Iphone 3G & 3GS Digitizer Midframe Assembly Replacement

The following guide is going to show you how to replace your cracked or defective digitizer for the Iphone 3G & 3GS.

To replace a cracked screen you may go about this 2 ways, one is to replace the whole mid-frame assembly.   The other is to replace just the digitizer.

Replacing the whole mid-frame:

The advantages of replacing the entire mid-frame ensures that when you are done swapping it out, you will have a fully functional digitizer,  Ear speaker, home button and proximity sensor.  This method also requires less skill level.

Tools required for job:

  1. Suction Cup
  2. #0 Philips screwdriver
  3. Safe pry tool
  4. pick of some sort

Parts needed:

  1. Mid-frame

BrokenDesktop has Mid-Frames available for sale for $30, or for $40 we can install it for you while you wait.  Please Note the iPhone 3G and 3GS digitizers have different connectors.

Directions:

  1. Remove the 2 screws located on either side of the docking port. 
  2. place your suction cup just above the home button and gently pull up on the screen as if your opening a book. the screen will come out from inside the metal (silver) bezel.  Be careful doing this as the connections are all at the top of the phone.
  3. using your pick, gently lift up on the 2 connections if they don’t disconnect them-self as you slowly make them visible.
  4. you will now see a ribbon going into a housing.  using your pick gently lift up the tab that is on the opposite side of the ribbon (circled in image).  now you may gently remove the ribbon (in direction arrow points in image) and have the mid-frame fully separated from the body. 
  5. Remove the 6 screws holding the LCD to the digitizer mid-frame.  3 are on one side , 2 on the other and one is on the backside near the top right.
  6. using your safe pry tool gently pry the LCD from the digitizer.  from the bottom middle. (there is a slight indent into the plastic of the LCD that you can use so you don’t scratch the screen)
  7. once you have the bottom lifted up, gently pull the LCD screen down and away from the digitizer being careful not to scratch the LCD.
  8. Now insert your LCD into the new mid-frame that you have already purchased. remember you want to slide it in carefully.  making sure that the frame that is secured by the top screw goes in between.
  9. re-install the 7 screws to re-secure your LCD to the mid-frame
  10. while angling the mid-frame back into the body, gently plug the ribbon back in, first make sure the tab you flipped up earlier is still sticking up.
  11. close the tab and snap in the connector that is goes right over the ribbon you just plugged in.
  12. the final connector tends to be very temperamental when plugging it back in, while keeping the top of the frame tucked into the top of the body, begin to lower the mid-frame down as if you were going to seal it, leaving just enough room for your fingers to fit in, now carefully align the final connector and ensure it snaps in.
  13. close the mid-frame down into the body gently pressing it down until it snaps in.
  14. screw the 2 screws back into the case at both sides of the dock port connector.

You should know have a new fully functional digitizer, home button, ear speaker and proximity sensor!

 

Update 10/25/11: added note that 3G and 3GS digitizers/mid-frames are different.

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