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LoliS

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 8, 2017
172
71
I would want a black home button too.

That should work right?

I know Apple wouldn't do it, but I am sure I can pay a local shop to do it. I would keep the originals if I needed to get a warranty replacement.
 
I would want a black home button too.

That should work right?

I know Apple wouldn't do it, but I am sure I can pay a local shop to do it. I would keep the originals if I needed to get a warranty replacement.

If you go to the front page of MacRumors, there is a YouTube unboxing video of the product Red iPhone, and the reviewer talks about how you can replace the front bezel with the black bezel. Or you have the option of using a skin around the bezel. So it's definitely feasible.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...n-unboxing-video.2038063/page-3#post-24416917
 
Even so, with the cost of the iPhone, parts and labor, not a cheap project for a black bezel.
The cost doesn't concern me. What I might do is buy a matte or jet black and swap the displays. The black back and white front may look interesting too.
 
Think of the water seal you'll be breaking :/


Otherwise, should work out fine. The Home button would be tricky though if you want to preserve Touch ID.
 
I'm very much considering this as well, since I have the Jet Black now I could just swap out the screens. There are two major caveats to doing this though, from my knowledge of taking apart iPhones for years.

- The 7/7+ phones have a sticky seal around the sides of the screen, which previous phones didn't. This is for the waterproofing. Swap the screen and your iPhone will no longer be waterproof. Unless they sell replacement sealing stickers? I'm not sure I'll need to check.

-Touch ID is locked to device-only. Swapping Touch ID home buttons will render the fingerprint sensor useless and can only be reactivated at the Genius Bar. If you want to continue using Touch ID then you'd have to keep the white home button with the black screen, which looks terrible.
 
Think of the water seal you'll be breaking :/
Yeah I know but I read that with the proper adhesive, you get that back.

Otherwise, should work out fine. The Home button would be tricky though if you want to preserve Touch ID.
I will have to research this.
[doublepost=1490164389][/doublepost]
- The 7/7+ phones have a sticky seal around the sides of the screen, which previous phones didn't. This is for the waterproofing. Swap the screen and your iPhone will no longer be waterproof. Unless they sell replacement sealing stickers? I'm not sure I'll need to check.
Apple and Apple certified repair shops replace screens all of the time, so it has to be available.
 
-Touch ID is locked to device-only. Swapping Touch ID home buttons will render the fingerprint sensor useless and can only be reactivated at the Genius Bar. If you want to continue using Touch ID then you'd have to keep the white home button with the black screen, which looks terrible.
if that is the case, then all you need to do is swap housing.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+7+Teardown/67382
 
Ok so with a quick search I found a replacement adhesive for the 7+ for only a couple bucks which is great. Just worrying about the Touch ID. I've replaced screens before with the 6+ and once I swapped home buttons they stopped recognizing Touch ID. Pulling up the Touch ID menu to add fingerprints results in an error.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-5-LCD-Tou...935205?hash=item465fcc4ca5:g:LZwAAOSwuLZYyzsA
[doublepost=1490164649][/doublepost]
if that is the case, then all you need to do is swap housing.

Yeah, looks like that's the only way to do it. I'd swap out the silver Apple logo on the back too.... Apple really got lazy with this. Making us do too much work! lol
 
Ok so with a quick search I found a replacement adhesive for the 7+ for only a couple bucks which is great. Just worrying about the Touch ID. I've replaced screens before with the 6+ and once I swapped home buttons they stopped recognizing Touch ID. Pulling up the Touch ID menu to add fingerprints results in an error.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-5-LCD-Tou...935205?hash=item465fcc4ca5:g:LZwAAOSwuLZYyzsA
If you buy 2 iPhones, you can swap the housing.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+7+Teardown/67382

Obviously you would be left with a matte black or jet black with a white face, but that may look cool.
[doublepost=1490164709][/doublepost]
Yeah, looks like that's the only way to do it. I'd swap out the silver Apple logo on the back too.... Apple really got lazy with this. Making us do too much work! lol
Is that a separate piece?
[doublepost=1490165272][/doublepost]Starting on Sunday Target has a $300 gift card for iPhones. So you could buy a black one and get a $300 gift card. If Target stocks the reds, then you could use that $300 gift card as a downpayment and get a red one. You would get another $300 gift card. That is $1050 for the 128GB ones after you figure in the gift cards. Then you could swap the housing.

You would have a red one with black screen and a black one with a white screen.
 
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If you buy 2 iPhones, you can swap the housing.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+7+Teardown/67382

Obviously you would be left with a matte black or jet black with a white face, but that may look cool.
[doublepost=1490164709][/doublepost]Is that a separate piece?


Yeah I've done housing swaps before on previous phones. My 6+ was a green back with glowing logo lol The logo is just a metal plate you can pop out and swap.


If we are feeling lazy to do surgery on the phone though, the easiest way would be to use a full edge-to-edge black glass screen protector (I'm using one now) and use a Home Button sticker. I haven't tried one but I've seen them on the market, Touch ID should still work through the glass.

It would look like this

1zr06ds.png
 
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Yeah... cause knowing I'd have a spare Jet Black 7+ with a white front laying around is kinda of depressing lol
 
From an aesthetic standpoint the only downside would be having the Silver Apple logo on the rear...otherwise...keep us posted and show us some pictures if you follow through with it!
 
Why not apply a sexy metallic red skin to the back of a Black iPhone 7? I have seen it done and looks like the real deal.
 
youre better off buying a black one and having someone swap the back housing. Check out @neucase and @wolfwireless on Instagram. I know its like <$200 for them to provide you a red back and labor
 
OP. Why reinvent the wheel?

Just go to Neucase. They've been reanodizing iPhones since the iPhone 5. Any color of your choice. ~$300 and you get your original casing back for warranty purposes.

neucase 2.jpg
neucase red.jpg
 
I guess I could try that first. But the apple logo on the back would still be silver. I bet there is a sticker somewhere for that.
Swap the logos also they are removable ( you have to remove the battery first) + don't forget to replace black lighting port and black screws
 
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The black on red def looks better IMO. I don't know why they went with white. I've seen the videos of swapping it out and they all seem to say that the button has to be swapped also or it won't work at all as they are mated to each front specifically. Good luck tho the black front looks great with the red.
 
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