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iPhone 4 - Smashed and Bent

1

123phoneguy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 10, 2015
2
0
Hello,

Today I managed to drop my iPhone 4. The front was already smashed and the glass at the top had begun to rip off but after it was dropped today the metal in the top left corner got indented in which made the back smash and the front side's glass has come off. The phone seems to 'turn on' as when I hold the power the insides light up but the actual display screen itself does not. When I was last using it my personal hotspot had been set up, when I plugged it into my computer my pc registered the hotspot and connected to it. The phone clearly works somehow but is in a bad state.

Do you guys know how I can fix this? It's not as simple and buy a new back and front as the actual metal rim is dented.

Thanks.
 
sunking101

sunking101

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2013
7,416
2,656
123phoneguy said:
Hello,

Today I managed to drop my iPhone 4. The front was already smashed and the glass at the top had begun to rip off but after it was dropped today the metal in the top left corner got indented in which made the back smash and the front side's glass has come off. The phone seems to 'turn on' as when I hold the power the insides light up but the actual display screen itself does not. When I was last using it my personal hotspot had been set up, when I plugged it into my computer my pc registered the hotspot and connected to it. The phone clearly works somehow but is in a bad state.

Do you guys know how I can fix this? It's not as simple and buy a new back and front as the actual metal rim is dented.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

It's a big job to completely strip the insides and install a new body. I would look for a replacement i4 as they can be has for next to peanuts now. In fact I have a mint one here lol.
 
1

123phoneguy

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 10, 2015
2
0
sunking101 said:
It's a big job to completely strip the insides and install a new body. I would look for a replacement i4 as they can be has for next to peanuts now. In fact I have a mint one here lol.
Click to expand...

Okay then,

If I buy one off ebay, can I just put it in my iPhone and away I go? I know that they either need to be unlocked or locked with EE (that's the operator I use)...

Thanks
 
sunking101

sunking101

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2013
7,416
2,656
123phoneguy said:
Okay then,

If I buy one off ebay, can I just put it in my iPhone and away I go? I know that they either need to be unlocked or locked with EE (that's the operator I use)...

Thanks
Click to expand...

You mean put your SIM in and away you go?
Yes, providing the phone is unlocked, or locked to EE.
You can unlock them for £10-15, or alternatively make sure that you buy an unlocked one to start with. My old iPhone 4 was locked to O2 but when I finished my contract and upgraded to an iPhone 5, I asked O2 to unlock my i4 and they did so free of charge.
 
IpadSC400

IpadSC400

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2013
641
6
A mile high
iModFrenzy said:
Barely 6 years and its a relic? :mad:

I wonder if my Galaxy S3 is a relic.
Click to expand...
My bro has one, it's poison to use...wow is it slow.

Anyways the iPhone 4 is pretty old to be repairing. You would need to spend 50 bucks on a new metal body, 15 on a new screen, 5 on a new back and who knows how much more for any other parts that broke in the fall. You're looking at around 70 bucks for the "relic" iPhone 4. Worth it? Up to you, really.
 
bandofbrothers

bandofbrothers

macrumors 601
Oct 14, 2007
4,779
328
Uk
123phoneguy said:
Okay then,

If I buy one off ebay, can I just put it in my iPhone and away I go? I know that they either need to be unlocked or locked with EE (that's the operator I use)...

Thanks
Click to expand...

In my opinion if this was me I would try to steer clear of eBay due to issues concerning locked up phones via their imei from insurance claims etc.

If you have a local CEX shop for example look there.
 
S

Spectrum Abuser

macrumors 65816
Aug 27, 2011
1,377
48
iModFrenzy said:
Barely 6 years and its a relic? :mad:

I wonder if my Galaxy S3 is a relic.
Click to expand...

scaredpoet said:
Most desktops and laptops are considered relics after 6 years. By and large, smartphones are typically good for about 2 years... 3 years, tops. Any use after that is gravy.
Click to expand...

It's coming up on five years, not six.

And to add to that point. I find it a tad bit extreme to call the iPhone 4 a relic.
 
scaredpoet

scaredpoet

macrumors 604
Apr 6, 2007
6,627
342
Spectrum Abuser said:
It's coming up on five years, not six.
Click to expand...

Makes little difference at this point. Does the iPhone 4 interface with the current cellular standard (LTE)? What about the current WiFi standard (802.11ac)? Bluetooth (4.0)?

The answer to all of these things is no.

The 4 was a great phone for its time. I had one, and I loved it. But I recognize it's a relic. It had a good run, but it's time to move on.
 
Mac-lover3

Mac-lover3

macrumors 6502a
Dec 2, 2014
559
412
Belgium
scaredpoet said:
Most desktops and laptops are considered relics after 6 years. By and large, smartphones are typically good for about 2 years... 3 years, tops. Any use after that is gravy.
Click to expand...

I have an iPhone 5 it's now almost 3 years old but hey it's still a great and speedy device it supports the most features in iOS 8 (AirDrop, Handoff, Continuity,....) the only downsides of this phone is that is has not Touch ID and although the battery is replaced recently it only lasts 5-6 hours.
 
Y

Yoshi Yogurt

macrumors regular
Nov 5, 2010
206
40
scaredpoet said:
Most desktops and laptops are considered relics after 6 years. By and large, smartphones are typically good for about 2 years... 3 years, tops. Any use after that is gravy.
Click to expand...

iPhone 4S runs perfectly and is still fast enough for me. Got it for $80 and I plan on using it until it breaks which will hopefully be a few more years....
 
scaredpoet

scaredpoet

macrumors 604
Apr 6, 2007
6,627
342
Mac-lover3 said:
I have an iPhone 5 it's now almost 3 years old but hey it's still a great and speedy device it supports the most features in iOS 8 (AirDrop, Handoff, Continuity,....) the only downsides of this phone is that is has not Touch ID and although the battery is replaced recently it only lasts 5-6 hours.
Click to expand...


Yoshi Yogurt said:
iPhone 4S runs perfectly and is still fast enough for me. Got it for $80 and I plan on using it until it breaks which will hopefully be a few more years....
Click to expand...

Great! Good luck with that, both of you. But we're talking about the iPhone 4 here, which is no longer supported by Apple, and for which the OP wants a simple fix for his catastrophically-damaged one... which he isn't going to find short of replacing it completely. Would either of you be happy using an iPhone 4, still?

It IS nice that Apple supports these phones longer than most Android vendors support theirs, and definitely longer than Windows Phones get any love. Just saying though: the support window is going to be shorter than current versions.
 
Last edited:
TWO2SEVEN

TWO2SEVEN

macrumors 68040
Jun 27, 2010
3,531
741
Plano, TX
IpadSC400 said:
My bro has one, it's poison to use...wow is it slow.

Anyways the iPhone 4 is pretty old to be repairing. You would need to spend 50 bucks on a new metal body, 15 on a new screen, 5 on a new back and who knows how much more for any other parts that broke in the fall. You're looking at around 70 bucks for the "relic" iPhone 4. Worth it? Up to you, really.
Click to expand...

$50 for the metal body? You need to find a better supplier. :)
 
uid15

uid15

Suspended
Mar 9, 2015
1,186
637
http://www.appleipodparts.com/gbu0-prodshow/iphone-spare-parts-iphone-4-main-mid-frame-chassis.html

Apple iPod Parts DOT com - they are located 2 miles from me, and they proudly stock GENUINE Apple parts, unless you WANT quality reproduction parts. I have a friend who runs a computer shop, and they deal with them as trade - they are 100% legitimate, not just another eBay scammer. I recently bought a 4S battery from them for £20 - ONLY ONE charge cycle, unlike most others, which are repackaged and WORN OUT, which is why they're 1/2 the price!

Give them a call: (01536) 609333 (uk) - trust me.
 
S

Spectrum Abuser

macrumors 65816
Aug 27, 2011
1,377
48
scaredpoet said:
Makes little difference at this point. Does the iPhone 4 interface with the current cellular standard (LTE)? What about the current WiFi standard (802.11ac)? Bluetooth (4.0)?

The answer to all of these things is no.

The 4 was a great phone for its time. I had one, and I loved it. But I recognize it's a relic. It had a good run, but it's time to move on.
Click to expand...
TechGod said:
The A4 vs the A8 instantly makes it a relic.
Click to expand...

You guys are being ridiculous. Use a flip phone for a month and then say to me that the iPhone 4 is a relic. To further add to my point. No one is arguing, or claiming, that the iPhone 4 is more feature rich than devices of today. I am arguing that your perspectives of what is "ancient" is skewed completely, though.

It can still call.
It can still text.
It can still iMessage; FaceTime.
It can still browse the internet; better than when the phone was first released
It can still download and use third party apps.
It can still play and stream media.
It can still get on every social media app out there.
 
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