I bought this phone last year to test AT&T's coverage, but am considering promoting it to a more permanent position, so I am finally looking into some of its problems. This phone's camera takes pictures that are clear in the center, but blurry on the left (or top, when shooting in portrait) 20-35%, no matter what. There is a noteworthy dent on the back cover, so the question is if it is more likely that the problem is caused by the bent cover or by damage to the camera module itself. Any ideas?
Either way, you'll have to remove cover, so when you do, take a picture without it. If the problem goes away, it's the back case, replace it.
If not, it might be the camera module, replace it. Either is pretty cheap on Ali, but if you remove the back cover, order a new one. It's almost impossible to remove it without damaging it.
Good idea; will try!
daedric said:
Either way, you'll have to remove cover, so when you do, take a picture without it. If the problem goes away, it's the back case, replace it.
If not, it might be the camera module, replace it. Either is pretty cheap on Ali, but if you remove the back cover, order a new one. It's almost impossible to remove it without damaging it.
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Click to collapse
That's pretty much what I was planning after researching things a bit. I'll order just a screen first, then dismantle the device and replace the screen, but hold off on putting the back cover on until test pictures have been taken. I'm excited to get this phone back into working shape!
There's A LOT of stuff you must remove from the screen, speakers, battery etc etc. It can be done, but pay attention.
Report back latter will you ?
Also, when you're putting the (new) back case on it, the top of the device goes first, not the bottom. Don't worry with the USB plug, worry with the power button/IR blaster and the top mic.
Not looking forward to it, but it should be an interesting experience
daedric said:
There's A LOT of stuff you must remove from the screen, speakers, battery etc etc. It can be done, but pay attention.
Report back later will you ?
Also, when you're putting the (new) back case on it, the top of the device goes first, not the bottom. Don't worry with the USB plug, worry with the power button/IR blaster and the top mic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll report back with the results either way. I have seen the videos showing how involved the process is and am not looking forward to it. This should prove to be an educational experience in surgical precision, keeping track of parts, not losing screws, and remembering what order things get installed.
1 down, 2 to go
Screen replacement was a success! :laugh: But wow, that was a lot of work. This has to be one of the most time-consuming screen replacements in the entire industry. As for the camera problem, the issue does persist with the back cover off, so it looks like I'll have to source a new camera module as well as a new back cover (which got slightly damaged in the process).
I'll upload some photos as the project progresses.
Fixed!... but with strings attached
Just to provide some closure for this fiasco, I did finally get the HTC One fixed and reassembled properly. Here's a quick recap:
Following the initial successful screen replacement, I bought a replacement camera module and back cover for the phone (because the problem persisted with the back cover off and because I had ruined the original back cover during the original disassembly). Upon installing both, I promptly reassembled the phone and discovered that the SIM card slot was no good on the replacement screen assembly. Talk about a major bummer!
From here, I was actually able to carefully remove the (shiny new!) back panel without causing any damage and requested a replacement screen assembly. Replacement was the wrong color. Two weeks later, the correct one finally came in, and I went through the (rather convoluted) procedure of painstakingly taking everything off of the screen assembly and placing it onto the replacement... again.
This time, everything worked, (including the SIM slot) so I slapped the back cover on, but was disappointed to find that the volume-down key had come out of alignment during the second back cover install. Also, the vibration motor had worked its way out of place and was rather noisy. For a third time, I ventured back in and managed to get the back cover off without causing much additional damage (there are some small marks on it now, but it still looks a heck of a lot better than it did before) and stuck some adhesive to the side of the motor in order to hold it into the slot better. I also performed the final snapping on of the back cover more carefully.
Finally, the phone is reassembled and fully functional. Camera photos no longer have a blurry edge, but are occasionally blurry either all over or in certain places. It is capable of taking completely clear shots though, which is interesting. Regardless, I've pretty much given up on getting this thing to perfection, and because of the fact that it isn't my daily driver, the camera not working right is not a dealbreaker. At any rate, it seems like finding a properly functioning camera module for this model is nearly impossible. Also, the right (bottom) speaker's volume is now sometimes a little quieter than the left (top) one, depending on the volume. As before, the MicroUSB connection still doesn't allow the cable to plug in all the way, which makes it really easy to accidentally disconnect, but it does still work fine.
With all that said, I've attached a picture of the repaired phone along with a new old-stock Incipio Feather grip casing that I found locally. The Incipio fits pretty nicely and I really like the feel of it, but debris sticks to it amazingly well. Even something as simple as wiping it with a cloth will leave behind a whole covfefe of specs. Liquid baptism and air drying is the only way to fully clean it.
TL;DR? Don't break your HTC One in a way that requires disassembly or repair. Ever. Even if the camera sucks, be thankful that it is fully functional (if it is). If you do attempt a repair operation of any kind, test the SIM card slot and camera (and speakers) fully before putting the thing back together and mind the volume keys as you put the back cover on.
Related
Ok guys, need some help here....
Got a HTC TyTN II.... Worked great for like 8-10 months, then started having issues with the screen.
Sometimes when brining it out of sleep, the colors are all jagged, and the screen is out of sync and staticky (kind of when you have a VGA monitor and you half pull the cable out of the connector)...
So I'm assuming its a problem with the ribbon cable coming loose (if thats how its connected).
Another thing too, the memory card slot doesn't work anymore. This just re-inserts the fact the ribbon cable or whatever for the front of the device is loose.
Does ANYONE know how to fix this? Unfortunately I tried to rip the phone appart myself and voided the warranty...
Anyone else have these problems?
Sometimes the screen works, sometimes I have to put it back to sleep, wait 5 minutes, and wiggle the front. hit the power button and it works. This has happened across 3 firmware updates so it's hardware for sure....
It does sound like a piece of hardware is loose. The fact that your mem card is not working further suggests this. I took apart my Tilt yesterday to replace the screen which no longer responded to touch, although it still worked with hardkeys. As part of the process I noticed the mem card slot was integral to the screen components. In other words, the screen and attached component, including the mem card slot is loose. For video as to how to pull apart your phone, go here. I have never done this before and this video worked beautifully. Also, search the forums for the HTC Service Manual and go through this page by page, step by step matching it against this video (if yo have dual screens even better) and you will come out fine. I did!
http://www.fonlogix.us/Video-Instructions_ep_34.html
You can buy replacement screens and the tools from the same website. Otherwise try eBay, which is what I did. Definitely get yourself a strong pry tool. The one I bought from eBay disintegrated in the first couple of minutes. Luckily there was just enough of tip of the pry tool for me to use brute force to pry open the case without damaging the phone.
thnx bud, ill be posting my results.
I dropped my phone in water and took the battery out to let everything dry. The phone turns on now and seems to work for the most part, but I am having trouble with the internet connection and also my new text messages are not showing up. I can see all of the old ones, though. I wanted to know if anyone knows how to take the phone apart. I've removed the screws, but can't figure out how to take the back off. Any help would be great!
Sunkist79 said:
I dropped my phone in water and took the battery out to let everything dry. The phone turns on now and seems to work for the most part, but I am having trouble with the internet connection and also my new text messages are not showing up. I can see all of the old ones, though. I wanted to know if anyone knows how to take the phone apart. I've removed the screws, but can't figure out how to take the back off. Any help would be great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im away from home at the moment but I haven't got a clue, in saying that, isn't the galaxy S2 almost identical? maybe worth looking in to,
im also guessing that its probably just a case of slipping a very thin piece of hard plastic down the edge unclipping the plastic clips
however, in saying all that, i seriously doubt its anything to do with water damage. your radio will either work or wont work, you can either get calls, internet and sms/mms or you cant,l water is very unlikely to effect the radio "some" of the time, if the device is dried out its highly unlikely that opening it up will make any difference other than the fact you will have a broken phone that now looks like you've opened it up as well.
first things first, id format the thing and see if that works, its not beyond reason to suggest that perhaps the phone was doing something important before it took up scuba diving and perhaps it didn't get to finish it meaning corrupt files etc, if it doesn't, you could leave it in a warm dry environment for a day or so to make sure it is completely dry, if its still buggered you'll be pretty much screwed, there is minimal user serviceable parts inside, esp to do with the radio.
Sunkist79 said:
I dropped my phone in water and took the battery out to let everything dry. The phone turns on now and seems to work for the most part, but I am having trouble with the internet connection and also my new text messages are not showing up. I can see all of the old ones, though. I wanted to know if anyone knows how to take the phone apart. I've removed the screws, but can't figure out how to take the back off. Any help would be great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I take my focus s apart almost weekly when I'm bored watching tv haha. Once you have all the screws removed, slide your finger nail between the glass of the screen and the bezel and pull away from the screen. The whole back side is snapped onto the screen and internal components. While applying pressure to the back with the battery removed helps a lot. Just note that the speaker will stay inside the plastic backing and can be popped out if needed. From what I'm willing to try, I've removed both cameras, antenna, and a few other things I forget. Overall it comes apart really easy and goes together just as easy. Good luck!
Sunkist79 said:
I dropped my phone in water and took the battery out to let everything dry. The phone turns on now and seems to work for the most part, but I am having trouble with the internet connection and also my new text messages are not showing up. I can see all of the old ones, though. I wanted to know if anyone knows how to take the phone apart. I've removed the screws, but can't figure out how to take the back off. Any help would be great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Recently i connected my Focus S a data cable damaged and made me a curt circuit in the power adapter, which it broke down the device.
The repair was very simple and the device is simple to open.
This is what i replaced:
http://viewitem.eim.ebay.pt/New-Usb...Samsung-i937-w-Tracking-Num/350588022212/item
See the photos you see how to disassemble the device.
OK, I wish I had pictures to show, but I have none. Sorry. (My phone is my only camera)
So a couple weeks ago I managed to break my digitizer. Thought I would post my experience with replacing it, to better inform those daring enough to try, and to warn off those without the tools to do so.
Tools needed: screwdriver (Phillips head), something to open the case, and aheat gun, and lots of time and patience.
First I ordered in a new screen replacement. It was a touchscreen/LCD package deal. This one: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Orig...-mi-Assembly-with-front-frame/1593196482.html
Then opened the Sim card tray and took out the two screws that must be removed to take the back cover off
Once the back cover is removed, there are to covers to remove, 3 screws on the bottom cover, and I believe 8 on the top cover. Once the covers are removed, there are 2 more holding in the motherboard.
Now for the annoying revelation. You don't swap the screen, you swap everything else to the new screen. Seriously, the frame that the screen is mounted to has everything that isn't screwed to it, glued to it. This is where the heat gun is needed. Heat the parts glued down, and gently pull them up. Then stick them to the new frame. EVERYTHING must be swapped.
The entire process took me about 2 hours to work through and figure out. I broke a connector on the motherboard to the high frequency antenna on the left side of the battery. Phone works without it, but I list 1 signal bar everywhere I go now. I also managed somehow to break the backlight for the buttons at the bottom of the screen, and lastly, I somehow messed up the back camera. Its no longer focused right. I don't see much difference in overall quality between the front and back cameras now.
Will update with links later, and attempt the borrow a camera to get some decent pics to show what all is involved. I've replaced screens before on other devices, but never anything anywhere this complicated before.
StridAst said:
OK, I wish I had pictures to show, but I have none. Sorry. (My phone is my only camera)
So a couple weeks ago I managed to break my digitizer. Thought I would post my experience with replacing it, to better inform those daring enough to try, and to warn off those without the tools to do so.
Tools needed: screwdriver (Phillips head), something to open the case, and aheat gun, and lots of time and patience.
First I ordered in a new screen replacement. It was a touchscreen/LCD package deal. Will update a link to the aliexpress seller later.
When it arrived, I took apart my mi3. First there are 2 screws inside the Sim card tray. Must be removed to take the back off.
Once the back cover is removed, there are to covers to remove, 3 screws on the bottom cover, and I believe 8 on the top cover. Once the covers are removed, there are 2 more holding in the motherboard.
Now for the annoying revelation. You don't swap the screen, you swap everything else to the new screen. Seriously, the frame that the screen is mounted to has everything that isn't screwed to it, glued to it. This is where the heat gun is needed. Heat the parts glued down, and gently pull them up. Then stick them to the new frame. EVERYTHING must be swapped.
The entire process took me about 2 hours to work through and figure out. I broke a connector on the motherboard to the high frequency antenna on the left side of the battery. Phone works without it, but I list 1 signal bar everywhere I go now. I also managed somehow to break the backlight for the buttons at the bottom of the screen, and lastly, I somehow messed up the back camera. Its no longer focused right. I don't see much difference in overall quality between the front and back cameras now.
Will update with links later, and attempt the borrow a camera to get some decent pics to show what all is involved. I've replaced screens before on other devices, but never anything anywhere this complicated before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We had one in the shop this past week as well. Not too horrible. About on par with many of the LG phones as far as repair-ability. Daniel
Hey all! So as a bit of a computer/tablet/phone geek and and a bit of an RC Hobbyist, Ive decided to take on a little personal project to combine the two. At least a little bit to start. In the world of RC quadcopters (aka drones) the big thing that everyone is into is buying these expensive 1080P/4k go pros and other gimbal devices to record video. But not only do we want to record, we want to be able to view a live stream of what the drone sees. You can buy these FPV Cameras on the higher end for $500+.
When I bought ny first drone a fair sized flyer at nearly 2ft diameter, my first flight I decided to strap my old Galaxy S3 to the bottom and catch some cool video. Everything went well, and the video was high def and crystal clear. While there are FPV apps such as AirBoss available, unfortunately its a bit glitchy and crashes often so i didnt bother with FPV, just hit record and flew. After this I decided to start looking into purchasing a gimbal and maybe a gopro hero 3. Seems a bit silly buying a $400 camera to carry on a $100 drone, but I considered it and started browsing.
Before buying anything, I had a buddy want to see the drone fly, so on a semi full charge, I took it up, no phone attached, and after about a minute of flight, the battery went low, lost contact with the controller and helplessly watched it drift into the woods, still haven't found it.
So now instead of looking for an expensive camera, im looking to strip down my old s3 and use it as a camera, but also as a GPS locator, which will have data/gsm/gprs connections. The idea being, that not only a does screen less, make shift house, remotely controlled android device act as a camera, but it can be called from another phone (making it easy to track via sound) or worst case scenario be pin pointed on Google maps, in the event of another downed drone.
I have all the apps installed to make this work exactly how I need it to and want it to. In fact I already have the motherboard stripped out of the housing, and am able to do exactly what I want, except one thing.
The only way the phone will turn on, is with the main components from the screen housing plugged in. Its one ribbon, but its the ribbon the feeds the Screen, the digitizer the home, back and menu buttons and the micro phone and the vibrator pod. All of the components on the back side of the board, the front and rear facing cameras, the sim/tf card readers, the loud speaker, led, volume rocker etc can be disconected, as long as the main ribbon for the screen is attached, the motherboard will boot. After booting I can unplug the ribbon, and the phone will remain on, with everything working that I need to work, including remote access.
I guess the main question here is, how can I trick the phone into thinking the main ribbon is attached? Once I can get it to boot up without it being attached to that ribbon I can begin building a lightweight housing for the board and camer and a smaller battery. I thought about cutting the ribbon and just leaving it attached to the board, my only problem with that is IF it wont boot after doing that, I cant just repair the ribbon and I dont have a spare s3 for parts, which would pretty much leave me with nothing but a dead s3 in pieces lol.
I know most of what xda deals with is software development, but im hoping someone has tinkered with hard ware before. Sorry for the novel, just wanted to cover the details and eliminate getting asked why I want to do this. And for the record I want the s3 screen and housing gone for the simple fact that I can cut the weight from abouy 150 grams to less than 30 grams, which is a huge factor when flying quad copters
So, the screen on my Note 4X broke, and I wanted to replace it. Long story short, the battery is glued down hard as **** and I managed to damage it, and it burst into flames. I'm fine, I was prepared, nothing but the phone suffered any damage.
But now I'm sitting here, with a phone that's basically still fine minus the frame and the battery, and I still want to repair it.
I'm faced with two questions, first of all, I managed to find (I think) every part I need, but one eludes me. I don't even know what it's for. You can see it here (minute 9:11-9:27):
https://youtu.be/MQazwoEssN0?t=556
It says "C6_LEDFPC_V1.0" on mine. Google tells me nothing about that, and it's not a part I have seen on the repair shop sites. It doesn't even seem to be present on complete frame+display assemblies like this one:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/LCD...edmi-Note-4X-hongmi-Red-Rise/32810566637.html
And apart from that, I wonder if I missed any part.
I still have:
A new display+digitizer, the back cover, the mainboard with the SoC and the two cameras, the PCB with the charging board, the battery cable, the sim tray, the fingerprint reader, the loudspeaker.
I need:
A new frame, an earpiece, the mainboard flex cable, the side key flex cable, a battery, and the one mysterious piece.
Is that everything? Does everyone has a basic list of all the parts?
anon768 said:
So, the screen on my Note 4X broke, and I wanted to replace it. Long story short, the battery is glued down hard as **** and I managed to damage it, and it burst into flames. I'm fine, I was prepared, nothing but the phone suffered any damage.
But now I'm sitting here, with a phone that's basically still fine minus the frame and the battery, and I still want to repair it.
I'm faced with two questions, first of all, I managed to find (I think) every part I need, but one eludes me. I don't even know what it's for. You can see it here (minute 9:11-9:27):
https://youtu.be/MQazwoEssN0?t=556
It says "C6_LEDFPC_V1.0" on mine. Google tells me nothing about that, and it's not a part I have seen on the repair shop sites. It doesn't even seem to be present on complete frame+display assemblies like this one:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/LCD...edmi-Note-4X-hongmi-Red-Rise/32810566637.html
And apart from that, I wonder if I missed any part.
I still have:
A new display+digitizer, the back cover, the mainboard with the SoC and the two cameras, the PCB with the charging board, the battery cable, the sim tray, the fingerprint reader, the loudspeaker.
I need:
A new frame, an earpiece, the mainboard flex cable, the side key flex cable, a battery, and the one mysterious piece.
Is that everything? Does everyone has a basic list of all the parts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been thinking that in the video, the guy switched on the phone without that part. so that part shouldn't be a very major component. In my opinion, it can be some sort of sensor. I personally feel its a magnet screen sensor for covers with smart wake up function.
The reason I say this is because when i touch a small magnet on the entire front panel, It gets stuck on that same point.
However I am not very sure as the smart wake is not triggered. Maybe it is because I am on LineageOS.
Hope It turns out helpful.
You will probably need the vibrator motor too, its quite small and easy to lose as I've found.
one like this:
link
That part is the LED for the capacitive buttons. Not important at all if you cant find it