Hi all,
Ok, so i've had a small disaster. As you probably guessed already i've dropped my phone. I thought the story was quite amusing (or just plain unfortunate!) so i'll you tell that before I ask for some advice!!
I got myself a white Galaxy S2 on upgrade through Vodafone. Gorgeous piece of kit so I ordered myself a nice case and screen protector to keep it nice and tidy.
Unfortunately the case got 'lost in the post' and as such the phone was unprotected. So, with some foresight I ordered a plain white cheap one off eBay (£2 inc. postage) just to see me through the 3-5 days I needed before the case I wanted was resent.
However what was sent what not white at all - it was the most hideous case with a rather disgusting floral effect all over it. I was going out for a night in town and had no choice, I had to take it with me.
Unfortunately later that eve I was stood at the bar, and my phone went off. So to save any embarrassment I slid the phone out of it's hideous case, and proceeded to read the message. Then it happened. The slippery son of a ***** jumped out of my hand, bounced off my foot and hit the deck.
It only has a couple of dings in the chrome bezel (the chrome effect rubbed off in two places to reveal black (the plating is obviously really thin)) - everything else was ok. Phew. But i'm still gutted and annoyed with myself
So, lesson learnt. I should have left the disgusting garish floral case on and it would have saved my phone. It was only 'de-sheathed' for a second and I managed to drop it, classic.
As a temporary solution, I coloured in the affected areas of the bezel with a silver permanent marker, and used some clear nail varnish over the top to stop the pen coming off. It seems to work well actually, and it looks much better than the black marks.
So, to my question - how do I change the chrome bezel for a new one?
I have read many threads, and watched many videos, and it looks to me like a nightmare job (eg as well as taking off the back and all components, you have to prise off the screen which is glued on, disconnect digitiser, etc). Can anyone confirm this, or has anyone tried it?
I can't find any videos of changing the bezel - they all seem to only go as far as taking off the back.
I've found a couple of sellers which sell the housing in white for only £20-30, so if it's an easy-ish job i'd have a stab at it. However i'm thinking I might as well just forget it ever happened and not be so precious about keeping the phone in A1 condition - it's a phone after all and it's going to encounter some scrapes now and then, even with a case on. And I plan on keeping it for 18 months anyway.
Opinions, anyone?
Cheers!
Movisman said:
Hi all,
Ok, so i've had a small disaster. As you probably guessed already i've dropped my phone. I thought the story was quite amusing (or just plain unfortunate!) so i'll you tell that before I ask for some advice!!
I got myself a white Galaxy S2 on upgrade through Vodafone. Gorgeous piece of kit so I ordered myself a nice case and screen protector to keep it nice and tidy.
Unfortunately the case got 'lost in the post' and as such the phone was unprotected. So, with some foresight I ordered a plain white cheap one off eBay (£2 inc. postage) just to see me through the 3-5 days I needed before the case I wanted was resent.
However what was sent what not white at all - it was the most hideous case with a rather disgusting floral effect all over it. I was going out for a night in town and had no choice, I had to take it with me.
Unfortunately later that eve I was stood at the bar, and my phone went off. So to save any embarrassment I slid the phone out of it's hideous case, and proceeded to read the message. Then it happened. The slippery son of a ***** jumped out of my hand, bounced off my foot and hit the deck.
It only has a couple of dings in the chrome bezel (the chrome effect rubbed off in two places to reveal black (the plating is obviously really thin)) - everything else was ok. Phew. But i'm still gutted and annoyed with myself
So, lesson learnt. I should have left the disgusting garish floral case on and it would have saved my phone. It was only 'de-sheathed' for a second and I managed to drop it, classic.
As a temporary solution, I coloured in the affected areas of the bezel with a silver permanent marker, and used some clear nail varnish over the top to stop the pen coming off. It seems to work well actually, and it looks much better than the black marks.
So, to my question - how do I change the chrome bezel for a new one?
I have read many threads, and watched many videos, and it looks to me like a nightmare job (eg as well as taking off the back and all components, you have to prise off the screen which is glued on, disconnect digitiser, etc). Can anyone confirm this, or has anyone tried it?
I can't find any videos of changing the bezel - they all seem to only go as far as taking off the back.
I've found a couple of sellers which sell the housing in white for only £20-30, so if it's an easy-ish job i'd have a stab at it. However i'm thinking I might as well just forget it ever happened and not be so precious about keeping the phone in A1 condition - it's a phone after all and it's going to encounter some scrapes now and then, even with a case on. And I plan on keeping it for 18 months anyway.
Opinions, anyone?
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear...similar happened to my HTC Desire...however this should help...if you buy the kit off Ebay...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1253969
0semaj0 said:
Sorry to hear...similar happened to my HTC Desire...however this should help...if you buy the kit off Ebay...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1253969
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for the information - I had a look at this tutorial yesterday, and although it's very good, it looks like this person has replaced the entire led panel/digitiser/housing in one go, rather than just the housing?
My screen is just fine, so I only need to replace the housing part.
The hardest bit looks like separating the screen from the housing from what i've read, and this is what I can't find a tutorial for, only some images on youtube suggesting to use a hairdryer to help with the proceedings!!
Thanks
Movisman said:
Hi,
Thanks for the information - I had a look at this tutorial yesterday, and although it's very good, it looks like this person has replaced the entire led panel/digitiser/housing in one go, rather than just the housing?
My screen is just fine, so I only need to replace the housing part.
The hardest bit looks like separating the screen from the housing from what i've read, and this is what I can't find a tutorial for, only some images on youtube suggesting to use a hairdryer to help with the proceedings!!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, the link is for the whole unit, but would give you some pointers. I am not as familar with the Samsung build, but with the HTC I know that between the LCD housing and the LCD/digitiser itself is applied through adhesive (most phones are) that is put into a temperature oven for 10 minutes to soften the adhesive. This is based on the HTC Official Service videos. I am not sure if the same will apply to Samsung phones.
But then again, as it is an expensive phone, it may be ideal for you to also get a quote from your local SSC or mobile phone repair agent to consider.
0semaj0 said:
Yea, the link is for the whole unit, but would give you some pointers. I am not as familar with the Samsung build, but with the HTC I know that between the LCD housing and the LCD/digitiser itself is applied through adhesive (most phones are) that is put into a temperature oven for 10 minutes to soften the adhesive. This is based on the HTC Official Service videos. I am not sure if the same will apply to Samsung phones.
But then again, as it is an expensive phone, it may be ideal for you to also get a quote from your local SSC or mobile phone repair agent to consider.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, good point. I'd be interested to hear actually what the cost would be to replace the front bezel only. It's only £30 on eBay for the front and rear housing, but i'd be willing to pay more on top for an authorised repairer to carry out the job.
That tutorial is definitely one of the more detailed ones I have seen so far though. Doesn't look like many people have tackled changing the bezel only...
Thanks
Movisman said:
Yep, good point. I'd be interested to hear actually what the cost would be to replace the front bezel only. It's only £30 on eBay for the front and rear housing, but i'd be willing to pay more on top for an authorised repairer to carry out the job.
That tutorial is definitely one of the more detailed ones I have seen so far though. Doesn't look like many people have tackled changing the bezel only...
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Movis,
What did you end up doing for your dropped phone?
I too have dropped my phone on its corner and the chrome along with the plastic is now dented.
Another one with the same problem here. I managed to create a bump on the chrome bezel.
Can I bump this post as I've also just noticed a ding in the corner of the chrome bezel was wondering if anyone had found a solution to this yet.? short of replacing the LCD/digitiser which like OPs phone are working fine. It's just cosmetic damage.
I once was in a bad mood and snapped a screen and backing/housing in half.I can't remember exactly,but I'm thinking the chrome bit may be part of the thin metal casing/housing that is glue taped onto the screen.
You separate the screen from the housing by using a hot air gun sparingly.
If you look back at a motherboard thread I was involved in,a person on here called Roger put up a great video tutorial link that may answer all your questions...
Sent from my GT-I9100
Ah cheers for the reply. Had a look at the mobo post you were involved in followed it to the link and coincidentally that's the exact video I watched last night. Very good video good detail and instructions. But its the black one he is stripping down so he makes no reference to the bezel which afaik is only used on the white ones.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I've not seen the chrome bit listed separately,so I guess its part of the metal top housing that the LCD is glued to.I've got a white one and its got a ding on it too.
You could email Samsung to see if you can get the part,but I think its not worth risking cracking the screen and you probably couldn't resuse / would get that stupid gluey tape stuff.
Sent from my GT-I9100
Appreciate it's been a while, but this seems to be the only post that matches what happened to me, so figured I'd update with my experience.
As above, dropped and dented the bezel, screen was perfectly intact, but the dent was so severe, it actually lifted a corner of my screen up. I have intentions to sell on so I wanted to fix this and pass on.
I followed this disassembly , apart from the bit about not worrying about damaging the screen as you prise it away. The housing I ordered off ebay came with a little kit, so I warmed the screen with hairdryer for a couple of minutes, then slowly prised it away, from top to bottom, inserting the tool right down the middle as the video mentions there is a large adhesive right down the middle.
Following the vid all the way to the removal of all components, this is where I ditched my current bezel/housing and reassembled into the newly ordered one. Judging by the assembly, there is no way that a bezel could be replaced without replacing the housing, it's one whole unit, and I very much doubt the build would be that drastically different for the white SGS2.
Some things to note:
Be very careful removing the vibrate motor, the connector and natural pivot point is the weakest part (new module ordered from ebay
If you are transplanting the screen like me, have some adhesive pads in your kit as most tutorials are for new screens, and as can be seen on the vid, these come with pads intact, ready to apply
Try do it in daylight
Hope that helps anyone in a similar situation.
vyks10 said:
Appreciate it's been a while, but this seems to be the only post that matches what happened to me, so figured I'd update with my experience.
As above, dropped and dented the bezel, screen was perfectly intact, but the dent was so severe, it actually lifted a corner of my screen up. I have intentions to sell on so I wanted to fix this and pass on.
I followed this disassembly , apart from the bit about not worrying about damaging the screen as you prise it away. The housing I ordered off ebay came with a little kit, so I warmed the screen with hairdryer for a couple of minutes, then slowly prised it away, from top to bottom, inserting the tool right down the middle as the video mentions there is a large adhesive right down the middle.
Following the vid all the way to the removal of all components, this is where I ditched my current bezel/housing and reassembled into the newly ordered one. Judging by the assembly, there is no way that a bezel could be replaced without replacing the housing, it's one whole unit, and I very much doubt the build would be that drastically different for the white SGS2.
Some things to note:
Be very careful removing the vibrate motor, the connector and natural pivot point is the weakest part (new module ordered from ebay
If you are transplanting the screen like me, have some adhesive pads in your kit as most tutorials are for new screens, and as can be seen on the vid, these come with pads intact, ready to apply
Try do it in daylight
Hope that helps anyone in a similar situation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, will the heat actually damage the screen? I saw some posts mentioning about putting it into the oven and such. It sounded very intense but if it works without damaging the screen, i might give it a try. Facing the same situation as yours. Scratches and dents all over my front chrome bezel.
So my boss asked me to replace the screen on his friends note 2...I've done several other screens and wasn't intimidated by the challenge. I ordered glass only and everything went fine and the phone works great...but...the glass seems to make contact with the screen and it almost looks like moisture is caught between. The spot moves and changes shape with pressure...so I took it back off cleaned it again and put it back on...same thing. I ordered another screen and haven't replaced it yet. Was wondering if anyone else has seen this? Fixes? Ideas? Thinking it has to do with the size of the screen and the fact that I can't replace the loca that comes from the factory. Money is the issue keeping him from buying the glass screen assembly.
THE NEW PHONE BOOKS ARE HERE! THE NEW PHONE BOOKS ARE HERE!
I read somewhere that a guy put a screen protector between the glass and the screen in order to prevent the two from making contact. Haven't tried it myself so I don't know how well it works but it might be worth trying.
Well I tried installing a screen protector on the inside. I also tried a second screen. neither of these things worked. I ended up ordering a front housing assembly. I'm disappointed in myself...and the note 2
THE NEW PHONE BOOKS ARE HERE! THE NEW PHONE BOOKS ARE HERE!
Hello all,
I have my Tab4 10.1 for some 4 months now, generally pleased with it but i noticed that my screen started to show some color leakage when pressed at certain places on the digitizer and from the back.
Sure enough i took it in for repair, got it back brand new but the leaks continue even on the new screen.
When i hold the tablet sideways i can see that the plastic along with the screen is forming sort of a curvature along the longitude of the tablet.
I took the cover off just to find out that the plastic somehow twisted and deformed (home use plus hardcase only!) and once taken out the screen wasnt leaking when pressed anymore and its straight when looking again from the side.
So my question is, does someone know where can i get a replacement back / battery cover, or maybe one thats a lot stiffer, and did someone else have this kind of situation?
Cheers
Most parts are usually available on eBay. They generally ship from China, so the ship time is often 2 or 3 weeks.
flip360 said:
Hello all,
I have my Tab4 10.1 for some 4 months now, generally pleased with it but i noticed that my screen started to show some color leakage when pressed at certain places on the digitizer and from the back.
Sure enough i took it in for repair, got it back brand new but the leaks continue even on the new screen.
When i hold the tablet sideways i can see that the plastic along with the screen is forming sort of a curvature along the longitude of the tablet.
I took the cover off just to find out that the plastic somehow twisted and deformed (home use plus hardcase only!) and once taken out the screen wasnt leaking when pressed anymore and its straight when looking again from the side.
So my question is, does someone know where can i get a replacement back / battery cover, or maybe one thats a lot stiffer, and did someone else have this kind of situation?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont recommend buying new backcover, because it wont solve problem. Problem is that backcover dosent fit well and by holding it you are forming that curves. I had same problem on my two t535 tablets before i got new one from seller, and this new isnt much better. Problem is chassis or frame, depend how you call it. Simply quality control is bad and thats it. Im sure many others have same problem, but many of them dont care about that.
Thnaks Nemanja, it is the low QC afterall, got my replacement but still the same :|
I've just dropped my three month old Honor 7 and the screen is cracked from the bottom right corner. I bought it new from Amazon UK (sold by Amazon EU S.a.r.L.), it wasn't through Vmall. Is the screen covered under any form of warranty? If not, where's the cheapest place to get it fixed in the UK?
GrandMasterPlank said:
I've just dropped my three month old Honor 7 and the screen is cracked from the bottom right corner. I bought it new from Amazon UK (sold by Amazon EU S.a.r.L.), it wasn't through Vmall. Is the screen covered under any form of warranty? If not, where's the cheapest place to get it fixed in the UK?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the screen is guaranteed against manufacturing faults, but not the glass against accidental damage.
When I trod on mine in the back of a car, I called Hihonor support and they quoted me £70-80 + £15 inspection and postage charge, which I thought was reasonable, however when calling their repair centre to book mine in they laughed and said it would be at least £130 for Honor 7 screen replacement - they can't do just the glass as it's all bonded to the digitiser and screen.
I decided to buy a new screen (with glass, digitiser and interior frame attached) from eBay for about £40 and fitted it myself. Not as easy as the videos on youtube make it look - it is very difficult to get apart for a start, then the battery is hard to remove. Also, various parts (including all the buttons, vibration motor etc have to be heated with a hairdryer to separate them from the old screen frame and re-installed into the new frame.
Luckily mine is working perfectly now, although I think the screen may not be quite as bright as the original one was.
I wouldn't try to buy just the glass, or even the glass and screen (without the frame) - you'll never get it to look as good as new.
Good luck and let us know how you get on with having it repaired or doing it yourself.
You can PM me if you need any advice
honorable said:
I think the screen is guaranteed against manufacturing faults, but not the glass against accidental damage.
When I trod on mine in the back of a car, I called Hihonor support and they quoted me £70-80 + £15 inspection and postage charge, which I thought was reasonable, however when calling their repair centre to book mine in they laughed and said it would be at least £130 for Honor 7 screen replacement - they can't do just the glass as it's all bonded to the digitiser and screen.
I decided to buy a new screen (with glass, digitiser and interior frame attached) from eBay for about £40 and fitted it myself. Not as easy as the videos on youtube make it look - it is very difficult to get apart for a start, then the battery is hard to remove. Also, various parts (including all the buttons, vibration motor etc have to be heated with a hairdryer to separate them from the old screen frame and re-installed into the new frame.
Luckily mine is working perfectly now, although I think the screen may not be quite as bright as the original one was.
I wouldn't try to buy just the glass, or even the glass and screen (without the frame) - you'll never get it to look as good as new.
Good luck and let us know how you get on with having it repaired or doing it yourself.
You can PM me if you need any advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks dude, much appreciated. I was into it until you started mentioning removing parts by heating them up then thought I'll leave it to the experts. :laugh: Honor UK have quoted me £80 as it's a pretty clean break so I'm going to give them a go and see what they say. If they do the same as they did for you, which they said they wouldn't!, then I'll go with that. Will let you know.
I'm surprised their aren't more threads on hear about replacing screens because this phone does feel fragile despite being reasonably weighty so I'd have thought there'd be loads of cracked screens out there. I dropped my old S5 a couple of times from higher up and the screen survived both times. Am now thinking a tempered glass protector might be in order for the 7 :fingers-crossed:
Mine had a glass protector, but I guess they don't cope with treading on! I've put one on the new screen too.
I also have an S-line gel case which acts as a bit of a buffer against drops.
Let us know if you get yours done for £80
honorable said:
Mine had a glass protector, but I guess they don't cope with treading on! I've put one on the new screen too.
I also have an S-line gel case which acts as a bit of a buffer against drops.
Let us know if you get yours done for £80
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading reviews of the official Honor repair company, SBE Limited, and how they appear to be happy to scam people I thought I'd have a go myself. So I bought a replacement front glass and thought I'd give it a go.
Dissembling the phone is really easy, once you've got the hang of the clips holding the back on, and taking it all apart was easy. What wasn't so easy (read nigh-on impossible) is separating the front glass from the digitiser. I tried and tried and in the end the touch screen just split into a number of layers so I'll need to order the complete screen assembly. My concern is you mentioned you bought one off ebay and it wasn't as bright as the original. From this I'm guessing it wasn't an original screen? I'd like to get an original if I can. Do you have a link to the one you bought? How long did it take coming from China?
Don't know if this is relevant but under the hicare app it allows you to price up replacement parts. Could not find any mention of the Honor 7 but it did list the Honor 5X as £35 so might be worth trying this way to see if they do have the Honor 7.
I got mine from eBay seller called bestsellstuff.
£35.27 at the moment and mine came quicker than expected with 2nd class delivery free.
I don't think any of the eBay sellers will say they are genuine screens, but I think they probably all are - I can't imagine they would be cheap to replicate. Maybe they are seconds or find their way out of the factory somehow....
boroleigh said:
Don't know if this is relevant but under the hicare app it allows you to price up replacement parts. Could not find any mention of the Honor 7 but it did list the Honor 5X as £35 so might be worth trying this way to see if they do have the Honor 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the nod. Tried it but no joy. For some reason they don't support the Honor 7. Very Huawei tbh, they're left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. A bit all over the place.
honorable said:
I got mine from eBay seller called bestsellstuff.
£35.27 at the moment and mine came quicker than expected with 2nd class delivery free.
I don't think any of the eBay sellers will say they are genuine screens, but I think they probably all are - I can't imagine they would be cheap to replicate. Maybe they are seconds or find their way out of the factory somehow....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great stuff, have just ordered the last one they had in stock in they're in France also, so should be quicker than coming from Hong Kong. Funny thing is I hadn't seen their add before, it hadn't come up with my ebay search for 'Honor 7 replacement screen'. Without having the name I'd not have found it and paid more so thanks again! :good:
Here are a few tips for when it arrives:
Don't peel off any of the blue plastic film until you're ready to do each part - it's very sticky underneath.
Take photos as you go along incase you need to go back a astep.
I'm not sure if you got to the stage of removing the battery before - it is stuck down very strongly. I just gradually prised mine out, but you might find heating it a bit will release it easier. There aren't any cables underneath it (as some other Honors have).
When heating (with a hairdryer) the small bits of circuit board and components that need to be transferred to the new frame, only do it for long enough to get them to peel off (I used tweezers to do this).
When you come to install each part, there are very small bumps in the frame that you need to line up the equally small holes on the part - makes positioning them easy! Then use a plastic tool to press them firmly onto the frame.
When you come to put everything back, make sure that the very small narrow ribbon cable that goes under the tiny flip-up bracket (the connection to the smart key) goes in fully until it stops. I didn't put mine in completely and the smart key wouldn't work until I re-did it properly.
You may notice that there is a square-ish hole and some slots in the frame (under where the battery goes?) on the new frame which aren't on the old one. If so, you might want to cover them up with some black gaffa tape or thin card - I suspect they are the cause of some light areas at the very sides of my screen, but I don't want to strip mine down again.
honorable said:
Here are a few tips for when it arrives:
Don't peel off any of the blue plastic film until you're ready to do each part - it's very sticky underneath.
Take photos as you go along incase you need to go back a astep.
I'm not sure if you got to the stage of removing the battery before - it is stuck down very strongly. I just gradually prised mine out, but you might find heating it a bit will release it easier. There aren't any cables underneath it (as some other Honors have).
When heating (with a hairdryer) the small bits of circuit board and components that need to be transferred to the new frame, only do it for long enough to get them to peel off (I used tweezers to do this).
When you come to install each part, there are very small bumps in the frame that you need to line up the equally small holes on the part - makes positioning them easy! Then use a plastic tool to press them firmly onto the frame.
When you come to put everything back, make sure that the very small narrow ribbon cable that goes under the tiny flip-up bracket (the connection to the smart key) goes in fully until it stops. I didn't put mine in completely and the smart key wouldn't work until I re-did it properly.
You may notice that there is a square-ish hole and some slots in the frame (under where the battery goes?) on the new frame which aren't on the old one. If so, you might want to cover them up with some black gaffa tape or thin card - I suspect they are the cause of some light areas at the very sides of my screen, but I don't want to strip mine down again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great tips, thanks again. I'll be sorting it as soon as it arrives. Will report on how I get on.
honorable said:
Here are a few tips for when it arrives:
Don't peel off any of the blue plastic film until you're ready to do each part - it's very sticky underneath.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorted!! Thanks for the advice, was really useful. Took it all on board, took my time (about 1hr) and fitted the new screen. Clipped it all back together and worked perfect first time. £35 to get your screen fixed, amazing. I'll always fix a cracked screen from now on, these repair companies are just profiteering.
Thanks again.
GrandMasterPlank said:
Sorted!! Thanks for the advice, was really useful. Took it all on board, took my time (about 1hr) and fitted the new screen. Clipped it all back together and worked perfect first time. £35 to get your screen fixed, amazing. I'll always fix a cracked screen from now on, these repair companies are just profiteering.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great news!!
Did you have to cover the square hole and slot to stop light leakage?
Also, is there any light bleeding at the sides and is there any difference in brightness from the original screen?
honorable said:
Great news!!
Did you have to cover the square hole and slot to stop light leakage?
Also, is there any light bleeding at the sides and is there any difference in brightness from the original screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen and housing isn't original Huawei, it's a pattern unit but tbh it looks totally identical in use, no less dim than the original screen. There's also no bleed at all. There weren't any hollows and slots to fill with card under the battery. The only hollow was at the base of the battery as it sat slightly higher up (towards the top of the phone when laid flat) in the casing so I filled that with folded card.
The only slight issue is that the screen shape (rounded corners of the glass) when looking at the phone from the front doesn't fit into the corners of the casing absolutely perfectly. Tbh only a phone nut would notice it, wouldn't be an issue to anyone else.