Dropped iPhone - Can the display be saved?

April 9, 2012 9:39 AM

I have a an old iPhone 3G that was dropped and is now only showing a white screen or a grayish screen with some vertical stripes (or a black screen). Otherwise it seems to be working - it makes the "battery connection" noise when you plug it in, the "unlock click" when I swipe my finger in the unlock area, etc. Is this something the genius bar can help with, or is this sort of thing un-recoverable (or are there other options I should explore first)?
posted by mikepop to technology (7 answers total)

I have had very good luck with Jey City Devices when having busted screens on my IOS devices repaired.
posted by DWRoelands at 9:53 AM on April 9, 2012

You can get a replacement screen from Amazon for about £20 (including screwdrivers etc that you need). My friend had a cracked 3G screen (the phone and touchscreen otherwise worked fine) and had the screen replaced in a phone shop (not an Apple store) and it works fine now.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:54 AM on April 9, 2012

Sounds like your LCD could have been damaged. They're not that hard to replace and you can get them on Amazon for a reasonable price. Just look for some installation instructions on YouTube.
(And of course, verify that this LCD is correct for your model.)
posted by Dr. ShadowMask at 10:02 AM on April 9, 2012

I've had very good experiences with ordering parts from iFixit and replacing them myself. The 3G is very easy to take apart and work on.
posted by jamaro at 10:04 AM on April 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thanks all! It looks like it is not as daunting as I feared.
posted by mikepop at 10:35 AM on April 9, 2012

My 3GS was stuck on a white screen and the genius bar didn't have to replace anything, they just had to reconnect a cable. So, I suggest you open it and see if there are any cables that are obviously unplugged.
posted by soelo at 10:47 AM on April 9, 2012

I've replaced a screen using one that I bought from eBay for under $20. It's a bit fiddly, but not particularly difficult and all required tools came with the replacement screen. Make sure you get a screen for the right model, as 3G is different to 3GS, for example.
posted by dg at 6:03 PM on April 9, 2012