While it is fresh in my mind.
1) The seam for the back is not along the surface, it is along the edge. The silver part and the glass is where you want to attack. It is going to be hot, wear gloves.
2) Don't use metal tweezers around the battery connector as it is always hot. I accidentally shorted the old battery and was afraid I'd also hit the motherboard but apparently did not.
3) The battery is glued in SOLID even though it appears to be a tight spot. The thing is, there are flat cables underneath (see photo) and the screen so you have to be careful. I have read not to use heat on it but I think you almost have to use a little. There is the frame between the battery and the screen, but too much leverage could easily damage the screen. I did not glue my new battery down. We will see.
4) If the thing turned on (or you turned it on) without the fingerprint sensor connected, you will need a reboot to find the fingerprint sensor. At first, I thought I had not seated the cable but then it dawned on me to reboot before I took the cable bracket and cable back off. That fixed it.
I managed to chip the midframe a little in one spot. Not bad and invisible in the case. Not very noticeable without the case. In fact, I didn't glue the back down yet because my case holds it all together with no issues and I thought I'd take a day or two to make sure nothing is going to pop loose in there.
Thanks for the write up.
Did you end up reusing the old battery door adhesive or go with a new one?
Wasn't sure from your post.
Also how's the new battery holding up?
wd5gnr said:
While it is fresh in my mind.
1) The seam for the back is not along the surface, it is along the edge. The silver part and the glass is where you want to attack. It is going to be hot, wear gloves.
2) Don't use metal tweezers around the battery connector as it is always hot. I accidentally shorted the old battery and was afraid I'd also hit the motherboard but apparently did not.
3) The battery is glued in SOLID even though it appears to be a tight spot. The thing is, there are flat cables underneath (see photo) and the screen so you have to be careful. I have read not to use heat on it but I think you almost have to use a little. There is the frame between the battery and the screen, but too much leverage could easily damage the screen. I did not glue my new battery down. We will see.
4) If the thing turned on (or you turned it on) without the fingerprint sensor connected, you will need a reboot to find the fingerprint sensor. At first, I thought I had not seated the cable but then it dawned on me to reboot before I took the cable bracket and cable back off. That fixed it.
I managed to chip the midframe a little in one spot. Not bad and invisible in the case. Not very noticeable without the case. In fact, I didn't glue the back down yet because my case holds it all together with no issues and I thought I'd take a day or two to make sure nothing is going to pop loose in there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tiguy99 said:
Thanks for the write up.
Did you end up reusing the old battery door adhesive or go with a new one?
Wasn't sure from your post.
Also how's the new battery holding up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After about a week with it in the case, the old adhesive was stuck on good so I left it alone. The new battery is holding up well. Phone is no longer my daily driver, though, but the battery is great.
wd5gnr said:
After about a week with it in the case, the old adhesive was stuck on good so I left it alone. The new battery is holding up well. Phone is no longer my daily driver, though, but the battery is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Replaced my battery last night. End up reusing my old adhesive which worked out well. When it was still hot/soft, I took a flat head screwdriver and lightly drew the adhesive back flat on the surface as much as I could before beginning the full teardown.
That did the trick for me.
As for the battery itself, you're right... the battery is in there with some very strong adhesive. Had to actually use my heat gun to soften the adhesive and free it. For me, it wasn't coming out any other way and this part took the longest.
Didn't heat the battery directly as I didn't want to burn it so I heated the area from the screen side....be very careful as you do this as the screen can get burned as well. (Don't ask me how I know)
Overall the new battery is working very well and the phone feels like it did day 1 again. Can't wait to see the SOT time later this evening
Edit see attached...almost 5 hours again with 25% left with normal use and auto brightness on Nougat. Can easily see 6 hours at this rate! Very impressed
Damn this looks more complicated then changing it on an iPhone
xsacter said:
Damn this looks more complicated then changing it on an iPhone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YMMV but personally I can vouch that its one of the more time consuming and challenging repairs vs usual iPhone jobs. They use some type of space age adhesive that quite difficult to remove. Most of the repair is trying to gently remove the back glass, battery and screen. If you can quickly get those out without damaging the components, the rest of the repair is simple.
Are there replacement backs? My battery lasts maybe an hour of SoT at this point. I've tried factory resetting it. I'm tempted to get a new phone (because I'd like security updates), but the H8 is still fast enough to use. Mostly not knowing what I'm doing I figure breaking the back is fairly likely.
Related
today was a horrible day...
apparently leaving your g1 in your pants while they are in the wash doesnt work so well.
does not power on
anyone have any idea what can be done to bring it back or is it most likely fried
and if it is done then does anyone want to buy it as is?
I guess this is an excuse to get a g2
*UPDATE*
I guess no G2 for me just yet.
My phone works great now. Did not do anything special. Did disassemble the phone though so I can wipe down any residue i saw on main components such as the keyboard.
My advice to anyone that has this misfortune is not to rush things. I think i turned my phone on 2 days too early but I got lucky and it did not affect my phone. I figured this out because there was a lot of visible moisture in the screen when the backlight turned on. The keyboard was not functioning correctly either.
I did leave it in rice for about 36 hours but I do not really think that did much as far as the drying process goes. Best thing to do is go to a hardware store and pick up a torx driver set(mine was $4 at Home Depot and it was 36 piece set including torx philips hex slotted and pozi) open up the phone *be careful* of course and let it air dry for 3-4 days (not absolutely necessary to take apart the entire screen but if you feel comfortable go ahead). While it was open I wiped down the main board and the keyboard. I did not take apart the screen because I just did not want to take any other risks(mostly because i knew the screen worked) even though there was moisture, I knew it would eventually dry out. But the key to all of this was patience(I know its tough to go 3-4 days without your baby).
the link for the service manual is http://mikechannon.net/PDF Manuals/HTC Dream SM (A04).pdf
Most of the time, phones can live through the washer and live. You MUST take out the battery and do NOT attempt to turn it on for atleast 48 hours, as you will likely short out the phone. Put the phone in a big bag of rice to let it soak up the water, also use a blowdryer to help dry the phone out. However, your warranty is now void, and there likely will be some remnants of water within your screen.
Yep! worst thing you can do is turn that thing on (or try) before its dry.
my g1 hasnt had a bath but other phones have (none with touch screens) and i take as much apart as possible and leave it that way till the waters gone (then like 4 more days just to me sure )
artifical drying sources reccomended (dont get too hot!!!)
I have had it in rice for about 24 hours now and its sitting on top of my dvr because it gives off a little heat so it should help the process.
just remembered that i didnt remove the sd card...
i was thinking that since it was in the washer with detergent, shouldnt i have just removed the battery and try to clean it in some type of solution...
I have read about a alcohol solutions but kind of scared and i just noticed that there is condensation around the edges of the screen
I'd say take it apart, Blow dry what you can, leave the pieces in a warm area for a couple hours, and then try putting it back together and turning it on.
anybody know how sensitive the screen is because i want to try and blow some heat on it but not sure if it will damage it
best part about handset insurance cover lost or stolen phones...hint hint
bladepbc said:
best part about handset insurance cover lost or stolen phones...hint hint
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good point but im on att network using the g1 unlocked...
plus i rather not cheat my way out of it because this is my own fault
good news and bad news...
first of all it powers on and boots fine. Secondly the screen seems to be working perfectly (touch and all)
bad news i might have turned it on too early because screen still had noticeable water spots all over it. The keyboard also just spews random letters and commands (ie one of the letters controls the volume)
other good news 1.5 has onscreen keyboard
anyone have any advice on how to go about fixing the keyboard?
Advise for fixing the keyboard: take it apart and clean it.
ok well im taking it apart to clean it out and i see some residue but what should i use?
microfiber cloth?
cleaned out as much as i could but seems like the menu button is now acting up while the keyboard is still messed up
Aside from parts made of paper, parts with thin films (like the lcd), speakers, batteries, or fine parts that are difficult to dry, you can do a very neat job with 99% iso alcohol followed by deionized (aka distilled) water. This includes most (but not all) plastic casing, buttons, pcb boards, etc. Follow up with a hair blowdryer set on low heat (or if you have an electric heatgun, even better).
Get a semi-shallow dish, fill it with the solvent, submerge the part and scrub it lightly with a soft toothbrush. (probably don't scrub for polished surfaces like the exterior casing). Then directly rinse it under a stream of the deionized water. Finally, clean the dish out, fill it with the di water and scrub with the brush.
^ almost exactly what I did to recover a "dead" water soaked phone. Worked great, and learned a lot about how the phone is built
couldnt find 99% near by but got 91% which im assuming should work...
is it ok if i use bottled water(kirkland)?
oh and the spots on the screen are still there (light and dark areas)
thanks for the help guys
kp126 said:
couldnt find 99% near by but got 91% which im assuming should work...
is it ok if i use bottled water(kirkland)?
oh and the spots on the screen are still there (light and dark areas)
thanks for the help guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought my 99% iso from Safeway. It comes in a 16oz container. Look for it in the medical supplies aisles. Don't use bottled spring/mineral water, as that contains... minerals. You need buy deionized (also referred to as distilled) water. Distilled water contains a significantly lower amount of mineral ion, which for the purpose of cleaning electronics would be considered contaminants.
Do the spots appear to be blotches of moisture? Perhaps there is fluid trapped between the various layers of the lcd.
ok ill go check out safeway tomorrow morning. thanks for clearing up the water thing.
it looks like its moisture because after leaving it off for about 5 or 6 more hours i saw a few spots fade a little bit.
I will take the screen apart tomorrow as well. Any special instructions on handling the screen or even cleaning it?
You might want to search for the service manual for the G1. It details a complete teardown and rebuild of the dream hardware.
some sort of a miracle just occured because my phone is not acting up at all anymore and i didnt even clean it with the alcohol solution yet.
Just woke up in the morning and turned on the phone and worked perfectly, with absolutely no problem with the keyboard(except that i think i forgot a screw and a few keys are a little loose) everything works fine.
only problem is that the screen still has what looks like condensation.
but the blotches in the screen seem to be slowly fading. Gonna pop it open right now and leave it out overnight.
thanks for the help
oh and the manual has a few mistakes in it as far as procedure goes but any person with common sense should be able to get past those
Damn, thats rough man. I dropped both my old phones in the toilet(damn you superbowl, damn you!!!)and both of them worked after taking them apart and drying them off but never really worked 100% the same...
Just a note too, those were non-touch screen phones.
Best of luck.
I cracked my screen pretty badly this weekend and am planning on ordering the replacement parts this week (debating the just glass or the new glass/LCD options). But I've noticed since then(last 2 days) the battery has drained pretty fast. Normally I get 2 days from a charge, today I pulled the phone off the cord at 8am and now at 3pm I got a pop-up saying <10%. The phone has only sat on the desk. No calls, no emails, no text, no web surfing.
Maybe the screen is getting mixed signals, being cracked and all.
Any ideas?
mattlikesbikes said:
I cracked my screen pretty badly this weekend and am planning on ordering the replacement parts this week (debating the just glass or the new glass/LCD options). But I've noticed since then(last 2 days) the battery has drained pretty fast. Normally I get 2 days from a charge, today I pulled the phone off the cord at 8am and now at 3pm I got a pop-up saying <10%. The phone has only sat on the desk. No calls, no emails, no text, no web surfing.
Maybe the screen is getting mixed signals, being cracked and all.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not really knowledgable about the exact interworkings of the HD2's internal hardware. But I do think it would be a pretty fair assumption that the cracked screen could be the cause of the sudden battery drain. You know your HD2 better than anybody else would as far as daily functionality of your HD2. So if it was not having a battery drain before you cracked the screen. And now you do after and this is the singular change in the state of the HD2 be it hardware wise or software wise. Then logic would say that is it.
Have you thought any about it might not just be the screen that is cracked. What about the internals. How hard did it hit, and how hard was the object the phone hit????
One last thing, be nice to your HD2, it is nice to you. ha ha ha....... But really take it easy on the hardware.
I trimmed the tape on it down to only covering the glass (finger protection mostly) and got it off the edges and out from around the back. This seemed to really help. I've noticed from the beginning of owning this phone that there are some sensitive spots on the sides that when pressure is applied the phone acts like a button was pressed etc. So I must have been causing this. Even with the screen off it was still reading a button push and having to process this action, using power.
I need to find a hard shell for the phone. The rubber thing that came with it is useless as it sticks in your pocket, I need smooth hard plastic I guess. The phone slipped out of my hand as I was getting out of the car and landed face down. Pure accident.
mattlikesbikes said:
I trimmed the tape on it down to only covering the glass (finger protection mostly) and got it off the edges and out from around the back. This seemed to really help. I've noticed from the beginning of owning this phone that there are some sensitive spots on the sides that when pressure is applied the phone acts like a button was pressed etc. So I must have been causing this. Even with the screen off it was still reading a button push and having to process this action, using power.
I need to find a hard shell for the phone. The rubber thing that came with it is useless as it sticks in your pocket, I need smooth hard plastic I guess. The phone slipped out of my hand as I was getting out of the car and landed face down. Pure accident.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too have notice the same thing about my HD2 that ertain areas around the edge are sensative, like you said almost like you were pressing abutton of some sort. I am glad you figured something out that helps stop the battery drain. I know that can be agrevating as hell.
If you have a T-Mobile HD2 like I do you could try the Body Glove. I have one on mine, it is a two piece hard plastic cover you HD2 slides up in. ig has a pull out kickstand on the back also, I really like it. It has help protect my HD2 several times when I accidently dropped it out of my hand. I do warn you though after having it on your HD2 for awhile it will make to little scuff marks of the clear coat on your battery cover. Also I have notice I have to make sure I have a ferm grip on it when I pick it up cause the plastic cover is a little slick not like when gou have the rubber case on it. I attached two photos of the cover, oh and you can buy it from T-mobile store or from the T-Mobile website. I suggest website it is cheaper there.
Hi guys, I've owned an Xperia Play since July 2011, since then I've had some 'Battery Cover' issues. First, let's start off by talking about the battery cover itself, well actually there's not much to say. If you have an Xperia Play you already know the battery cover is very cheap, it's a large rectangular piece of plastic that covers the entire back on the phone, it's a pain to get it off and on at times. So not only it is cheaply made, it also has the tendency to start 'squeaking' or 'creaking' after a while. This simple issue can be fixed my ordering a new back piece to replace the old one, but note, if you swap batteries, swap SIM cards, swap SD cards, or anything that involves taking the battery cover off, it WILL, at some point in time, get worn out and slightly bent out of place. There's no escaping this problem due to it's design. In the past I've ordered about 3 Black battery cover replacements, and each one of them, after sometime, became creaky. Now maybe I'm just being picky but I REALLY hate picking up my phone and hearing that *squeaky* sound. It annoys the piss out of me. So I've came up with a way to prevent / fix this. What I'm about to guide you through is EXTREMELY simple and shouldn't cost you more than $2... ENJOY
SUPPLIES: Electrical Tape & Scissors
(1) Hold your phone to where the back is facing you, gently but firmly press all around until you've found your squeaky area. ( take a mental note of where this spot is )
(2) Remove the battery cover.
(3) Cut off a piece or two of electrical tape according to the size of the squeaky area, place the electrical tape on the inside of the battery cover where you took a mental note of.
(4) Put the battery cover back on! You're all done! No more squeaking!
It worked for me, it should definitely work for you! Try it out and post your results! Don't forget to *Thank* me!
(I've included a picture of what the results look like, lol I'm sure we all know what a piece of tape looks like on a piece of plastic but yeah here's one in case you don't!)
Thanks, no more squeaking!
I dont care about the squeaking that much, but still, u made my play better!
CyberScopes said:
Thanks, no more squeaking!
I dont care about the squeaking that much, but still, u made my play better!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help! Sure beats spending $10-15 for a new back.
Yep. I used strong masking tape.
Sent From My Sony Xperia Play. Press the Thanks button for Fun.
I've replaced the battery lid a few times but I've never had the creaking problem. I wonder if it has something to do with the CDMA version not having the space for the SIM card.
Anyway, I do agree that they are poorly made. My first one developed cracks around the pry point and around the top even before I got a second battery. Obviously, battery swapping means I open it more often than most users, but I was EXTREMELY careful. Eventually I lost the corner next to the power button. On my replacement I made sure to never use the pry point without relieving pressure by pulling the corners too (usually unclipping them first). I also used a stick-on carbon-fiber protector from the day I installed it till the day I replaced it. It eventually formed a crack by the pry point too. Argh!
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.
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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
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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?
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Yeah this is normal.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
bert682 said:
New screen in and working well.
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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!"
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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.
Recently, my back cover (upper left corner down to about the center of the phone as viewed from the front) has begun to peel away from the bezel. It appears to have affected the signal strength. It can be pressed closed, but will not (obviously) stay that way. It may have been the battery swelling...but perhaps not. I tried to contact Essential service...but no answer.
So Sad,
This phone is in perfect condition, not a scratch on it, been in a cover it's entire life. Purchased directly from Essential!
Still works fine, but likely will not survive long term with the case being open.
I am looking for a replacement in the same form factor/size with a same sized-or larger screen.
I would have kept this phone for a much longer time, if not for this issue.
Fixes?
Rick
blackice000 said:
Recently, my back cover (upper left corner down to about the center of the phone as viewed from the front) has begun to peel away from the bezel. It appears to have affected the signal strength. It can be pressed closed, but will not (obviously) stay that way. It may have been the battery swelling...but perhaps not. I tried to contact Essential service...but no answer.
So Sad,
This phone is in perfect condition, not a scratch on it, been in a cover it's entire life. Purchased directly from Essential!
Still works fine, but likely will not survive long term with the case being open.
I am looking for a replacement in the same form factor/size with a same sized-or larger screen.
I would have kept this phone for a much longer time, if not for this issue.
Fixes?
Rick
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Up to you, but you can get a screen with the glue and battery for about $30. The tear down is pretty simple once you watch a video. The glue will be enough for the screen and back. I just did my wife's, hers was well used. and after, it's like brand new. Just a thought.
Edit: I forgot to mention. If you take this route. some clothes pins with some paper towels help keep the screen and back, nice and tight while the glue cures.
Oddly, my screen is adhered perfectly...just the back section is coming apart.
Perhaps it's time to search out a "same form factor/slightly larger" phone with the better or the same basic specs?
Rick
blackice000 said:
Recently, my back cover (upper left corner down to about the center of the phone as viewed from the front) has begun to peel away from the bezel. It appears to have affected the signal strength. It can be pressed closed, but will not (obviously) stay that way. It may have been the battery swelling...but perhaps not. I tried to contact Essential service...but no answer.
So Sad,
This phone is in perfect condition, not a scratch on it, been in a cover it's entire life. Purchased directly from Essential!
Still works fine, but likely will not survive long term with the case being open.
I am looking for a replacement in the same form factor/size with a same sized-or larger screen.
I would have kept this phone for a much longer time, if not for this issue.
Fixes?
Rick
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Click to collapse
Happened to me when it launched. It's more than likely just the adhesive. There's nothing behind the back cover. You might want to get new adhesive and work on peeling the rest off and re-attaching it. Battery is behind the screen and if it were swelling, the screen would begin lifting too.
Just be careful removing the back, if you choose to. It's ceramic, so it's hard but usually hard also means brittle. The screen is also held on by adhesive, so using heat could weaken it under the screen too, depending where you apply the heat.
Also, Essential went out of business in February. No one there's gonna read your emails.
Any idea what the adhesive is??
Rick
gk1984 said:
Happened to me when it launched. It's more than likely just the adhesive. There's nothing behind the back cover. You might want to get new adhesive and work on peeling the rest off and re-attaching it. Battery is behind the screen and if it were swelling, the screen would begin lifting too.
Just be careful removing the back, if you choose to. It's ceramic, so it's hard but usually hard also means brittle. The screen is also held on by adhesive, so using heat could weaken it under the screen too, depending where you apply the heat.
Also, Essential went out of business in February. No one there's gonna read your emails.
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blackice000 said:
Any idea what the adhesive is??
Rick
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No, sorry. When it happened to me, I warrantied it. Wish I could help more. Try looking at some teardowns. But the iFixit teardown was done completely wrong - Essential addressed that in a Reddit AMA shortly after launch. iFixit tried to freeze it to remove the screen and gave a bad rating as a result when you remove the screen with heat. The Essential is put together very similarly to a PIxel, actually. But, it is what it is.
One of the teardown guides/videos might show or mention the adhesive used.
I used black b7000
So, it appears in addition to the back coming off, the battery is swollen as well. I am bummed. I actually LIKED this phone.
Will have to get another cell phone to replace it, but what is the about the same size with a bigger or same sized screen?
Rick
blackice000 said:
So, it appears in addition to the back coming off, the battery is swollen as well. I am bummed. I actually LIKED this phone.
Will have to get another cell phone to replace it, but what is the about the same size with a bigger or same sized screen?
Rick
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It's not bad to replace the battery. It's cheaper than a new phone anyway