Yeah, yeah, ha ha. ANYway, I dropped my 8mo old iPhone 3gs at the barn and it fell face first onto gravel. This cracked the glass screen, but the phone itself is fine.
I called AT&T, who, true to their reputation, were useless. Apple said it was an easy fix–an easy $200 fix. Yowsa.
Searching online, there are various self-repair kits and shops that do fixes. I was wondering if any Dopers had experience and/or recommendations.
*typed on my still functional iPhone while hubby drives us home and the little 'uns are still sleeping.
You really have nothing to lose trying to fix it yourself.
Believe me, it’s not easy - I did an original iPhone, and I can’t imagine the 3GS is any easier.
I put a new battery in my 3G and while it was not the easiest thing I have ever done, it was not impossible either. Since removing the screen was the first step in getting to the battery, it is not difficult to change. From what I have read, the later versions are much easier to work on that the originals.
Find an online seller that will sell you the screen along with the tools (screwdriver, suction cup, and a plastic pry tool)
I just used clear packing tape on my cracked htc eris that I dropped on the sidewalk. It seems to be holding up ok. I only need it to stay together until March, though. Replacing the screen would be ideal, of course.
Search around for local businesses that will repair an iphone. I lived in a small city (~70,000) and we had one. IIRC, they charged $50 for iPhone screen replacement. I guess you could do it yourself, but I’d prefer to just pay.
This. Especially check out Craig’s List for this sort of thing. Sometimes (if you’re in a bigger metro area), they’ll meet you at a Starbucks and swap out the screen there.
I have one friend that replaced hers herself and said it was simple; I don’t think I could do it personally. My brother got a large otter box that holds his glass screen together until he can get a new one. For $200 I would think you could get another 3Gs.
The one in Pasadena refused to do mine for free, alas. But that was a long time ago.
I looked around and found several shops in Pasadena that would repair the screen for $50-80. However, I just elected to live with it looking kinda ghetto until I could get the iPhone 4, which I love. I still use the 3g as an ipod.
The 3GS is dramatically easier to open than the first generation. The 1G was a bitch to open and required a case cracker/sharp putty knife, while the 3GS can be opened with a tiny Phillips screwdriver and a suction cup. Most any place you order a replacement screen from will include the screwdriver and suction cup for free.
I have a clear plastic case that I keep my HTC Pure in. This likely would have prevented my screen from breaking in the situation you describe. But even if I did break my screen, I think the case would be adequate protection.
I shattered the back of my iPhone 4 and used this company which has good reviews and good tutorial videos. Replacement was super easy, but again, iPhone 4, which has screws. I recommend you watch the videos first to see what you’re in for before you order. Here’s a link to figure out which parts you need: http://www.directfix.com/blog/2010/09/which-screen-part-you-need-for-a-cracked-iphone-3g3gs/
(Also, for anyone else out there that uses this place for a iPhone 4, don’t spring for the mini Philips screwdriver they suggest. I did and it wasn’t pointy enough to work. Only a $1.25 mistake but it pissed me off.)
Oh, what a topical subject. I bent down to feed the dog, and the iPhone 3GS slipped right out of my breast pocket onto floor tile.
I’m trying to decide if I can find a kit here in Mexico, take it to the fake (but authorized) Apple Store, and just wait until I get home. Timing’s the issue. If things go right, I leave the country for good a week from tomorrow!
I got lint behind the screen of my 3G, and the Apple Store (after trying to blow it out) said it’d be a $99 fix to replace the screen. I can’t imagine why it’s $100 cheaper than a 3GS.
Because I think Apple is getting the clue that there are a lot of screen/glass replacements going on out there and they don’t need (and it’s not in their best interests customer service wise) to charge the full $199 Out-of-Warranty fee for that stuff. I heard of one guy getting the glass on his iPhone 4 replaced for $90 at an Apple Store.
When I went to the Apple store near my house with an old Macintosh, one of the employees there recommended a third-party store saying that they might be cheaper. I see that the store has a branch in West Hollywood, maybe you can try them?
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