Open says me

January 9, 2010 2:32 PM

What's an easily findable substitute for an iPhone "case opener"?

In this instructional video a small green plastic shim-type thing with a sharp edge is used to pry open an iPhone. They don't seem to sell anything like that at the local Micro Center. I've looked around the house for a substitute, which doesn't seem like it should be hard to find, but I'm coming up short. None of the plastic edges on the things I have are fine enough.

Is there anything I'd be likely to find at the local hardware or drug store that works for this?

posted by ignignokt to technology (8 answers total)

This guy used a suction cup SLYT
posted by JV at 2:38 PM on January 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Three bucks online plus shipping if you can wait a few days. The tool I got when I replaced my iPod battery was really sharp and really hard plastic. Good luck, though.
posted by fixedgear at 2:43 PM on January 9, 2010

I have taken apart and fixed a few iPhones; after removing the two 00 screws at the bottom, use a suction cup near the home button to pull the screen up.
posted by axismundi at 5:30 PM on January 9, 2010

n-thing the suction cup thing.

I've self-repaired 2 of my own iPhones, and the suction-cup method works much better and faster than using a spudger.

The spudgers are useful once you get the phone open and need to pry the LCD & connectors loose, but I don't recommend using them to seperate the screen assembly from the case itself.
posted by melorama at 7:17 PM on January 9, 2010

I should elaborate more on the spudger thing...

The problem with using the spudger to crack the iPhone case is that there's a thin rubber gasket directly seated on the inside edge of the case, and unless you're impeccably careful with the spudger, you'll most likely rip this gasket when cracking the seal.

The suction cup method is much cleaner, and puts less stress on the case when opening it up.
posted by melorama at 7:23 PM on January 9, 2010

Suction guys: Does this apply to the first generation iPhone?
posted by ignignokt at 9:49 PM on January 9, 2010

When I pried open my iPhone (believing it was worthless), I just used a small flat screwdriver. It worked, but I ended up putting some ugly marks on the inside of the glass, damaging the black foam and probably ruining the rubber gasket. Next time I would try out the suction cup.
posted by meowzilla at 1:06 AM on January 10, 2010

OK, looks like the iPhone 2G is different enough that the suction cup thing won't work.

I tried to carve a spudger out of the thing that sticks out of a pair of scissors, but when I got it to be sharp enough to fit in, it was too soft to hold its edge and wore down again. Gave in an ordered one online.
posted by ignignokt at 4:48 PM on January 10, 2010