Changing iphone 4s battery w/ broken back

[FallenAnjel]

I broke/cracked the back glass on my 4s two years ago. I almost always have it in a case and never had any problems. No pieces falling out or anything like that. I just received the iFixit kit to replace the battery. I ordered a back but it'll be another week before I get it and I'm impatient! (not to mention I'm sick of my phone draining while it's plugged in. lol). I would think putting clear packing tape on the back would hold it together.

Is the back structured in a way that I can still take it off the phone w/o it falling apart?

Forgot to add pic:

 

[dontwalkhand]

If the border looks fine you should be completely fine. The back glass generally doesn't fall apart into pieces.

 

[chambone]

The back comes off easily and there's another layer that the glass is stuck to. But taping up shattered backs and screens before taking a phone apart is good practice regardless. What you could pay attention to -depending on where you got the new back- is if the camera cover is AR coated. Many replacements lack it, so you could swap that out if so.

 

[FallenAnjel]

The back comes off easily and there's another layer that the glass is stuck to. But taping up shattered backs and screens before taking a phone apart is good practice regardless. What you could pay attention to -depending on where you got the new back- is if the camera cover is AR coated. Many replacements lack it, so you could swap that out if so.

If the border looks fine you should be completely fine. The back glass generally doesn't fall apart into pieces.

Thank you! I didn't even know that. This is the first time I'm doing this. I bought it from Ebay. Pretty much the closest seller so I'd get it faster. lol.

It did look like it wouldn't fall apart, but just needed to make sure.

How do I know if it's AR coated if the ebay listing doesn't say? Is there a color difference or can I tell if I angle correctly in bright light or something? (like it'll reflect differently) If it's not hard to swap out I'll just keep the old one and put it in the new back.

Here's the listing on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Replacement...-Door-For-iphone-4s-A1387-White-/290966255527

 

[vantt1]

I broke/cracked the back glass on my 4s two years ago. I almost always have it in a case and never had any problems. No pieces falling out or anything like that. I just received the iFixit kit to replace the battery. I ordered a back but it'll be another week before I get it and I'm impatient! (not to mention I'm sick of my phone draining while it's plugged in. lol). I would think putting clear packing tape on the back would hold it together.

Is the back structured in a way that I can still take it off the phone w/o it falling apart?

Forgot to add pic:

Image

The back glass is stuck onto that sheet of steel, as can be seen on the replacement back. Most aftermarket backs will be a little thicker than the original, and have no fingerprint resistant coating. Cases that fit tightly onto the back will no longer fit, and you'll notice it will smudge much easier.

 

[chambone]

How do I know if it's AR coated if the ebay listing doesn't say? Is there a color difference or can I tell if I angle correctly in bright light or something?

Yep, angle the 4S and you'll see a blue or purple sheen on the camera glass. In my experience it's harder to see when the back is not installed on a phone, but anyway, I'm betting the back cover you bought doesn't have it. I've actually never swapped out the camera glass, but looking at some videos, it doesn't look too hard. Basically you just pop it out with your finger or a non scratching tool, and you drop it in the new back cover, using a little super glue on the corners. Avoid touching the inside of the camera glass with your fingers. Wait a few minutes for the glue fumes to dissipate before installing on the phone and you're set.

 

[FallenAnjel]

Update

As was stated by chambone there is no filter on the camera cover. I took pics of the snow today (yes another 4" of the white crap lol) and they seemed over exposed. I will put the old back back on and find one on ebay w/ the filter. I didn't try to swap it out since I thought I saw glue on it and didn't want to break it. I'll try anyway since it only cost $4.