G4 part identification: what's it called

[initiateofgol]

Can anyone confirm for me that the frame all around the edge of the G4 is a separate part and not connected to/isn't a continuation of the front part of the phone? It's not part of the back cover, and it certainly appears to be distinct from the front frame (bezel) around the screen. Is it cemented on with an adherent?

If it's a separate part I could probably get it replaced? It alone got dented when I dropped my phone on a cement sidewalk in Manhattan last week. The slightly crumpled left corner of the frame is now keeping the still perfect back battery cover from closing fully.

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[Rukbat]

I haven't disassembled one, but from the way LG builds things, I'm going to guess that the cost of replacing just the outer band is going to be prohibitive - if you can find someone to do it. Replacing the whole frame would be cheaper, but still not cheap. See if you can find a good shop that will put your motherboard into another G4. Then look for a cheap "bad ESN" or "bad IMEI" G4 on eBay that's for the same carrier. That might be the cheapest wway to go. (The motherboard in the one with the bad ESN or IMEI is pretty useless without a new motherboard - but you don't care - you have a motherboard with a good number to put into it. And you'll have a phone full of spare parts - some of them pretty expensive, like the screen.)