Changing out screens?

[redsonja84]

I had a Nexus 7 32GB model last year. Dropped it and shattered the screen. :'( I just bought a new one, but it's a 16GB model. I've literally had it 2 days, and I've already filled it.

Here's the question:

Is it doable to just switch the screen from the 16 GB to the 32 GB model? Is there an easy way? Do I have to disassemble the whole thing to do it?

 

[Rukbat]

Is it doable to just switch the screen from the 16 GB to the 32 GB model?

Possibly.

Is there an easy way?

Bring it to a repair shop. By yourself? No.

Do I have to disassemble the whole thing to do it?

No, you just have to have broken about 5-10 screens and phones learning how to do it without breaking anything. All it takes is experience. The first time? If you have no problems after you're finished, buy a lottery ticket. Any lottery ticket. You'll win. Bet on a horse. It'll come in first. Walk in front of a speeding train. It'll run off the rails 5 feet before it hits you.

That's not luck, it's Clark's third law - "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I've trained a lot of cellphone repair people. No one ever got the first major repair done without making a mistake. (And pinching the wrong wire in the wrong place as you reassemble things can take out the motherboard, turning a cheap repair into an expensive one.) That's why shops don't throw out "doesn't pay to fix" phones. They're like cadavers in medical school. You can't kill a dead subject.

I'll tell you what I tell anyone else contemplating something like this - it's cheaper to pay someone with experience to do it.

 

[redsonja84]

I'll tell you what I tell anyone else contemplating something like this - it's cheaper to pay someone with experience to do it.

Any quotes I've gotten have been for almost as much, if not more than a new Nexus. To replace the 32GB screen Asus wanted 200. I didn't find much cheaper than that once you factored in the cost of the screen itself. Do you have any suggestions for REASONABLY priced repair shops?

 

[YAYTech]

Part of the trouble of swapping screens is that there are 2 devices in danger of having something go wrong. I have a repair shop and have replaced a Nexus 7 2013 screen before. As mobile screen repairs go, it's a bit easier than average, but that doesn't mean it's particularly easy, and not something I'd advise someone to attempt on a first try unless they have experience working with small parts & attention to detail.

The screen/glass combo itself is a bit under $60. Labor is going to be 30-60 minutes most likely. If you brought it into my shop, I'd probably quote $100 for the repair. Unless you're in SE Idaho, though, the added shipping bumps the total repair cost up a fair bit, so I'm not telling you my pricing to try to sell you on a repair, but to give you an idea of the costs involved. Swapping screens doubles the labor, and increases the liability. If something goes wrong, now there's 2 broken devices instead of 1, and I'd still probably quote $100 for swapping screens vs replacing the screen, due to the increased labor + liability.

So overall, I'd advise shopping around for a shop that can do it for a reasonable price, and just replace the broken screen vs swapping. Then you can sell or use the 16gb to make up for the repair costs.