Develop Bugs

broke my touch screen. Can i please be helped.

ok i broke the touchscreen on my 02 xda11s. and i would like to know where to get one for relitivley cheap. any help would be greatly appriciated. also i would like to know if it is hard to dismantle. some pics would be nice but i dont want to ask to much.
thanks very much
paul sinclair.

Re Blue Angel Touch Screen
I also did the same with mine two weeks ago (Cracked the screen)
Took out the left hand screw of my XDA 2s and then took it back to O2 shop and made out that it was because the screw fell out that the screen broke I know its a bit naughty but I got mine replaced for a new one

Naughty indeed. i like the way you think though. the prob is i kinda know the fella in the shop. does it have to be the shop that i bought it in.?

craked screen
Dont think it matters as long as its a o2 shop (in my case)
I just took it to the shop with the warranty 2 weeks ago as i had droped the XDA i took out the top left hand screw and said because the screw was loose it made the screen crack when i touched it with the stylus.
They replaced it under the warranty for a nice brand new one.
Now got 2 batteries and 2 chargers.

mabye i'll just do that. i was gonna get a screen of e-bay. but your way sounds better
thanks

No probs good luck but remember that it is possiable that this could happen (Screw coming out screen cracks) So dont let O2 fob you off and say it is not coverd by the warranty because the situation can happen.

mine is cracked too, but i have to get one off ebay cause it's out of warranty
(only £20 though so not as bad as when i broke the actual lcd - that was £90)

Was the screen hard to replace?

the lcd was kinda easy, and that involved removing the touch screen so i guess not (my new touchscreen hasn't arrived yet)

did you get your touch screen ?was it easy to install ?

tattootroy said:
did you get your touch screen ?was it easy to install ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I replaced my touchscreen (without LCD) by myself. It is not very hard. You have to solder 4 small cables. If you can handle the tiny screws and aren't afraid soldering 4 cables onto a 7 mm flatband cable. No Problem.
It is a little bit tricky to open the device because of the slider. The two cables of the slider are just plugged in onto the mainboard, so you can just pull them out with a screwdriver.

Plz help me........
Hello i m using O2 Xda IIs { Also Called HTC Blueangel }.
The problem is tht the strip on the back of the display { the strip which is broad } which joints with the board have a small scratch on it.... bcoz of which my display screen flicks n goes blank and many times touch screen doesnt works....
so plz can u help me with it....! wht shld i do ?
Will be waiting for ur reply.... bye tc
Hope u will help me... Thank You

BrainWashed said:
I replaced my touchscreen (without LCD) by myself. It is not very hard. You have to solder 4 small cables. If you can handle the tiny screws and aren't afraid soldering 4 cables onto a 7 mm flatband cable. No Problem.
It is a little bit tricky to open the device because of the slider. The two cables of the slider are just plugged in onto the mainboard, so you can just pull them out with a screwdriver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you tell me where you bought your touch screen?

BrainWashed said:
I replaced my touchscreen (without LCD) by myself. It is not very hard. You have to solder 4 small cables. If you can handle the tiny screws and aren't afraid soldering 4 cables onto a 7 mm flatband cable. No Problem.
It is a little bit tricky to open the device because of the slider. The two cables of the slider are just plugged in onto the mainboard, so you can just pull them out with a screwdriver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give some hints on how you disassembled the display.

blueangel glassdisplay cracked!

i've got this big ass crack on my display last night. the touchfunction dosn't work so I can't press my PINcode to access the telephone. how, where and how much can i replace the display?

gnops said:
i've got this big ass crack on my display last night. the touchfunction dosn't work so I can't press my PINcode to access the telephone. how, where and how much can i replace the display?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best price I've seen for the touchscreen is on ebay. But, there are a few catches...
First issue: There are two different LCD/touchscreen assemblies that were used on the angel. One is made by Sony, the other by Toppoly. The touchscreen or LCD from one can not be used on the other due to programming and physical layout.
Second issue (and this is probably the biggest): The way they touch screen and the LCD are connected is a major pain in the arse to fix. It's a plastic ribbon cable that has been soldered to a point on another ribbon cable. Unless you are very good at soldering, it's not something I'd attempt due to the largish chance of melting the cables and making things worse, not to mention the potential to hurt the LCD itself.
If you look in the wiki under the hacks and tweaks, the Technical Stuff (including disassembly) link has two pages to look at:
Blue Angel/PPC6600 Disassembling Procedure with Pictures
Blue Angel Spare Screen
While they are not the best pictures, the last image under the disassembling section shows the ribbon cables I'm referring to, and the touchscreen assembly picture for the spare screen page shows a sony touchscreen ribbon cable detached from the LCD cable, which will show the connection points I'm referring to.
I've got this exact issue as well on my O2 branded angel. Due to the cost of a new LCD/touchscreen assembly (almost the cost of a working angel), I'm considering trying to solder a new touchscreen. If I ruin it, well, I've got parts for the next one I get.

I replaced a touch sreen today, its not that bad if you have soldered before. Unfortunatly the screen i got of ebay is not perfect and will need replacing. I have contacted the seller to see if he will send me another one.
Its worth doing!
Gary

Dimlow_uk said:
I replaced a touch sreen today, its not that bad if you have soldered before. Unfortunatly the screen i got of ebay is not perfect and will need replacing. I have contacted the seller to see if he will send me another one.
Its worth doing!
Gary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've soldered plenty of times (a bit out of practice tho), but never something like that.
Any tips and suggestions? My main worry is melting the ribbon cables.

Well, no real tips, just take you time and don't rush it. The plastic can stand quite a bit of heat, i never managed to melt it, The job looks harder that it realy is. you will need a steady hand! Also , taping the connector down before you solder helps.
Gary

Dimlow_uk said:
Well, no real tips, just take you time and don't rush it. The plastic can stand quite a bit of heat, i never managed to melt it, The job looks harder that it realy is. you will need a steady hand! Also , taping the connector down before you solder helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, that's good to know. The plastic didn't look all that durable, but if it's stouter than it looks, I may check with the house controller (aka CFO aka my wife ) and see if we can spare the dosh to pick one up.
I have to be careful as she wants it once it's fixed!

how do i separate touch screen and lcd? i only need to solder the new touch screen, right?

any help? thanks

pVilaça said:
how do i separate touch screen and lcd? i only need to solder the new touch screen, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a disassembly guide in the wiki.

What kind of screwdrivers are needed to remove those tiny screws on the LCD/ digitizer casing. I have 2 SX66's with broken LCDs and one with a broken digitizer. Time for some repairs.

jdc said:
The best price I've seen for the touchscreen is on ebay. But, there are a few catches...
First issue: There are two different LCD/touchscreen assemblies that were used on the angel. One is made by Sony, the other by Toppoly. The touchscreen or LCD from one can not be used on the other due to programming and physical layout.
Second issue (and this is probably the biggest): The way they touch screen and the LCD are connected is a major pain in the arse to fix. It's a plastic ribbon cable that has been soldered to a point on another ribbon cable. Unless you are very good at soldering, it's not something I'd attempt due to the largish chance of melting the cables and making things worse, not to mention the potential to hurt the LCD itself.
If you look in the wiki under the hacks and tweaks, the Technical Stuff (including disassembly) link has two pages to look at:
Blue Angel/PPC6600 Disassembling Procedure with Pictures
Blue Angel Spare Screen
While they are not the best pictures, the last image under the disassembling section shows the ribbon cables I'm referring to, and the touchscreen assembly picture for the spare screen page shows a sony touchscreen ribbon cable detached from the LCD cable, which will show the connection points I'm referring to.
I've got this exact issue as well on my O2 branded angel. Due to the cost of a new LCD/touchscreen assembly (almost the cost of a working angel), I'm considering trying to solder a new touchscreen. If I ruin it, well, I've got parts for the next one I get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey MATE!! damn why didnt i ask this before!!!
i have the o2 xda IIs.. same problem, display works fine.. but tapping doesnt! after it was dropped!
Now, i got a guy to get a spare MDA T-mobile (blueangel) which doesnt work, but its lcd/touchscreen works.. i connected that LCD to my O2, it didnt WORK! how can i differentiate b/w the two LCDS?
i mean, how can i know that the LCD is made by Toppoly or Sony?! that'd be a great HELP!

SyNcViEw said:
i mean, how can i know that the LCD is made by Toppoly or Sony?! that'd be a great HELP!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Part numbers on the back or the cable design.
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=BlueangelLCD

TD035STED1
this is the code written behind my LCD. I have the O2 XDA IIs.
Is there anything else I need to look at aswell? or should I just buy a LCD with that code?!

SyNcViEw said:
TD035STED1
this is the code written behind my LCD. I have the O2 XDA IIs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Looks like the LCD used varies depending on when the phone was made.
My O2 has the Sony LCD.
SyNcViEw said:
Is there anything else I need to look at aswell? or should I just buy a LCD with that code?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cables and the wiki. The link I posted shows the difference between the two.
And yes, you will have to get the same LCD assembly/glass cover as what you have now. The two are not interchangeable.

There is a tool set you can purchase at radioshack that has the proper tip. Its a cheaply made tool but does the job. It is one of the kits with many bits. It would be the star tip. You can also order the tool online. I've taken mine apart a few times. Its sort of a pain but gets easier the more times you do it (replaced my screen three times). I have however, never been able to get the touch to work again because I can't really see how I would be able to solder such a fine ribbon. Ive had my mogul for almost a year and if my memory serves me the metallic strips are only about an 1/8th of an inch thick or less. I got lazy and put a piece of tape across the ribbon and put a small amount of glue to hold it down. Still didnt work. Didn't really expect it to either, but it was worth a shot. I turned it into insurance said I lost it and ended up with a broken 6600 and when I called to complain they sent me a mogul. So it's been awhile but I loved the phone. Hope this helps out.

dont scare the people
it can be replaced in 15 minutes with proper tools (screwdrivers)
i ve found some russian manual with pictures how to disasemble the BA (just look for it on the net) and its very easy, no need for soldering
there are 2 versions of displays, one have silver ribbon and the other have golden
when you opet your BA you ll see the display and the ribbon, also there is serial number of the display so you can check it too... all BA displays on the ebay have info about the ribbon and the serial number
I bought it for about 30$ and works perfectly, as original one...
buy digitizer and screen in one piece
you have to be total noob to have problems with changing of the display, so go for it !

If you are planning to replace the digitiser YES you do need to some fine soldering, all you need is the correct soldering iron tip for fine soldering and it is possible, done it about 4 times so far and everytime I promise myself not to brake it again but hahaha,
You can buy the LCD + digitiser together if you are unable to do soldering,
I use a razor which i took out from my shaver and thats what I use to seperate digitiser from lcd.
There are very cheap digitiser panels on EBAY, However some of these are not so good and ( digitiser is a 2 layer glass assy.) sometimes little area of this 2 layers stick together making touch screen non responsive.
Alternative is look out for spares, repairs sales if the screen is good buy it replace it, if you are a novice when it comes to these things, just take your time and dont rush it, even if it helps make little notes when you are opning the device as it ll make it easy when it comes to puting it back together.
And if you can get your hands on one keep a spare screen

Im sooo sad
I just cracked my screen I really hope I get a replacement cus I got more attached to my BA ever since I found out I could upgrade it. I thought it was not a biggie crashing it because I have dropped so many times and nothing happened but today something happened...

screen is 30$ at ebay, and no need to be sad, in few days it can be fixed

Replacing the digitizer on the TP2

Hi,
Just purchased a TP2 with a cracked digitizer. I also have the replacement. I've done a bit of research, and it looks like a ton of steps. I'm pretty confident I can do it, so all I'm really looking for is some tips. Any surprises I might see that may not have been covered in this guide? This is what I have so far:
http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...ka/htc_touch_pro2/&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

how did you conclude that your digitizer is cracked?

The LCD is fine. It's the top layer of plastic that is cracked. I haven't received the phone yet, but I inspected it, and that's what I concluded. The person who sold it to me is including a replacement part, but I know I'm looking at a lengthy process to dismantle the device.

Do you have to take apart the entire phone just to change the digitizer? I thought you could just hook something underneath the corner and pry it out.
It seems like such a drag if you have to take the whole phone apart to change an exterior item.

Man you're in for a world of hurt and frustration... Easier to just purchase and replace the LCD and digitizer together...
But hey, good luck.....

have you managed to replace the digitizer only? if its such a mission why are so many people selling them on ebay? a scam maby lol?

i too am interested in your results, just now bought a cracked LCD htc touch pro 2 for $100, touching the screen works, except that the phone is stuck in head-set mode and can't seem to get out of it. also, i want to replace the lcd and use the phone myself. can you pls post your success/educational steps which you followed. also, where did you buy the replacement LCD? how much ? pls help.

ultramag69 said:
Man you're in for a world of hurt and frustration... Easier to just purchase and replace the LCD and digitizer together...
But hey, good luck.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree here. From what I have read you dont want to mess around with trying to pry the current digitizer off and then reapply a new one on. It's a HUGE pain in the ass. Just purchase a replacement LCD screen/digitizer combo and i's apparently super easy to swap out.

I've taken apart tons of phones, I'm currently waiting on a digitizer to replace for my TP2. If you search this forum you will find instructions how to do it.
While waiting I've been reviewing the instructions.
As always the hardest part is putting it back together.
The only thing I can recommend to you is to don't worry about replacing it. Take pictures with a digital camera as you go so you can know how to put it back together.
Hopefully I will get mine by this weekend. It is for a T-Mobile TP2 and the only shop to have one available was in Hong Kong.
Good luck.

Redman0570 said:
I've taken apart tons of phones, I'm currently waiting on a digitizer to replace for my TP2. If you search this forum you will find instructions how to do it.
While waiting I've been reviewing the instructions.
As always the hardest part is putting it back together.
The only thing I can recommend to you is to don't worry about replacing it. Take pictures with a digital camera as you go so you can know how to put it back together.
Hopefully I will get mine by this weekend. It is for a T-Mobile TP2 and the only shop to have one available was in Hong Kong.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, can u post how you go with this e.g. is it easy enough to seperate the lcd and touchscreen. Maby a few pics as well if you can.
Cheers

It can be done but it requires ALOT of patience. Take it slowly and try not to leaver against the LCD in anyway. If you do break the screen when replacing it a replacement isn't expensive.

I replaced the digitizer twice. Taking the phone apart and assembling it back is difficult only when you do it for the first time. Once you know what's going on it just takes some time and precision. The REALLY tough part when replacing JUST the digitizer is putting the lcd and digitizer together without any dust or fingerprints in between. I ended up with dusting and vacuuming the room, putting some super-clean brand new plastic bags around the workplace and putting the cold shower on. Then using super-clean glass polishing microfibre cloth and anti-static glass cleaning liquid under really good lamp I managed to get both parts 100% clean and put them back together. Don't forget latex gloves (the ones that leave no marks) - fingerprints are hundred times worse than dust to get rid of. I have no idea how long did it really take but when I finished my back hurt like hell and water was dripping from the ceiling
Separating lcd and digitizer is not too hard. It was easiest when it was still attached to the bezel. I just pried it out applying easy, firm pressure and taking my time. Try not to damage the sticky layer on the edges or get it excessively dirty - it'll make your life easier later.
I hope it goes easier for you. Gud luck!
EDIT: Make sure that lcd is positioned 100% correctly (there is 1 or 2mm space to move it around). It is a very unpleasant surprise to put the phone back together just to find out that some top or bottom pixel lines are permanently invisible (The Voice of True Experience speaks here:/). And generally - keep the place around you tidy - maybe some containers for screws, parts, tools and that sort of stuff. I am not naturally anal enough to start from this point but found out in the process that this sort of job gets extremely frustrating and exhausting when you get confused, start losing parts etc.

It is major hurt! The TP2 is really not user serviceable! Anyway after reading all instructions I still screwed it up. I should have sent it in to HTC. I would not recommend changing the digitizer on your own.
Everything went well until it came to removing the LCD & replacing the digitizer. I cut the speaker cable, and the LCD just came apart. Luckily I have another LCD, looking for a speaker cable now.

has anyone found any places that sell the lcd and digitizer together for the T-Mobile TP2?

Thanks to these instructions I was able to replace the broken digitizer (glass) on my TP2. Unfortunately the Russian instructions stop short of replacing the glass.
Tools required: T5 torx mini screwdriver, letter opener, mini philips, a mini straight screwdriver and I found a very mini (1mm ) straight screwdriver handy for getthing the keyboard and screen back loose. The letter openner and two straight screwdrivers are only for prying
Here is what I did from the last spot on the Russian instructions: (yes you have to do every step)
Note: Be very careful removing the ribbon taped to the back of the LCD. You have to pry the speaker out ot the case up at the top; don't attempt to remove it by pulling on the ribbon. Once the speaker is loose (it's attached to the riboon, you are ok to remove it.
1. Take a small straight screwdriver and pry all around the LCD (metal back with handwriting on it in the last photo.) There are plastic tabs all around it centering it. You can pry gently against them. The LCD is only adhered with a small gasket around the edge of the glass. It is not glued to the screen as was posted by someone else. It comes out fairly easily.
2. Remove the black tape holding down the ribbon connected to the digitizer. I wasn't able to save the tape but not a big deal. Below the tape is one of three screws holding the buttons on. Remove those three screws.
3. Now you should be able to remove the digitizer. Go slow starting at the bottom. It is glued all around at heavily glued at the top. I had the pry the top away with small flat screwdriver and a letter opener. Go slowly and eventually it will release. At the top of the glass is the speaker for your ear. It will likely come off with the glass. Remove it and return it to the now empty case centering it in top.
4. Using gloves to prevent prints remove the protective film form your new digitizer. There is a lot of static generated when you do this so keep it away from everything for a minute while it neutralizes. Then place the digitizer in from the top, feed the ribbon through the slot and press the plastic all the way around.
5. Replace the buttons and the screws that retain them.
6. Replace the LCD; you can't screw it up the plastic tabs center the LCD. Just make sure the ribbon is at the bottom.
7. Reverse the instructions in the Russian link at the beginning of the post.
All told it took one hour the first time. I got it all together and then screen didn't light it. I had trouble reconnecting the screen ribbon during assembly so I figured the problem was there. I took the phone apart (to the end of the Russian instructions) and reinserted the screen ribbon into the connecter and then reassembled the phone. It took 10 min to disassemble and reassemble the phone the second time although I didn't have to take apart the screen.
So that's it. It cost me $22.00 for a new digitizer and $10.00 shipping, which is a lot better than a new phone if you don't have insurance and the phone looks like new. If you look very hard you can make out one tiny speck of dust under the glass but it's barely visible; much better than looking at the large V shaped crack I had before.

Hello!
I ordered (and received) a screen AND a digitizer. But there's a thin scotch tape that make the screen+digitizer (in one piece) get stick to the phone. OK, I teared it off.
But, how can I replace this scotch tape??? Much less of 1 mm thick, it seems to be made of foam...
Anyone can help me???????????
Please....

Coucou !
Is there anybody out there?
(Pink Floyd, The Wall, 1979 )

I was sent a Digitizer from Ebay (without LCD). Just for everyone elses benefit, there is no way you can remove the digitizer from the LCD Screen. It's glued down. Maybe it wasn't the case with the older ones, but mine can not be separated, no way!
Taking the phone apart is not too hard, the video instructions are pretty good, but seriously, forget trying to replace the digitizer only.
Here is the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrTRPTmoxpw&feature=player_embedded
Cheers, Mal.

If it has the same construction as the HD2, you can put the LCD + digitizer in the oven for 5 minutes at 50 degrees celcius. This was shown in instructions by HTC. Then you can seperate them.

Maybe, but my LCD was glued across the whole screen not just the edges. I'd suggest only buying the Digitizer/LCD combo if you want to do this yourself. If you buy both (as a single piece) the job would be pretty easy.

[Q] Black screen, flex cable?

Recently my play with no recent modification + stock kernel + treated always with care started to light the screen less than normal (but still working) and now the screen is totally black, it only vibrates pressing the power button.
I tried flashtool many times but nothing.
I searched in the forum and probably is a trouble with the flex cable (also cause sliding sometimes changed the intensity of screen's light), but how can I be sure that is exactly this piece? Also I'm not so good at taking apart phones (but i'll try if i'll be almost sure that is the flex cable)...
No warranty (too old) and I don't know how much i'll pay at sony center...
I was always afraid about the slider cause too shaky in my opinion.

"sliding sometimes changed the intensity of screen's light"
Most definitely your flex cable. It needs to be changed.

Yeah... I only have to cross my fingers cause if it's not the cable I don't really know what could be...
Is there a way in case that works to increase the new flex cable's life? I don't really want to fight with this anymore...

Get a new phone.

chery2k said:
Get a new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll miss the gamepad and all emulators too much...
But surely i'm not going to spend a lot of money on the play.

Frankieee said:
I'll miss the gamepad and all emulators too much...
But surely i'm not going to spend a lot of money on the play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Black screen is a sign the flex cable broke. On the other hand by the time you replace something else might of broke. If you saw a disassebly video on the xperia play you will literally take the whole thing a apart including the gamepad.

Good luck while replacing flex cable.
I changed it on my phone and on another 2 of my friends, it is not very easy to do, but still better than trash your phone
I can give you little tips to make it working longer as I did on mine.
PLACE A STICKER ON A CABLE on one or on both sides, you can cut a sticker to make it fit the most to cable and you can glue edges if needed. It is good to prevent from scratching and breaking cable caused by sliding phone.
Tips while you repairing your phone:
​When you are going to put Flex cable on its place, you should perfectly fit that three little 'tails' to its holes if you don't your display will touch a digitizer and make a spots on your screen.
​And after you connect flex cable with motherboard try to press the cable the most you can 'under the motherboard' because flex cable is getting a damage if you don't do this.

Now i have time to replace the flex so i'll try and see if the phone will work.
Is adhesive tape good inside the phone? Or is insulating tape (that is thicker than adhesive tape...) better? Or other/nothing?
PS: Did it! The phone works good :good:

My experience fixing Xperia PLAY phones.

In addition to the constant influx of iPods and iPhones friends, family, and coworkers bring me to fix, I've taken apart a few different Xperia PLAY phones more times than I can count, so I thought I'd give a few "pro tips" to people who need to know the ins and outs of it. This isn't a disassembly, assembly, or even a repair guide, it's just the stuff I think those guys missed.
First, don't use a heat gun to loosen the adhesive on the front glass + digitizer. The plastic frame wrinkles and melts readily, particularly right under the face buttons.
Second, make sure you transfer as much as possible when you replace the frame. Replacement frames usually do not include the rubber shroud for the proximity sensor and it will not work right without it. I had one phone that seemingly worked fine until the screen protector peeled off while inserting in a pocket and then no amount of clear tape, screen protectors, or Sharpie-marking would fix it. A salvaged rubber shroud fixed it right up. Some replacement frames have a film-backed adhesive for holding it there and some don't. It probably depends on when they were yanked from the manufacturing line, assuming that they are original parts and not replica parts. You also want to make sure you transfer are the inner dust gasket that goes underneath the frame/glass or else things will be filling up with dust quickly. There is no speaker grill and the foam around it does not stop intrusion. A salvaged frame/glass adhesive is likely to allow dust in unless you didn't have to pick much out of it when swapping (usually glass shards). There are also little metallic grounding foam rectangles crammed in the corners that only one replacement frame I've seen has ever included (was probably salvage though listed as "new"). They probably aren't necessary and I've gone long periods without them, but why wonder if a static charge build up is responsible for your erratic touch screen?
Next, be extremely careful separating the glass from the frame. I've managed to crack good ones even going slowly and leaving gaps filled with picks and pry tools. Heat didn't seem to help much and, as mentioned earlier, is discouraged. Cleaning the screen after man-handling it isn't always easy, but don't avoid touching the back side because you will probably need the area to spread the pressure and avoid a crack. I use a levered "mini suction cup" from Harbor Freight on the top side and as many fingers as spread out as I can on the bottom, but the suction cup is near useless on a cracked screen (even tape-coated). I do suggest covering a shattered screen with tape to hold all the bits together but you are still going to have a hard time cleaning the adhesive up. You can always buy a frame with digitizer pre-installed but I know a lot of you want to buy complete replacement housings instead and it's kind of a waste, but at least you don't need to worry about that adhesive (still: don't forget to transfer the other bits!).
The digitizer parts I've salvaged from phones had higher version numbers than the ones I've seen sold as replacement parts and seemed to be more erratic so I prefer salvaged ones. There can be other problems as well. The flat flex cable from the digitizer is supposed to have an adhesive backing that holds it still where it connects to the tiny cable from the earpiece. Replacements often do not have it, which is yet ANOTHER reason to prefer salvage parts. It may not seem like such a big deal considering that there is a black plastic piece screwed down over it to protect it from getting caught in the mechanism, but the connector does not hold on very well and the phone will not boot if it is slightly out of alignment. If you reassemble it and just get a buzz from the vibration motor with no display and no other sign of booting, check this connection (same thing if the digitizer suddenly stops registering touch). Even a small drop/impact will cause it to happen again, so I recommend securing it with precisely cut tape or hot glue (stay clear of the sliding rails).
Now, keep it clean while you work or you will be staring at that contaminate or thumbprint for a long time. I usually wear fresh latex gloves when working on the glass but it doesn't do much good if you keep transferring oils from the rest of the phone. Wash your hands right before you start and clean the outside of the phone. Before you begin, try just touch a used dish soap dispenser with a damp thumb and run all along to screen except the buttons and earpiece. Do it again with just the damp thumb (dilutes the soap that remained from the first pass) and wipe it with a clean lint-free cloth. Your own clean and dry fingertips/palm should readily absorb any remaining streaks/oils. Be sure to wipe down the rest of the phone too and don't transfer it back to the glass. Once inside I use layer after layer of clear tape to lift gunk from the earpiece (no mesh, remember?). Put on new gloves before you start handling the glass after disassembly, even if you were wearing some for disassembly. To clean the back of the glass I put the adhesive between wax paper while I clean using lint-free cloths, 90+% alcohol, and acetone. For the LCD, use tape to lift most contaminates and resort to alcohol + lint-free cloth if that doesn't work. It doesn't need to be too perfect, especially if scratched from cracked glass. Most imperfections only show when it's off.
Hot glue is great for removing adhesive screw covers without showing pick marks or other signs of tampering but you have to make sure to leave an edge exposed so that you aren't just picking it out of the glue instead. I've been getting mine off cleanly without any tricks like this but it came in handy when I was first disassembling one and there weren't any guides to tell me that there weren't screws under the large silver strip (just covers rivets or injections mold points, IIRC). It's also good for sealing off water sensors, like the one you see through a hole under the battery door. There's another one by the contacts on the battery itself, one by the microphone under the gamepad, and one in the opposite corner under the PS Certified logo. I had an AT&T rep tell me that a brand new phone had a tripped water sensor (LIES!) so I would look for ways to do this with most any new phone.
I can't count how many times I've left the power button out while reassembling. It's not usually that I forgot: It's that it falls out while snapping the back on. I've left the face buttons out a few times too.
My first one had the cable folded wrong after reassembly. It still worked fine for a couple years but did eventually require replacement. Once it folds wrong it'll probably stay that way even after correct reassembly (like mine did). Do not try to attach it to the main PCB using a spudger, butterknife, or whatever to awkwardly push the connector down with everything pulled apart. The only thing you need to do is to slide the cable into the phone's closed position, align the plastic posts on the connector with the corresponding holes on the PCB, and then push down on the PCB until it snaps. I'm sure I tried this first back then but chickened out because the connector didn't snap very easily but that is how you are supposed to do it.
Before I talk about the replacing the slide cable, I want to express my annoyance at all the eBay/YouTube/iFixIt.com people who call it a "flex cable." I don't like the term flex cable because generally ALL cables should be flexible and that doesn't distinguish what it is well enough for people looking for the part. Technically, it's a flat cable or a slide cable, though I wouldn't object to it being called a flex PCB (flex PCBs usually have components other than just connectors like a rigid printed circuit board would). "Flex cable" is silly, redundant, and does not describe anything more specific than just "cable." To complicate matters, there are several actual flex PCBs in this phone to distinguish from when ordering the part. Why did so many people start calling flex PCBs "flex cables" in the first place?! In our case the sliding portion is a *flat* cable, so I can see where "cable" was introduced from, but people say "flex cable" for any flat cable made like a flex PCB these days whether fixed or sliding. At least you know now that you are probably going to have to use the incorrect terminology to find what you want online and sift through many useless results.
*whew*
Now, slide cable replacement is easier than it would seem but intact removal isn't and brand new replacements can be defective. It was a troubleshooting nightmare when I encountered a defective one because I replaced the LCD and glass + digitizer at the same time and suspected/checked everything else first, even taking apart my personal phone multiple times to test parts. The plastic part of the connector on the PCB end must be transferred to the new cable and the old one will not reliably stick back down to it even if you did not contaminate the adhesive. I successfully transferred a cable from a water-damaged phone to my personal phone before fixing up the water-damaged donor phone with a new one, so the adhesive on the salvaged part was weak and I didn't realize how hard it was to remove intact until later. When separating the defective new one there was seemingly no place to pry on one end other than underneath the part where the earpiece/camera connector was located. This broke the side of the connector that holds the locking flap though I was still able to use/lock it. I claimed warranty on the defective part anyway because the connector was not needed for proving the cable was defective (a functional cable works with that connector populated or not). This new part was slightly different from those found originally installed in the phone (different colored plastic connectors and such). The second new one I ordered from elsewhere had double-sided adhesive down the middle, a foil quality control sticker, and the same odd connector colors. I didn't think there was a market for replica parts on this phone but it does seem like more than simple factory revisions. Anyway, removing it involves removing metallic tape then lifting a plate that is still adhered underneath with amber-colored Kapton tape. You can see it from the slide mechanism below. I pinch the plate from above and below with two fingers and lift, gradually peeling the tape which I then fold inside and secure to avoid contaminating the adhesive. The cable has a plastic band across it that fits between fingers on this plate. When secured, this isolates the end with multiple connectors from the movement of the sliding portion, so make sure this is in place when reinstalling. It may be best to avoid removing the adhesive backing paper until after the plate and cable are securely taped back down with both the Kapton and metallic tape while the fingers are holding it in position. If you stick it down first and then secure the plate you may find it slightly too long or short to position inside the plate when securing it all back down. To thread the main connector through the slide board opening it may seem that it will only fit by folding the cable but DON'T! Coil it. Without flattening it, bend the connector 90-degrees over from the cable path and then adjust the angle until you have a coil-shape that you can work through with the connector sideways.
I ordered a "no useable parts" dummy phone just for the heck of it and, other than the Sony Ericsson logo on the fake battery door and maybe the stickers that cover the screws, they really don't have any salvageable parts. You can't swap any buttons, keys, springs, covers, etc into a real phone. The closest would be the face buttons. They will fit in a real phone, but they are too tall and put constant pressure on the PCB switches causing unintended key-presses (especially back and search buttons). The extra height easily protrudes out the top and is not the issue so filing them down vertically won't fix anything. I snipped some excess rubber to more closely match the design of the original buttons but it didn't help. I unscrewed the screw in the corner under the search key and unsnapped the bottom edge of the frame from the back/slide board and they work great until the phone inevitably snaps back together. I'd say they felt better then the original with the extra height (I can't stand how close they are to the screen). It's tolerable with ICS/JB's Navigation Bar (on-screen key functions), but I would rather salvage real buttons or pay too much for the eBay ones ($10-$20; very uncommon part; always sold with crap you probably don't need).
I have yet to find a replacement battery door that includes the rubber trim around the speakers and the foam piece surrounding the rear/noise-canceling microphone. I've ordered a few auctions that show them in the pictures but they always arrive bare. You can transfer them with a razor but it likely won't be perfect. Without them the speaker audio will probably echo around inside the battery compartment and make its way into the mic, though people usually don't notice it. Painting on some Plasti-Dip might do the trick, so try that if it bothers you.
Unlike an iPhone with a million different screws, you don't have to keep track of what goes where and everything is easily accessible. Bare minimum to take it all apart: Some fingernails, a T5 or T6 (pick one) and a PH0, 00, or 000 Phillips (pick one). There don't seem to be any tamper/warranty seals and the only concealed screws are the two obvious ones underneath metallic cover stickers on the display/slide board. There are no screws under tape or labels and no water sensors covering them either. All 6 Phillips screws are the same size but you'll likely want to keep the two with adhesive in their original holes to re-use the covers (adhesive usually remains on the screw instead of the cover). There are only two different Torx screw types but it's obvious what goes where (6 stubby flat ones on the top and bottom, 7 long thin ones around the battery area).
There are bits and bobs taped to and embedded in the rear housing including antenna/RF stuff, some more obvious that others. I've compared and the R800x is very different from the R800at even though the plastic frame looks really similar (R800x has a blocked SIM slot, of course). IMO, any housing swap should be limited to the front frame, the gamepad, and the battery door (only colored parts anyway). If you nicked your chrome, hopefully it was on a button or something that can be swapped (springs are a pain). It may be possible to transfer everything but I wouldn't trust it after all the peeling and picking. The one report I've seen of someone transferring between a GSM/CDMA models seems blissfully unaware of the metal wire behind the volume keys on the CDMA model that isn't there on GSM (at least it's not there on my R800at GSM).
That's all my advice for now. If you are having any trouble, let me know.

Excellent guide, thank you for taking the time to type this up. I think a mod should sticky this.....

Awesome guide! Thanks much for it!
@ozzmanj1 Agree, so more people will notice it.

Thanks for help buddy!!!

As for the case of the digitizer, mine has some parts (lower left) that are not recognizing touch inputs. Will realigning the digitizer cable help? I' d really not want to buy a new one right now as I am quite on a tight budget. Please help. Totally in distress here with my very sickly Play.

So, first I want to say thanks for this post as it's been invaluable in my working on my own XP.
I'm in the process of changing out the LCD and slide cable and am wondering about versions of the phone and compatibility. On Ebay I'm finding lots of parts listed as being for R800i\R800x\R800a. Very few parts are listed for R800at (which is what I have)
In changing out parts (anything hardware related) what parts are interchangeable and what parts are not? Anyone able to help?
Right now I'm looking at LCD screen and slide cable, but in the future I would like to change out the digitizer (I read the other page about having to possibly roll back to a different kernel) and perhaps other inner workings of the phone as well. I would just like to know what I can use from other models of the XP and what are model specific.
Thanks!

Arevyn said:
So, first I want to say thanks for this post as it's been invaluable in my working on my own XP.
I'm in the process of changing out the LCD and slide cable and am wondering about versions of the phone and compatibility. On Ebay I'm finding lots of parts listed as being for R800i\R800x\R800a. Very few parts are listed for R800at (which is what I have)
In changing out parts (anything hardware related) what parts are interchangeable and what parts are not? Anyone able to help?
Right now I'm looking at LCD screen and slide cable, but in the future I would like to change out the digitizer (I read the other page about having to possibly roll back to a different kernel) and perhaps other inner workings of the phone as well. I would just like to know what I can use from other models of the XP and what are model specific.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just about everything but the chrome back housing is a simple swap. LCD, slide cable, digitizer, camera/earpiece, face buttons, game pad, slide board, front frame, camera, headphone jack, etc. The only parts tied together for compatability are the motherboard and the chrome back housing and that is because it has all the antennas installed in it. It's probably possible to move all the components but I've never even had to take the speakers out and can't speak to the difficulty or possibility for certain. I'm worried that lifting the adhesive films would damiage the antennas inside. As I mentioned in the OP, there are other little parts to move when you compare the two and note the differences. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

CZroe said:
Just about everything but the chrome back housing is a simple swap. LCD, slide cable, digitizer, camera/earpiece, face buttons, game pad, slide board, front frame, camera, headphone jack, etc. The only parts tied together for compatability are the motherboard and the chrome back housing and that is because it has all the antennas installed in it. It's probably possible to move all the components but I've never even had to take the speakers out and can't speak to the difficulty or possibility for certain. I'm worried that lifting the adhesive films would damiage the antennas inside. As I mentioned in the OP, there are other little parts to move when you compare the two and note the differences. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Thanks so much.
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 PM ----------
CZroe said:
Just about everything but the chrome back housing is a simple swap. LCD, slide cable, digitizer, camera/earpiece, face buttons, game pad, slide board, front frame, camera, headphone jack, etc. The only parts tied together for compatability are the motherboard and the chrome back housing and that is because it has all the antennas installed in it. It's probably possible to move all the components but I've never even had to take the speakers out and can't speak to the difficulty or possibility for certain. I'm worried that lifting the adhesive films would damiage the antennas inside. As I mentioned in the OP, there are other little parts to move when you compare the two and note the differences. Good luck!
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you noticed a difference in an LCD screen with a green cable vs one with an orange cable? I have an orange one in mine, and wasnt sure if its a different part, or just a different batch of screens

Arevyn said:
Awesome! Thanks so much.
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:11 PM ----------
Have you noticed a difference in an LCD screen with a green cable vs one with an orange cable? I have an orange one in mine, and wasnt sure if its a different part, or just a different batch of screens
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am color blind and never took notice but I switched LCD between R800i, R800x, and R800at and they were all compatible. They have no reason to make anything in that half of the phone different, so they don't.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

narflynn619 said:
As for the case of the digitizer, mine has some parts (lower left) that are not recognizing touch inputs. Will realigning the digitizer cable help? I' d really not want to buy a new one right now as I am quite on a tight budget. Please help. Totally in distress here with my very sickly Play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I've also experience same problems as yours... I just wonder is it the flex cable or digitizer....

matfai said:
Hey, I've also experience same problems as yours... I just wonder is it the flex cable or digitizer....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If only some areas are responsive then I'm pretty sure it's the digitizer. The IC likely encodes the output so that all the raw connections don't need to be extended over the slide cable. IOW, the pins that carry digitizer data probably carry encoded data so that it's fewer pins. This means it would work either all or not at all if the slide cable had anything to do with it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

CZroe said:
If only some areas are responsive then I'm pretty sure it's the digitizer. The IC likely encodes the output so that all the raw connections don't need to be extended over the slide cable. IOW, the pins that carry digitizer data probably carry encoded data so that it's fewer pins. This means it would work either all or not at all if the slide cable had anything to do with it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reply... So, do I have to replace the digitizer or just realigning the cable will help?

matfai said:
Thanks for reply... So, do I have to replace the digitizer or just realigning the cable will help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my experience, cable alignment has also been an all or nothing issue so you probably need to replace the digitizer. It couldn't hurt to realign the digitizer cable first just in case it can avoid an unnecessary expense. That fixed a Cubot C9+ I worked on Saturday (digitizer not working at all) but not the iPhone 4S I worked on yesterday (bottom row of digitizer not responding).
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

stuck in safe mode after replace slider cable(flex)
Hi i'm writing here in hopes you can help me, i bought and replaced the "flex cable" and it kinda worked, somehow it can only boot in safe mode and back, home and menu buttons on the front is unresponsive (i can use joypad though) i've tried opening it up again to check for loose connectors and i even tried disconnect the cable to the front buttons but safe mode persists, i tried to flash several official ftf images and a custom rom to see if it helped, but also without any luck.
I hope that you can help me.
Thx for a nice indepth post

docsmiley said:
Hi i'm writing here in hopes you can help me, i bought and replaced the "flex cable" and it kinda worked, somehow it can only boot in safe mode and back, home and menu buttons on the front is unresponsive (i can use joypad though) i've tried opening it up again to check for loose connectors and i even tried disconnect the cable to the front buttons but safe mode persists, i tried to flash several official ftf images and a custom rom to see if it helped, but also without any luck.
I hope that you can help me.
Thx for a nice indepth post
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are booting in safe mode, that "menu" button is always pressed. My guess is faulty/damaged flex cable. You can try your old flex cable and see can you enter flash/fastboot mode (test to see is back and search button is working)

Bakisha said:
If you are booting in safe mode, that "menu" button is always pressed. My guess is faulty/damaged flex cable. You can try your old flex cable and see can you enter flash/fastboot mode (test to see is back and search button is working)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search button is working as intended (also when booted into safe mode) and i can enter flash mode with back button and flash ftf files, back button is just not functional when booted (only on joypad).
I also figured it had to be the flex cable but i thought i was so carefull when mounting it so i didn't thought i damaged it.
The old flex cable didn't give any picture at all, so can't see if it boots into safe mode with that.

docsmiley said:
Search button is working as intended (also when booted into safe mode) and i can enter flash mode with back button and flash ftf files, back button is just not functional when booted (only on joypad).
I also figured it had to be the flex cable but i thought i was so carefull when mounting it so i didn't thought i damaged it.
The old flex cable didn't give any picture at all, so can't see if it boots into safe mode with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have received a defective flex cable before so it's possible you have also. In my case it didn't work at all (no picture).
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Thanks for your replies I'll see if I can get it replaced
Sendt fra min Galaxy S4 med Tapatalk

slide flex replacement
hi, its my second time replacing the slide flex cable of my r800i, however this time, my digitizer is unresponsive to the flex i bought, i bought it in the same store where i bought the first one which was perfectly fine before,
my question is does the slide flex cable of xperia play 4G differs to the slide flex cable of the old one xperia play r800i,

dashu31 said:
hi, its my second time replacing the slide flex cable of my r800i, however this time, my digitizer is unresponsive to the flex i bought, i bought it in the same store where i bought the first one which was perfectly fine before,
my question is does the slide flex cable of xperia play 4G differs to the slide flex cable of the old one xperia play r800i,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are the same. I have also switched then between a "4G" R800at and a R800x. I have also received bad digitizer flex cables that were new. It really is luck of the draw. A lot of replacement parts on eBay are factory seconds, which may have been removed from the production line for good reason. That's why I always order parts in sets of two for anything I know I will need in the future and I always test both. For example, recently I got two iPhone 4S screens and one had the frame installed upside down. Before that I ordered two replacement iPhone 4 30-pin dock replacements and one had a defective microphone. Before that I ordered two iPod touch 2G digitizer/frame assemblies and one didn't work along the left side.
Here I am identifying a couple bad iPhone displays from a lot:
http://youtu.be/TbxzCiGhwPM
I didn't own an iPhone so I had to test them all with the phone the first customer provided.
Edit: Oh! And make sure the problem is not with the digitizer connection under the black plastic cover. Mine works it's way loose all the time and needs to be secured with tape. Even when inserted fully straight and locked, I put it together and find it not working or the display black until I take it back apart and reseat it. It will twist slightly and even the slightest angle affects the connection.