Dismantle an iPhone
Apple's iPhone assembles a number of sophisticated components into a tiny space. There are a number of parts that can cease functioning correctly and so must be replaced, such as when the battery no longer charges or the LCD screen has cracked. Dismantling the iPhone in order to replace these or other parts can be done using parts purchased from an iPhone speciality shop, provided that the owner feels confident about being able to open up the iPhone.
Instructions
1. Put a soft cloth down on a table. Straighten out a paper clip. Hold the iPhone in your left hand with the screen facing down. Insert a utility knife into the seam between the bottom front case and the bottom rubber section. Wiggle the utility knife into the seam to pop out the bottom rubber section. Remove the bottom rubber section and put it aside.
2. Use the Phillips jeweler's screwdriver to remove the screw at the far left and at the top middle inside the bottom compartment.
3. Insert the utility knife into the seam between the front and back case at the bottom and gently move the blade up to the top. Repeat this process on the other side. Gently wiggle the front of the iPhone off the back but continue to hold them together.
4. Turn the iPhone so that the top is facing you. Insert the paper clip into the hole at the top and push it in till the SIM tray pops out of the case. Pull the case out and put it down on the soft cloth. Put the two parts of the iPhone down on the soft cloth with the electronic components facing upward and the back of the case at the left and the front of the case at the right.
5. Remove the headphone metal board at the top of the case at the left by prying it out of the case using the Phillips jeweler's screwdriver.
6. Use the Phillips jeweler's screwdriver to remove the six screws--three on each side--from the metal frame surrounding the LCD on the case at the right.
7. Use the utility knife to remove the rubber gasket at the bottom of the case at the right that is by the Dock connector and also to remove the two rubber gaskets on the bottom and at the top. Use the Phillips jeweler's screwdriver to remove the screws now revealed under the rubber gaskets. Pull the metal frame off and put it down on the soft cloth.
8. Use the Phillips jeweler's screwdriver to remove the three screws on the metal heat shield on the case at the left. Use the screwdriver to pop out the camera at the corner by the heat shield of the case at the left.
9. Peel off the tape holding down the antenna cables. Lift the circuit board from off the case of the left using the Phillips jeweler's screwdriver and pull out the two cables that are connected to the circuit board.
10. Pry up the battery at the bottom of the case at the left using the Phillips jeweler's screwdriver. Flip the battery over to the left so that the logic board that was beneath the battery is now revealed.
11. Pull back on the logic board so that the underside can be seen. Release the small cable locking bar with your finger. Pull out the cable attached to the logic board. Slide the cable off the logic board. The iPhone has now been dismantled.
Tags: jeweler screwdriver, Phillips jeweler, Phillips jeweler screwdriver, case left, jeweler screwdriver remove, logic board, screwdriver remove