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 (6 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

Response by poster: 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