Can an iPhone's LCD Screen Be Fixed?
By Emma Nichols
IPhones are fragile phones whose screens can be easily damaged a number of ways. Although iPhones are also under warranty for the first year after purchase, a damaged screen due to an accident is not covered; Apple's screen repair costs $199 as of July 2011. If you wish to keep the same iPhone, you can repair the damage yourself by purchasing the parts, taking your phone apartand replacing the broken parts with new ones. Make sure to plug the damaged phone into your computer and backing it up to save any data before disassembling the phone.
Broken Glass
The iPhone's first layer of the display is a sheet of thin glass and easy to break since most cases don't the screen any protection. To replace broken glass, purchase a new iPhone glass display. Then take a small Phillips screwdriver and remove the SIM tray from the right side of the iPhone and the two screws on either side of the dock connector on the base of the phone. Gently pull the back cover off. Then unscrew the battery connector and pull the battery tab above it to remove the battery. Unscrew all the screws and gently remove the black plastic shields. Lift the five motherboard connectors and the camera connector, then gently lift the camera up. Lift the ribbon and unscrew the screws surrounding the motherboard; then gently remove the motherboard. Then remove all 10 screws holding the screen in place and lift the screen upward, away from the frame of the phone. Replace the old screen with the new one and reassemble the phone.
Dead Or Stuck Pixels
Occasionally pixels -- small colored squares that make up the images on an LCD screen -- will remain a single color. On a screen as small as an iPhone, this can quickly become irritating, but it can be easily fixed. Locate the stuck pixels, turn off the phone, and drape a damp cloth over it. Take the edge of an eraser and rub it against the pixel, over the screen, for 30 seconds. Turn the iPhone back on and continue to rub until the screen is fully illuminated. The pixel will be the color it should be.
White Or Discolored Screen
If the LCD screen appears white or discolored, with black and white lines or shapes across the screen, that means the LCD is damaged. This often happens if there is pressure on the screen or it is dropped. The LCD is the third layer on the iPhone, after the glass and the digitizer. To change it, purchase a new LCD screen, remove the glass and digitizer, and swap the damaged LCD screen for a new one.
Touchscreen Not Responding
If the glass and LCD screen appear OK, but the iPhone does not respond to your touch, that means the digitizer -- the middle layer attached to the glass panel -- is not working. Replacing a digitizer is the same as replacing a broken glass panel, since the two come together as a single piece. Take a small Phillips screwdriver and remove the SIM tray from the right side of the iPhone and the two screws on either side of the dock connector on the base of the phone. Gently pull the back cover off. Then unscrew the battery connector and pull the battery tab above it to remove the battery. Unscrew all the screws and gently remove the black plastic shields. Lift the five motherboard connectors and the camera connector, then gently lift the camera up. Lift the ribbon and unscrew the screws surrounding the motherboard; then gently remove the motherboard. Then remove all 10 screws holding the screen in place and lift the screen upward, away from the frame of the phone. Replace the old screen with the new one and reassemble the phone.
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Writer Bio
Based in New York City, Emma Nichols has been writing news and technology-related articles since 2007. Her work has been published in "The Beak" and by NBC Universal. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Eugene Lang College.