IPad 2 screen
November 28, 2015 11:52 AM Subscribe
A pretty hard drop on a pretty hard floor has done damage to an iPad screen. Does the damage seem like something fixable by a layperson, such as myself?
After my son dropped his iPad on the floor today, the screen remained gray, even after force restarting and then restoring. At times the mesh of the capacitative screen is visible, backlit by a bright, white light, and then the whiteness fades back to gray.
The screen isn't cracked, and it responds to touch -- the voice that prompts setup after a full restore is audible.
Based on these few facts, is it possible to know what happened during the fall? Is this something that I (not very good at this sort of thing) might be able to fix, or is it something I could take to some skillful person to fix? Is it, perhaps, not fixable? We don't have Apple Care, and this tablet is about three years old.
After my son dropped his iPad on the floor today, the screen remained gray, even after force restarting and then restoring. At times the mesh of the capacitative screen is visible, backlit by a bright, white light, and then the whiteness fades back to gray.
The screen isn't cracked, and it responds to touch -- the voice that prompts setup after a full restore is audible.
Based on these few facts, is it possible to know what happened during the fall? Is this something that I (not very good at this sort of thing) might be able to fix, or is it something I could take to some skillful person to fix? Is it, perhaps, not fixable? We don't have Apple Care, and this tablet is about three years old.
Get it done by a pro, you've probably jarred loose the connector but you'd need to unglue the screen and replace the entire glass/screen unit.
Probably cheaper than getting a new one, but if you're asking here then it's probably not a great diy job for you.
posted by Sebmojo at 12:21 PM on November 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Probably cheaper than getting a new one, but if you're asking here then it's probably not a great diy job for you.
posted by Sebmojo at 12:21 PM on November 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
iPad 2's are a sub $100 item now if you hunt around. I repair these sorts of devices on the side, and this would not be worth a customers time for me to repair unless there was critical data on there that wasn't backed up elsewhere(and the unit was password locked, etc)
Cowboom is having a big sale right now(they're best buys used/refurb store) and their prices are undercutting the used market currently for newer ipads. 2's can be cheaper on ebay, but you might even be able to score an iPad Air for under $200.
The selection is pretty well destroyed right now, but I'd check back because it'll restock. I got an air 1 for my mom for $199 right before the sale started... It'll be over $100 to fix that iPad 2, and it's really not worth bothering with yourself.
posted by emptythought at 12:41 PM on November 28, 2015
Cowboom is having a big sale right now(they're best buys used/refurb store) and their prices are undercutting the used market currently for newer ipads. 2's can be cheaper on ebay, but you might even be able to score an iPad Air for under $200.
The selection is pretty well destroyed right now, but I'd check back because it'll restock. I got an air 1 for my mom for $199 right before the sale started... It'll be over $100 to fix that iPad 2, and it's really not worth bothering with yourself.
posted by emptythought at 12:41 PM on November 28, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. It's working again -- I banged it around (something I saw suggested elsewhere) and eventually that shifted things back where they were, I guess. It probably won't last, but my son is less sad now. Hurrah.
posted by Francolin at 3:06 PM on November 28, 2015
posted by Francolin at 3:06 PM on November 28, 2015
Make sure you have backed it up recently. Particularly for a kiddo - game progress is generally not saved in the cloud, so if he doesn't want to lose his Minecraft worlds, etc. he should plug into a computer with iTunes installed and do a full backup.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:01 PM on November 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Rock Steady at 7:01 PM on November 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
@Rock Steady: I'd also recommend backing up via iCloud. Make sure you have enough storage on iCloud, log in (if not already logged in), then fire up a backup. Boom, everything should be backed up. :)
posted by dubious_dude at 12:36 AM on November 29, 2015
posted by dubious_dude at 12:36 AM on November 29, 2015
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https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPad+2+GSM+LCD+Replacement/6161
It's almost certainly not worth your time, effort, or money.
posted by thewumpusisdead at 12:08 PM on November 28, 2015 [1 favorite]