly up from eBay myself. You can order it up as a complete front assembly from eBay, and it's a very easy job to change the whole thing over yourself, if you're reasonably confident about tackling things like that. Just make sure it's described as 'Genuine Samsung', and not 'Samsung panel genuine for i9505' or suchlike. If it's described as 'Genuine Samsung', then you have comeback of its not.
I've fixed a good few phones though, and all the times I've ordered parts as I've described above, it has been the real deal. It's pretty easy to tell the fake front glass panels.
Changing the front glass only with hairdryer etc is a sh!tty job, but changing a whole front panel which has the chrome effect plastic trim piece, AMOLED, touch sensor, and front glass already assembled is a piece of p!ss...

I would totally recommend just getting it fixed... plenty of tutorials online to follow. Watch a few of them and see if it is something you are comfortable doing yourself. I've done it and found it to be quite simple. But, it all depends on your comfort level with repairing things...

I think getting it fixed is the idea, yes lol
I was saying though that since it's the whole thing that is broken and needs changed, and not just the front glass, the job is much easier. It's just a case of taking a few screws out and swapping the whole front assembly. On a difficulty rating out of 10 I give it a 4
If you watch a couple of videos on YouTube first, and you take it nice and carefully, I'd say this is a job that most people could handle.

[TMO] No Insurance & Cracked Screen -- Options?

Hello everyone!
Like the title reads, I dropped my phone facing the screen and landed on a rock!
To make matters worse, I just learned that when switching from the N4 to the LG V20, my insurance protection was taken away from my account.. I'm livid because I only used my insurance twice in 6 years!
Before calling in and giving the poor rep a piece of my mind, I would like to ask here what have anyone done in a similar scenario and how would you go about fixing the phone without insurance, in case I can't get TMO to reinstate it.
The worse part of all of this is that I can't just call and say "my screen is broken" and use the insurance thru TMO.. Yikes!
I did not have (still don't have) a screen protector but want to fix the screen while I wait for an actual protector.
Pretty much, what options exist for my particular case?
Thanks everyone in advance!
s0

Just get a few quotes from repair stores
If it's just a broken outer glass with the lcd functioning properly it should be quite an inexpensive fix ($7 USD + labour)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replace-front-New-Touch-screen-outer-glass-Lens-For-LG-V20-H990-/322358040572?hash=item4b0e0957fc:g:iioAAOSw5cNYOpqk
if the whole screen needs replacing it would be a bit more expensive ($100 USD + labour):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LG-V20-H910-H915-H918-H990-VS995-LCD-Display-Touch-Digitizer-Assembly-Frame-/272424557440?hash=item3f6dc4db80:g:dw8AAOSwB09YPpXM

The thing I've discovered from the past phones that I've repaired is that the digitizer is adhered to the lcd screen and is difficult if not nearly impossible to separate from each other.
The lg V20 is one of the easiest phones to repair. Replacing the entire screen looks to be a simple task.
Nevermind, I looked at the replacement screen and it seems that the front glass is just that and only adhered by the top and bottom. If that is the case then the $7 option is quite possible. I've replaced a similar glass before and it was only slightly difficult cleaning the broken glass off.
You can find out which option is needed with two simple questions.
1) Is your LCD cracked? Just turn it on and you can see if there is any color bleeding.
2) Does your touch screen still work 100%? Click around to find out.

If your in great standing with T-Mobile and relatively polite they may reinstate the insurance for you to use if it wasn't that long ago.

Thankfully in India we have a 6 month one time screen replacement offer by LG which I plan to use this Saturday as from nowhere I see a deep scratch on my front glass however the screen functions fine.
Sent from my LG-H990 using Tapatalk

Does anyone repair PH-1 phones (screen seems to have failed).

My wife's Essential PH-1 screen filled with lines while she was using it (listening to music). Phone continued working until she tried to reboot it.
After reboot screen now looks like this. I tried powering off, then power+vol-up and power+vol-down but just see the same.
I think the cpu is still working as pushing buttons elicits the tactile vibration response but screen seems gone.
Obviously Essential is out of business. In addition I've read a few posts that even when they were in business they were not repairing dead/cracked screens rather just replacing the phone.
So here is the question. Is it repairable? If so, by whom? At what cost?

dorkshoei said:
So here is the question. Is it repairable? If so, by whom? At what cost?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the issue is really just a failed screen and not the mainboard, it's most definitely repairable, and the replacement can be done relatively easily at home (been there, done that). Good quality aftermarket replacement screens are available and not expensive (I bought mine on Amazon more than a year ago for US$70, and now I can see them for less than $50). The process itself is of average difficulty (not too bad compared to some other phones), but could be a bit too much for someone with no experience whatsoever. Fixez.com has a great and useful video (don't use the guide from ifixit.com, they screwed up this one).
I am sure any repair shop would be able to do this job, if you are not a DIY kind of person, but I have no idea what they would charge. Or think of any friend you may have who is good with electronics (hobby or pro)...

kt-Froggy said:
If the issue is really just a failed screen and not the mainboard, it's most definitely repairable, and the replacement can be done relatively easily at home (been there, done that).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I'd read that the PH-1 was very hard to access, that iFixit basically trashed one trying to get it open. It has a 1/10 repairability rating on the site.
I've done LCD screen replacements before on other phones but always the ones with a plastic case where it's just a simple task of opening the back using a spudger.
Yeah, no clue if this is the screen or a mainboard issue. $50 isn't bad if it's the screen but it's wasted cash if it turns out to be a deeper problem.

Okay, that's funny. I just put my fingernail under the bezel and saw it was loose. Lifted slightly and the entire screen popped off as it there was zero adhesive.
Okay, screen replacement looks fairly simple at this point, IF IT IS THE LCD. I have a tube of B-7000.

dorkshoei said:
I thought I'd read that the PH-1 was very hard to access, that iFixit basically trashed one.
I've done LCD screen replacements before on other phones but always the ones with a plastic case where it's just a simple task of opening the back using a spudger.
Yeah, no clue if this is the screen or a mainboard issue. $70 isn't bad if it's the screen but it's wasted cash if it turns out to be a deeper problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I said don't do it the way Ifixit did, LOL... Watch the video from fixez.com. You need to be careful, and know how to use a heat gun properly. Otherwise, it's not that hard. And you need to get either a narrow (1mm) adhesive tape or a liquid glue to mount the new screen. Also, a couple of things to watch out for around the earpiece opening and silicone gasket for the front camera. If you consider a DYI job, feel free to PM me, I'll be happy to help. My PH-1 has been working perfectly since the repair in Feb 2019, and I've done screen replacements quite a few times on similar phone designs like Sony Xperia Z series.

kt-Froggy said:
You need to be careful, and know how to use a heat gun properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an SMD rework preheater that works great for softening the glue on screens, far more precise than a heat gun .... but as I said above I don't think I'll need it
Now, the issue is whether it's a mainboard issue or LCD.

Fixez seems to have a screen for $24
https://www.fixez.com/essential-phone-ph-1-screen-replacement

dorkshoei said:
Okay, that's funny. I just put my fingernail under the bezel and saw it was loose. Lifted slightly and the entire screen popped off as it there was zero adhesive.
Okay, screen replacement looks fairly simple at this point, IF IT IS THE LCD. I have a tube of B-7000.
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Digitizer-Replacement-Assembly-Complete/dp/B07CLNDBZS/
@kt-Froggy Is the above what you were referring to. I guess I can always order, see if it fixes, else return it.
Fixez has one for $24
https://www.fixez.com/essential-phone-ph-1-screen-replacement
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that's exactly the screen I got, and left a detailed review on Jan 29, 2019 (from a user KT). $24 from Fixez is even better, and sounds like a no-brainer. And if your screen is already removed, then you don't have to do the most difficult part. Just plug in the new screen and confirm if it works Like I said, be careful around the earpiece opening and the gasket. Good luck!

Ok, ordered from Fixez. We shall see if it corrects the issue.

dorkshoei said:
I thought I'd read that the PH-1 was very hard to access, that iFixit basically trashed one trying to get it open. It has a 1/10 repairability rating on the site.
I've done LCD screen replacements before on other phones but always the ones with a plastic case where it's just a simple task of opening the back using a spudger.
Yeah, no clue if this is the screen or a mainboard issue. $50 isn't bad if it's the screen but it's wasted cash if it turns out to be a deeper problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search the Reddit AMA posts on the Essential sub-reddit from the fall of 2017. Essential was asked about iFixit's teardown and rating. Essential's response was that they gave iFixit instructions to opening the phone but they ignored them completely. They said you apply heat to the sides, even gave a specific temperature, to loosen the adhesive and use a suction cup to lift the screen off. Most people use some thin tools to get under the screen though. But it's much easier to do than iFixit makes you think. I'm not sure why they ****ed that up so badly. Ignore their guide and find a better one.
My concern is how fragile the screen is. I want to replace the battery but haven't opened this phone yet. I have seen lots of people replace the battery and damage the screen.

gk1984 said:
Search the Reddit AMA posts on the Essential sub-reddit from the fall of 2017. Essential was asked about iFixit's teardown and rating. Essential's response was that they gave iFixit instructions to opening the phone but they ignored them completely. They said you apply heat to the sides, even gave a specific temperature, to loosen the adhesive and use a suction cup to lift the screen off. Most people use some thin tools to get under the screen though. But it's much easier to do than iFixit makes you think. I'm not sure why they ****ed that up so badly. Ignore their guide and find a better one.
My concern is how fragile the screen is. I want to replace the battery but haven't opened this phone yet. I have seen lots of people replace the battery and damage the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, big surprise with the guide from iFixit... This one left me scratching my head. Probably the only one I know where they so royally screwed up.
A few comments from my experience replacing the screen on PH-1... The screen on my phone was shatterred badly enough to make a suction cup useless, so I had to pry it out (still, with a heat gun). There was no concern about saving it, anyway. But if I had to open up the phone again, e.g. for replacing the battery, I am pretty confident I could do that safely. From the repairability standpoint, there are two problems with the screen on this phone. One is a very narrow shoulder to mount the screen assembly to the frame (but this is also a good thing, as there's not that much adhesive to struggle with). And the other is a very fragile "sandwich" behind the glass that contains the LCD and the backlight components. It's too easy to damage that sandwich from the sides with a tool, even made of plastic. It will be pretty obvious once you have a replacement screen in your hands and take a close look at it.
A general issue with disassembling the phones of this design at home is that most people will not be able to heat the perimeter evenly to lift the screen off by a suction cup only (I know I can't). So, you would most probably have to use some tool around the edges. The trick is to NOT pry the screen out (or you will crack the edge), but only use a tool to carefully undercut the adhesive as you pull with a suction cup, so the screen can separate from the frame. This way, you can gradually work your way around the perimeter, while heating it up and lifting the screen with a suction cup. A thin plastic spudger would work. If you really feel adventurous, maybe a hobby knife, but I don't recommend it. I would suggest starting from the top, as the adhesive strip under the earpiece is extremely thin, and it would be easier lifting off that part of the screen as you heat it.
Another thing is to NOT reach deeper than about 1mm under the edge of the screen with any tool, otherwise you are risking damaging the LCD assembly.

Update. Screen from Fixez.com ($28 shipped) fixed the issue. Happy wife. Happy me.
Easy install, just used some B7000 glue I already had. Clamped screen down for 24 hours.
@kt-Froggy thanks for your help and encouragement.