After cracking the screen on my iPod Touch a while back, I underwent the task of replacing it myself.
Fix in progress:
Now that I’ve taken it apart and had a chance to look at it under the covers, I’m much more knowledgeable about how it fits together. The glass LCD touch screen is held on the device by a strong adhesive on the top and bottom to the now broken frame – amazing but true. The black plastic frame snaps into the back of the device and holds quite well. The frame is damn near impossible to get out without breaking it. As you can see, I failed in my attempt. Back to Amazon to order a frame.
New frame in hand, I thought I had everything I needed. The picture on the left shows the replacement LCD touch screen, the new frame (with button), and the still-working base of the device. The picture on the right has everything lined up ready to snap in place. * SNAP * Touch screen works great, things slide as they should…but the button does nothing. Um, that’s kind of important. There’s only one button on the whole thing. It’s sort of critical that it works as designed. Damn.
Back to the pry bar. I hadn’t applied the adhesive (thankfully), so the tough part was the frame. Remember when I said above that the frame is hard to get out? I didn’t quite break it, but it looked a bit askew when finally removed. Unfortunately, while trying to remove the frame I ripped the cable that runs from the touch screen to the base of the device rendering the touch screen useless. Double damn. Time to order another touch screen.
Second touch screen in hand, I went about putting the unit back together and was still having trouble with the button. Here’s where it gets a little better. While looking for some sort of button fix, I found WirelessFinest that sells the whole kit (LCD touch screen, frame, and button) as one unit. Plug it into the base, snap it in, and you’re golden. Clearly, this is what I should have purchased in the first place. Ordered, received, and installed in less than a few days.
I’m happy to report that the unit is back on its proverbial feet and works quite well. I spent about $100 on many parts that I didn’t need (hopefully, I’ll get $20 back on a touch screen I didn’t use), but only needed to spend about $40 for the full replacement kit.
If you ever crack one of these and need some advice, please let me know. I’d be happy to walk you through the fix, if needed.
I highly recommend WirelessFinest for their service and product selection, but I couldn’t find the kit on-line without contacting them directly.
Bonus anniversary present for Monica!