Broke my nexus screen :-(

[KingGinger55]

I recently shattered the front glad on my nexus 6 screen. I had it at the gym in a folio case with the cover flipped back behind it. It was sitting on the seat if the machine which was like 2-3 ft off of the tile floor when I accidentally bumped it. I had just put a new screen protector on it (a glass one from orzly). When I picked it up the protector was in great shape but the top glass ( not the LCD) spiderwebed.

I went home that night and looked into replacing it. I found that the device wasn't that hard to take apart. I bought a replacement glass off of eBay for $20. Again just the glass. It came in the mail today and I'm going to attempt to replace it tonight.

This isn't the first screen I have replaced but I usually replace the whole LCD/screen/ digitizer unit as a whole. How difficult would not be to just do the glass? Any tips from someone who has replaced just glass?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Rukbat]

This isn't the first screen I have replaced but I usually replace the whole LCD/screen/ digitizer unit as a whole. How difficult would not be to just do the glass? Any tips from someone who has replaced just glass?

You have to heat the screen (use a hair dryer if you don't have a variable heat gun) just enough to lift off the shard you're working on, but enough so you can almost lift it off with a feather (or you could rip the membrane underneath it) - and not hot enough to damage the LCD layer. I usually actually hold the pointed end of the shard with a feather (starling, crow, seagull, anything a little bit stiff - use the vanes, not the shaft) and move it very slightly from side to side. When the base (think of a triangle) starts sliding, that's enough heat. Lift the shard, then move the heat source to the next shard. (Heat from the tip to the base - the tip will be loose in a second or two, the rest takes longer, but you can see the shard lifting as the glue softens.)

That's about the only difficult part.

After you're absolutely certain that you have every speck of broken glass removed, use a strong light and a magnifying glass to be 200% certain - or you'll be removing the new glass and buying another one. (That's not difficult - making sure you got everything - it's just time-consuming.)

Then just make sure it's perfectly lined up before you press it down. You get only one shot.

 

[HiiPower]

You get only one shot.

Do not miss your chance to blow

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Shilohcane]

IFixit rating on Nexus 6;

The Nexus 6 gets a repairability score of 7 out of 10, with points docked primarily because the LCD and front glass are fused together (common in most smartphones and many tablets) and because many smaller items (the speaker, vibration motor, and others) are soldered to the motherboard, making repair of those individual components more difficult.

iFixit: Nexus 6 is easy to fix if you can get it open | Ars Technica

Nexus 6 Teardown

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Nexus+6+Teardown/32877

 

[KingGinger55]

Thanks for all of your help guys. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful. I heated the glass and gently prodded it with a feather like Rukbat suggested but after half an hour of heating it still required a good bit of force and felt like I was peeling it away. I ended up using too much force after 3 hours of slight peeling here and there, and the LCD shattered too. Im just going to have to suck it up and buy the whole unit. Probably what I should have done in the first place but oh well.

 

[the tall guy]

Thanks for all of your help guys. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful. I heated the glass and gently prodded it with a feather like Rukbat suggested but after half an hour of heating it still required a good bit of force and felt like I was peeling it away. I ended up using too much force after 3 hours of slight peeling here and there, and the LCD shattered too. Im just going to have to suck it up and buy the whole unit. Probably what I should have done in the first place but oh well.

That's horrible news mate!

 

[KingGinger55]

Does anyone know where I can get a decently priced front housing and the rest of the screen kit? I am having a terrible time getting the plastic bezzle around the LCD off and its probably going to look terrible on a new screen. I would rather just buy a whole screen unit and be done with it. The problem is, LCD+glass = $230 USD and LCD + glass + front housing > $290 in most cases. It is a small piece of plastic that I wouldn't think would cost $50.

 

[Cincybearcatfan]

Doesn't Google offer free screen replacements for the N6?

Nexus 6: Broken Display? Google Will Fix That With Free Replacement Program : Tech : Design & Trend

 

[Deputy1]

Motorola has a program that sends you a replacement phone. It costs about $160. Go to the website and check it out. I broke my screen a month after I bought it. It took less than a week. Best part of it was you keep your old phone until the new one arrives. They won't bill you until you send your broke phone back. Great program.

 

[Cincybearcatfan]

Again, I'd call Google and see about getting a free replacement before I spent $160. But that's just me.

Nexus 6 Users Getting Free Replacements for Cracked Devices

http://phandroid.com/2014/12/02/nexus-6-replacements/

 

[KingGinger55]

Wow thank you guys. I had never hear of either of these options. I am definitely going to look into this tonight. If they will accept it, should I put it back together first? It is still laying in pieces on my desk.

 

[Deputy1]

I would try to piece it together, but that's just me. I think if you bought it thru Google Play, they may work with you on a replacement. Motorola will help regardless. Good luck either way.

 

[KingGinger55]

I didn't buy it thorough Google Play. I bought it straight from Sprint. When I got my Nexus 5 from Google Sprint gave me crap about it so I didn't full with it when I got the new one. But the moto thing is still less expensive than buying a new screen and housing.