Dropped my iPhone 4

W

Wowzera

macrumors 6502a
Yea...

A friend dropped my iPhone today and the back glass and the aluminum got a little cracked (not entire glass crack). Since I am brazilian and there's no official apple retail stores here. What can I do to get a replacement for the backglass and the aluminum border? I heard there's some ebay replacement kits, with a video I can do it by myself. Please help.


Soon I will upload photos.
 
Wowzera said:
Yea...

A friend dropped my iPhone today and the back glass and the aluminum got a little cracked (not entire glass crack). Since I am brazilian and there's no official apple retail stores here. What can I do to get a replacement for the backglass and the aluminum border? I heard there's some ebay replacement kits, with a video I can do it by myself. Please help.


Soon I will upload photos.
Click to expand...

Backglass is easy. There are replacement part vendors all over the place online or there is ebay. The border, not so much. That is the core of the phone, it cannot replaced seperate.
 
Check out the seller gadgetfix on Ebay. I got my rear glass from him and it came broken. He had no problem with me returning it and sending me a new one. Really easy to deal with, and great communication. Also, the glass looked flawless and fit like a glove.
 
r2fa3l said:
apple replaces the backglass for $29 at their store
Click to expand...

Guess you missed this part...
"Since I am brazilian and there's no official apple retail stores here. What can I do to get a replacement for the backglass and the aluminum border?"
 
JRoDDz said:
Just curious did you have any kind of case or bumper on it?
Click to expand...

No. Do you recommend me one? That still makes the iphone looks like an iphone (if you got me).

rwd hero said:
Check out the seller gadgetfix on Ebay. I got my rear glass from him and it came broken. He had no problem with me returning it and sending me a new one. Really easy to deal with, and great communication. Also, the glass looked flawless and fit like a glove.
Click to expand...

I gonna check him now. Are his products "official"? What about the aluminum part? No way?

r2fa3l said:
apple replaces the backglass for $29 at their store
Click to expand...

Some "premium" stores from Apple (not official) does that "officialy" too. But they charge (converting to US dollar) $500, even if I bought my iPhone from them. So, would you pay $500 for a glass? I wouldn't :p
Do you know any other resellers or other way?

Rooskibar03 said:
Backglass is easy. There are replacement part vendors all over the place online or there is ebay. The border, not so much. That is the core of the phone, it cannot replaced seperate.
Click to expand...

Yep, I have seen that it's easy. I heard that to replace the border I would need to dismount all pieces of the iPhone. That's not for an ordinary user like me. Maybe pro's.




Now... Is there some other way that Apple could change my iPhone for a new one? Like a bricked phone? I know that does not sound "correct".. but :(


EDIT:

Also, I have been searching for the official iphone 4 bumper in ebay but I can't find them... Do you guys know any seller?
I would like to ask too what you guys think about Invisible Shield? I may buy them along with the glass repair, gonna get the invisible shield for all parts of the phone plus an official iphone 4 bumper.
 
Last edited:
I don't really think he sells the aluminum antenna. Im pretty sure you are stuck with what you have in that case. Have any pictures?
 
rwd hero said:
I don't really think he sells the aluminum antenna. Im pretty sure you are stuck with what you have in that case. Have any pictures?
Click to expand...

Didn't take the pictures yet. Gonna take them tomorrow. The aluminium don't look THAT BAD, but it's damaged. The back glass is the major problem.

I am looking now into Invisible Shield (Full protection [sides front and back]) and an apple bumper... maybe I am safe now... or at least more secure.
 
Applejuiced said:
You dont have anyone in the US to mail it to and have it repaired for $29?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have a friend. But how come pay a lot for shipping + taxes and have the risk of Apple say that only Apple Brazil can change the iPhone. My iPhone was bought in Brazil, it has "ANATEL" in the back glass (it's brazilian "FC"[printed in the back of your iPhone]).
I will let the aluminum like that, gonna buy a bumper and protective shields after replace the glass.

Apple Bumper + Wrapsol Ultra for back glass and sides + PowerSupport Crystal for front screen. I think I'll be safe.


troy14 said:
I would just buy a back on eBay or any other site. They are really cheap and only 2 screws to take out to replace.

As far as the antenna - you can get a replacement... it is about $51 USD... but you have to completely, completely disassemble your phone.

http://www.sw-box.com/Iphone-4-Metal-Middle-Cover-Middle-Plate.html


I wouldn't recommend it unless you really, really know what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Yea, someone told me that too. I will let the aluminum like that. I hope that my iPhone gets an internal problem and need to be replaced by Apple lol.
Anyway, thanks for helping!
 
Wowzera said:
Yes, I have a friend. But how come pay a lot for shipping + taxes and have the risk of Apple say that only Apple Brazil can change the iPhone. My iPhone was bought in Brazil, it has "ANATEL" in the back glass (it's brazilian "FC"[printed in the back of your iPhone]).
I will let the aluminum like that, gonna buy a bumper and protective shields after replace the glass.

Apple Bumper + Wrapsol Ultra for back glass and sides + PowerSupport Crystal for front screen. I think I'll be safe.




Yea, someone told me that too. I will let the aluminum like that. I hope that my iPhone gets an internal problem and need to be replaced by Apple lol.
Anyway, thanks for helping!
Click to expand...


i bet any internal problem that your phone could come up with will be blamed on the drop:) I am sorry to hear about your friend dropping your phone
 
Same thing happened to my iPhone 4. Dropped it, and the back glass shattered...

I found a retailer here in Canada that would replace the back for $179.99 (not including taxes and shipping charges).

I found another online retailer that sold the OEM (original equipment material) iPhone 4 Glass back for roughly $120, not including taxes, duty charges, and shipping charges.

With some more digging - I came across a really nice retailer, based out of China. I purchased 3 different style backs. I got the Carbon Fiber, and 2 Metal backs, the Screw Driver Set plus extra screws, for roughly $37 Canadian!

Each Back is roughly $12 Canadian. THEY ALSO sell the OEM iPhone 4 Back for $29.49 USD - Which is AN AMAZING PRICE!

Check all of the iPhone 4 Replacement parts here - http://www.sw-box.com/wholesale-Iphone-4-Replacement-Parts.html

Also if you want to see VIDEO demo's of SOME of their replacement parts, put "SW-BOX" in Youtube.com

SIDE NOTES:

THEY HAVE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE! You can call their phone number 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. They also do online Chat support, which I found to be amazing. The lady I spoke with on several accounts, her name is 'connie' and she was more than helpful.

When I placed my order, I received the whole package within 9 days, even when the site says 10-30 business days for your order.

I hope this reply helps you out bud!

Cheers
Kelland
 
kdesign7 said:
Same thing happened to my iPhone 4. Dropped it, and the back glass shattered...

I found a retailer here in Canada that would replace the back for $179.99 (not including taxes and shipping charges).

I found another online retailer that sold the OEM (original equipment material) iPhone 4 Glass back for roughly $120, not including taxes, duty charges, and shipping charges.

With some more digging - I came across a really nice retailer, based out of China. I purchased 3 different style backs. I got the Carbon Fiber, and 2 Metal backs, the Screw Driver Set plus extra screws, for roughly $37 Canadian!

Each Back is roughly $12 Canadian. THEY ALSO sell the OEM iPhone 4 Back for $29.49 USD - Which is AN AMAZING PRICE!

Check all of the iPhone 4 Replacement parts here - http://www.sw-box.com/wholesale-Iphone-4-Replacement-Parts.html

Also if you want to see VIDEO demo's of SOME of their replacement parts, put "SW-BOX" in Youtube.com

SIDE NOTES:

THEY HAVE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE! You can call their phone number 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. They also do online Chat support, which I found to be amazing. The lady I spoke with on several accounts, her name is 'connie' and she was more than helpful.

When I placed my order, I received the whole package within 9 days, even when the site says 10-30 business days for your order.

I hope this reply helps you out bud!

Cheers
Kelland
Click to expand...


I've bought the back glass from the gadgetfix (ebay seller). It costed me $20 + shipping to Brazil. The seller says it's OEM. Hope its true.
 
One of the most expensive phones on the market and having the back made of shatter-prone glass... What the hell where the Apple developers thinking?
This boggles me to this day. They really need to get some liquid-metal on that pup for June.
 
Maverick1337 said:
Do you know anyone in Brasil to send yours too?
543.jpg
Click to expand...

Oh come on now, thats DIFFERENT!
 
Sedrick said:
One of the most expensive phones on the market and having the back made of shatter-prone glass... What the hell where the Apple developers thinking?
This boggles me to this day. They really need to get some liquid-metal on that pup for June.
Click to expand...


It boggles you? It turns out, more expensive does not mean tougher. As a (bad) example, most super cars use Plastic or carbon fiber for the body, not metal. Bump those suckers and you don't dent it, you crack the panel and the whole thing needs to be replaced.

Also, the glass is very tough, and I'm convinced that people with broken glass are rather unlucky. The following has happened to my scratch free iPhone 4
Dropped onto wood floor from 4 feet: 2 times
Dropped onto concrete from 3 feet: 5 times
Dropped onto concrete from 4 feet: 1 time
Slid across concrete over 4 feet: 1 time (yeah, this didn't scratch it either).

Actually, the metal ring is dinged. But the glass on the front and back is still flawless, which still amazes me. Even considering that most of my drops onto concrete have involved a foot or two of sliding before coming to rest. And no, I don't use a bumper.

So, it sucks when it happens, but honestly, the electronics in an iPhone 4 are more complicated, smaller, and sensitive than any plastic brick phone any of us have owned before. We SHOULD treat it like it's made out of glass, even if it weren't.

I'd say the OP had a bad bit of luck, which sucks. A friend in my house dropped her iPhone 3GS on my bathroom tile from 3 feet and the sucker shattered :(
 
Because the glass is chemically hardened (up to 20 times more than regular glass), it is naturally more brittle. Materials (especially metals and metallurgy) that are hardened have a higher surface tension than not-hardened materials. So when you drop it, that tension (which is higher) is going to be released in a crack.

As a counter, polycarbonate (Used in Nalgene bottles and high speed aircraft canopies) which has a very low surface tension is soft and nearly "shatterproof" because of it. On the other hand, because of the low surface tension, it is easily scratched.
 
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