iPhone 4 (CDMA/Verizon) Screen

Il Mio Problema

I'm on bike tour from Arizona to Tennessee. I hit the apparently infamous loose dog section of New Mexico, got chased by a large snarly boxer, and was so scared that I lost my balance and fell very hard. One of the repairs I had to make aside from my bike, equipment, and arm, was my cracked screen!

La Mia Riparazione

The repair was fairly smooth overall. It took me a lot longer than an hour, because I felt extremely cautious and wanted to make sure I understood each step before attempting it. The guide explains it well and after about ten steps, I actually became pretty intuitive about what would be next even though I've never done a project like this. In the end, everything works perfectly except the vibrator. It's a lot softer now. Once I realized, I turned my phone off and opened it back up to see if I could figure it out. I'm still not sure why, but it also doesn't bother me too much.

Il Mio Consiglio

My main problem was that one of the screw heads got stripped. It happened because I thought it had come loose and was spinning the driver without enough torque.

***Make sure you apply enough pressure and turn slowly till it comes loose before you start to spin the driver more quickly!***

I got it out using nail clippers as pliers to turn it. I was lucky because there are quite a few spots where the space is too small to get to a screw with clippers and this wouldn't work.

Before I started, I watched the video twice, and read over the instructions. As I went through the guide (before starting), I made labels for each screw with the step number and a description if I needed- ex. "Step 11 over antennae" or "Step 13 top". There's about forty so I used ice cube trays to sort them all and made sure I had a super clean surface to make it easier to find if I dropped anything. There are also a few parts to set aside that resemble each other so I ended up making labels for those too as I went along. I think this really saved me as I reassembled!

I used the box that the kit came in as a workspace tray. This became necessary! A couple of times when I turned over the phone, a piece would come loose and fall out. I was able to find them quickly in the tray.

Also, my phone was a bit different than the guide. It doesn't have a SIM card, so I skipped that step entirely. Some of the parts look different than pictured or described. Two of the screws that were described as Phillips were actually flathead. A gold grounding clip that wasn't mentioned came out with one of the screws. (This was the part I labeled "step 11 antennae".) My descriptive labels really helped me figure out what everything was when I put it back together since the some of the steps in the guide varied from my phone.

It was a little confusing to put back together and takes a lot of patience to get the screws to line up. I ended up looking up a reassembly video for a couple of the steps, but I mostly was able to just follow the guide backwards. Once I got it back together, I felt excited and capable! It was a fun project and I'm so glad my phone is fixed.

Il Mio Problema

LCD had a large 'dead' area. Usable but ugly.

La Mia Riparazione

Intense but successful. Suggestions on keeping parts organized were VERY helpful. In the 'iPhone4_Display_ReplacementGuide.pdf picture for step 18 (Lift the grounding clip) confused me. I keep trying to pull the shiny part (under the thumb).

Il Mio Consiglio

Print out the guide BUT realize all the pictures don't print. Use that as your guide, tracking and checking off steps so you can retrace more easily. HEADLAMP and, if needed, reading or magnifying glasses. A Headlamp (like a camping type or ones you get a HomeDepot) was critical. Take your time and pray (I'm not kidding!). Took me about 4 hours (20 minutes on step 18), BUT IT IS NOT A TIMED COMPETITION!! The satisfaction from saving/re-using an existing phone is a great part of the reward.

Il Mio Problema

My daughter's friend's phone. Once she dropped it and this time another friend using it dropped it. I had to replace the front display both times. We have a STURDY case on order now. I even had to replace the Home ribbon cable this time.

La Mia Riparazione

Fantastic thanks to the iFixit guide. I took my time and it was about 90 minutes (a little faster the second time). Read all the warnings and cautions; you have to be very patient on a few steps for this particular phone. Get the plastic tools and ensure you lift straight up on the RF connections.

Il Mio Consiglio

My trick: For the small parts I used an old plastic ice cube tray and labeled the compartments with the step numbers on tape. I used the kitchen table and worked on a sheet of computer paper to minimize ESD. Wish I had known: Removing the logic board would freak me out so much but it all went smoothly. Most important: When installing the front ensure the ribbons are (gently) pulled all the way through the frame.

Il Mio Problema

My husband dropped his iPhone, and the screen shattered.

La Mia Riparazione

I ordered an iFixit package to repair the screen. I watched the iFixit video and had the step by step instructions right in front of me. It took some time and patience. The iPhone I was repairing was slightly different than the one in the example, and so I had two extra parts that I wasn't sure what to do with. I did it just like this little iFixit box said I could! I fixed it, and my husband is more amazed than ever! Thanks iFixit!!

Il Mio Consiglio

Be patient. The screws are tiny, tiny, tiny. It will take you time so be sure that you have good light and uninterrupted time. Print out iFixit's iPhone Disassembly Screw Template. This helps keep your screws and parts organized (unless you have a screw tray which would work even better!).

Il Mio Problema

I dropped my phone face down in the driveway...of course I new the result before I picked up the phone. "So this is what it's like to have a broken front screen." I didn't like the broken glass feeling on my fingers as I was swiping the screen. I knew I needed to fix it ASAP. iFixit is my go to repair site and I ordered the supplies immediately. I ordered the used product since it was inspected and in working order. Perfect condition. Looks brand new.

La Mia Riparazione

The pair was almost exactly 1.5 hours. I had no bad experience. I bought a magnetic mat and had everything labeled and in order. That was the key. So thankful for the magnetic mat. It's like a have a new phone. Loved the experience and detailed photos.

Il Mio Consiglio

Go for it. You can do it. Be patient. Don't rush. Get a magnetic mat. Have the set of good tools. Order some. You will used them over and over. Cameras. Glasses. It is well worth it to have good tools.

Il Mio Problema

Like a doofus, I dropped my iPhone on the pavement and the screen shattered. I had to use it for a week with clear packing tape on it, it was quite ghetto. I ordered the back panel plus the screen replacement kit from iFixit.

La Mia Riparazione

The screen replacement was long but it worked. Took my about 90 minutes.

Il Mio Consiglio

Have a strategy for managing your hardware, you're pulling out LOTS of tiny little fasteners to replace the screen and they can easily get mixed up. It might be nice to have a step-numbered sorting bin that goes with this particular fixit kit.

Il Mio Problema

Well to start off, when I received my parts the 5s lighting connector and the 6 display assembly looked good, were sealed and looked like new parts should, but the iPhone 4 display assembly didn't looked like a used part, with what looked like a make shift screen protector on it, and upon further inspection, there was a fine diagonal scratch across the upper right corner, which i almost sent it back, but wanted to get started on my repairs and i guess this really should have went in the "How'd it go?" section but any! The reason I'm fixing it, is our company has over 300 Apple devices, and here in Casper Wyoming the only Apple repair shop stopped doing phone repairs, I work in the IT Dept,as an Administrator, more or less that handles/manages the Verizon account. So I thought what a better time to add something else to my skill set!

La Mia Riparazione

All the repairs went fairly well, and I imagine took longer than most people, because I wanted to be sure that i got it right the first time, but of course it all "attention to details" when it comes to repairing any device, and do I mean the "little" ones! lol There was a couple of times when I totally got the device reassembled only to discover that I laid the logic board on top on the rear facing camera connection! :) I think one of the biggest obstacles when doing repairs for me is outside distractions. Working in an environment where there is or where you have more than 2 or 3 things going at once, can be a bit of a extra challenge!

Il Mio Consiglio

My advice is, if you are just starting out like I am, watch the breakdown guides a couple of times before you start your repair, have the right tool/tools for the job, take your time, especially when it comes to disconnecting connections where you can easily damage it, i.e. antennas! Oh well on to "Micro-soldering" Yeah Baby!!! :)

Il Mio Problema

No touch response to bottom 1/3 of screen.

La Mia Riparazione

I had an iPhone 4 CDMA (Verizon), the bottom of the screen (where you swipe to unlock) would no longer respond to touch. Ordered new screen (screen and digitizer are attached to each other), and followed the guide. I would suggest looking at the sub-pictures for each step (especially 36), they include helpful and important info.

I left the following comment on Step 17 about an "extra" rubber piece that fell out during reassembly:

"There's a little rubber piece that you can see in the Step 17 & Step 21 pictures just above the yellow sticker. It fits over the edge of the board where the two ribbon cables from the display/digitizer come up through the board (Step 36). It's there to make sure the ribbon cables don't rub against the sharp edge of the board. This piece loves to fall out when pulling the logic board off. Make sure to put it back in when routing the cables in Step 36, thin edge on the bottom, thicker edge on the top."

Il Mio Consiglio

Take your time, be careful with all the ribbon cables. Pay attention to the main picture and sub pictures of each step.

Il Mio Problema

One of the managers at work has a daughter who had unfortunately shattered her iPhone 4. I had already repaired his iPhone 5's screen within the past year, so he knew I was reliable. His daughter is young so I wanted to try to get the part as quickly as I could. That's one of my favorite parts about iFixit.

La Mia Riparazione

iPhone 4's and 4S's are some of the most frequent devices I've worked on, just because of when I first started. The repair went just fine, and I was lucky enough to have a very easily removed battery. Almost no effort. Everything went back together fine and everyone is happy.

Il Mio Consiglio

Advice, I'd say just be patient and keep track of your screws. The magnetic mats are a bit of an investment initial, but if you make repairs regularly, I promise they pay for themselves. Something I've learned on phones and cars alike, when you become frustrated, take a few minutes to walk away. maybe even half an hour; come back calmer, and it always goes better from there. These parts are far too fragile for frustration.