Galaxy S3 Cracked Glass (Read this if it has happened to you!)

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Dalmus

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2011
653
94
Milwaukee
Sorry about that, just been very busy and trying to get fully over the flu :eek:

Here are a few more I did and these look shattered but the break does not go through the laminate inner layer and they come up in one piece. Now this is certainly the best case senerio and what you want to happen. In my experience though it seems that this only happens with the blue glass. For whatever reason in my experience it seems that the pebble blue has a thicker laminate layer and like a windshield in a car it just holds together better. It is really strange but it seems factual based on my experiance. I have about half a dozen pieces of blue glass in my office that are shattered but all in one piece. However I cannot say the same for any other color, i.e. white and red.



This matches my experience. Mine was shattered.. I thought the packing tape I put over the front was what saved me, but maybe it was the thicker pebble blue material that did more?

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Ivie

Senior Member
Nov 29, 2012
52
7
Rohnert Park
Could be. Mine is att phone. I know att and t mobile use the same LCD. Not sure on others. Could be more $$, they did ask for my imei number which leads me to believe price could depend on what phone you have.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Well after the repair the cost stayed the same.($135.31) They replaced everything from the frame up except maybe the home button.
Its beautiful. Very happy! My phone looks brand new.

They did ask for my IMEI number as well FYI. I have the Black VZW model, which I'd think is more rare than a ATT white but hey I'm not complaining....
 

sakdroid

Senior Member
Mar 11, 2011
200
15
Well after the repair the cost stayed the same.($135.31) They replaced everything from the frame up except maybe the home button.
Its beautiful. Very happy! My phone looks brand new.

They did ask for my IMEI number as well FYI. I have the Black VZW model, which I'd think is more rare than a ATT white but hey I'm not complaining....

Could you please provide info where you had your phone repaired?
 

cleverdicky

Senior Member
Sep 11, 2011
226
39
Sunny England. UK
Hi all.
Watching this thread with interest.

have myself completed the removal of 4 screens. Unfortunatly the first 2 were unsuccessful.
Well they do say practise makes perfect.

Anyway regarding the oca or glue.

I just wanted to share a smidgen of knowledge I have about that.
I believe (cant be certain) that the material is called 'pmma'.

There is another substance called pmma but it is banned as one of those party drugs.
So def not that one.

Butnormal PMMA is used a LOT in the semi -conductor industry. It is a rubber like substance, optically clear that is excellent for making rubber casts of fine detail. It can imprint the trackes on a cd for example.
I believe this is what they are using. under the front glass.
 

sakdroid

Senior Member
Mar 11, 2011
200
15
I called couple of Phone Doctor shops around and all quoted 279.99 for LCD replacement. Samsung quoted 178.61 with Shipping included.
They provided UPS 2nd Day shipping and will be sending it tomorrow.
Since i bought this phone less than 90 days before, i claimed damage protection thru discover card which i used.But they would cover only 50$ since i bought S3 for 50$ on contract at bestbuy.
Will post update once i get further updates
 

Animas1020

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2010
114
17
This matches my experience. Mine was shattered.. I thought the packing tape I put over the front was what saved me, but maybe it was the thicker pebble blue material that did more?

Sent from my SCH-R530U using xda app-developers app

I had the same experience as well. I just replaced my pebble blue front that had 70% of the glass shattered and it all lifted with no scratches or leftover glass on the digitizer. Used packing tape as well because the glass wanted to flex and break more as I was removing it, but patience kept it together.

Thanks OP and marcustaz for the valuable information that has saved me considerably.
 
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marcustaz

Senior Member
May 31, 2012
613
176
I had the same experience as well. I just replaced my pebble blue front that had 70% of the glass shattered and it all lifted with no scratches or leftover glass on the digitizer. Used packing tape as well because the glass wanted to flex and break more as I was removing it, but patience kept it together.

Thanks OP and marcustaz for the valuable information that has saved me considerably.

There is no doubt that the blue glass 9/10 comes up all in one peice even if shattered. As I have said the blue laminate layer seems to act like safety glass like an automotive windshield. However so far all other colors I have done seem to be a simple coloring layer of paint on clear glass, so they shatter and fragment into peices. Just my experience, figured I'd share. :)

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
 

mail_venu

Senior Member
May 5, 2011
50
11
I did not had to do that, but did any one have tried a hair dryer to loosed the glue sticking the front glass?
 

stevey500

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2009
259
47
I did this on my Galaxy Infuse a while back. It was great, except the Amoled display slowly became more and more discolored through the weeks after I did it. I wonder if the optical bonding material is almost a requirement with this kind of amoled installation to "seal" the display. Who knows though, all I know is that it didn't work right for me. Awesome for those that it did! :)
 

nhullheart

New member
Dec 29, 2012
2
0
do this for me

I'm to scared to do this myself. all I want is a hybrid s3, is it possible you could do this for me? PS:I could get down there.
 

|flyte|

Senior Member
Sep 8, 2010
333
44
Vernon
I've noticed 2 similar types of glass that we can purcahse on ebay.. can anyone tell me which one would be the proper one to get if you have your glass cracked?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Pebble-Blue-...112?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item416e1472d0

vs.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Replacement-...721?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5652f6dd79

Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

Anyone have a clue about what the differences these two glass covers are? Can the one with the digitizer really be that cheap, (or am I missing something here?)

Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
 

sumomuscle

Member
Dec 6, 2010
43
6
Anyone have a clue about what the differences these two glass covers are? Can the one with the digitizer really be that cheap, (or am I missing something here?)

Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

In both instances it's just the glass. There's a capacitive button ribbon included on the second one, but you most likely won't have to replace that when your just replacing your glass.
 
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NasC0

New member
Nov 7, 2012
4
1
Hey, Firstly I want to thank the OP and Marcustaz for the great tutorials and overall friendliness. I recently replaced my front glass successfully, and it was REALLY shattered, but now I am starting to notice some nuisances. Like, I did build a border around the screen frame, but it still seems to pick up dust underneath. Is it something I did wrong even with the border, or is it a side effect from removing the local? Also, I did anyone notice some problems with touch sensitivity near the top (like 2-3 mm down from the notification bar), has anyone else got similar issues, or have I damaged the digitizer in some way? I didn't nick it, but I guess that's not required for it to cause issues. Thanks in advance :)

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dredremon

Senior Member
Mar 23, 2012
1,127
387
Pasig City
pls help me to fix my s3 mini cracked screen im from phillipines
uploadfromtaptalk1361593274369.jpg

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Superfizzo

Member
Feb 8, 2013
14
1
pls help me to fix my s3 mini cracked screen im from phillipines
View attachment 1753246

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huwag kang magalala. ayos naman ingles mo!

---------- Post added at 09:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------

I just got done doing a glass replacement on my GS3. The process went pretty smoothly once I was able to get the glass up. Some tips for someone attempting to do this:

- Use a razor blade to get it started. My recommendation is to not start where the glass is shattered as you will have a tough time accessing the plastic part that holds the glass together and you won't have a stable prying surface once you get it started.
- I actually wired up my heat gun with a wire hangar so that I could use both hands on my phone. The screen came out in about a minute after I got it started with the razor. Prying up with a plastic scraper to separate the glass from the digitizer while running the phone across the heat gun seemed to be the easiest way and the whole screen came out as one piece, minus some miscellaneous glass shards.
- I didn't order any 3m tape, but I did come up with a good way to keep the touch buttons on the bottom in place. I just used some of the glue that came off of the old glass to stick the buttons where they need to be to replace the glass. The outside tape still seemed sticky enough to hold the new screen in place.


Touch functionality and screen appearance are good as new. I could sell this on Craigslist as a like new phone and no one would ever know.

Additional thoughts:
I wonder whether a new tape layer all around will be necessary to keep foreign objects from making their way in between the glass and the digitizer? I guess I'll fix that if and when it becomes the case. For now, I'm just glad to not have to see the shattered corner in my brand new phone (I dropped it after owning it for 6 days!)
 

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  • 106
    Ok everybody, the purpose of this thread is to dispel the MYTH that you can not replace just the front glass. Good news for my brethren who as I, have learned that Gorilla Glass hardly deserves the moniker.

    My phone was dropped from a height of less than three feet with a Speck Candyshell case installed and the screen cracked. Luckily the digitizer and SAMOLED were still fully functioning. I wondered if there was a way to replace just the glass. If you take the time to google Galaxy S3 replacement glass, you will find a mixture of threads on the subject with most saying that only a professional could do so. There are a few youtube videos on the matter, including one proclaiming that it is impossible to separate and replace only the outer glass without destroying the digitizer. This simply is NOT true. Not less than one hour ago I did exactly that.

    Supplies:
    Replacement Glass (Can be found for less than twenty dollars complete with a plastic separator, phillips screwdriver, and 3m tape cut fit.)
    Hair Dryer
    Painter's Tape (Or any semi-sticky tape that won't leave residue)
    Gloves
    Small Flathead Screwdriver

    What I did:
    First I removed the back cover and battery from the GS3. I went into my small bathroom and misted it with a spray bottle in hopes that it would reduce the dust in the air. I set my wife's hair dryer to high heat and low speed. I heated the bottom corner of my phone first because there was a small chip that looked like it would be a good place to start prying the screen off. I used the small flathead to start the prying because the provided plastic separator was not sturdy enough to initiate this. You don't have to worry about scratching the display during this step because there is that nice gap between the display and the actual bottom of the phone as well as the top. So either of these two places would be an ideal starting point. As you SLOWLY pry the screen up you will notice a small gap of air forming between the glass and the display. As soon as the screen is just high enough to fit a plastic separator between the glass and display, do it. I can not stress enough, go sloooowwwww. If you do not remove the glass strategically and smoothly you will cause scratches or cracks in the SAMOLED glass (The actual display). Pry from the largest shards first. Once the screen was high enough for the separator I applied a lot of heat again, and especially focusing on the gap so more heat would reach the glue directly. Heat, pry, heat, pry, heat, pry. When the glass is almost separated resist the urge to speed up, it was hard for me too... It is OK if the original glass cracks a little more as you remove it, when this happens change spots where you are prying. The glass should come off as one sheet held by the glue and colored portions. Undoubtedly you will find tiny shards and perhaps a fleck or two of dust. This is where the painter's tape comes in. Use the tape to remove any debris off of the SAMOLED screen. Do not touch the actual display, not even with gloves. This will smudge what is left of the original adhesive and will lead to annoying marks under your glass after the process. I am not sure of a good solvent that would not damage the screen or I would have used it, mine has a few smudges under it. However, they are only visible when the screen is off. I then took the 3m tape provided with my glass and applied it to the two appropriate places on the phone. Next, I removed the backing off of the new glass and carefully applied it from the top to the bottom. I had to use my screw driver to keep the capacitive button ribbons under the new glass in their proper positions. Once the glass was on the phone I heated it all up one more time to make the leftover glue and the new adhesive softer. Then I applied firm pressure around the circumference of the phone only. I let my phone cool down and then replaced the battery and cover. Finally I turned my phone back on and enjoyed all the glory of my achievement when EVERY aspect of my phone was fully functional. My phone is now a hybrid pblue/white because for whatever reason the white glass was eight dollars cheaper than the blue glass. In my opinion, it looks great.

    Ps For this operation the provided phillips screwdriver is not needed.

    A couple of photos...

    The original cracked blue glass after removal.
    Snapshot_20120916.JPG

    My new hybrid phone.
    Snapshot_20120916_2.JPG
    Snapshot_20120916_3.JPG

    The screen on and app drawer open to show that the touch still works.
    Snapshot_20120916_5.JPG

    It was brought to my attention that I may want to add a disclaimer.

    Disclaimer: You could f*c* up your phone even more than it it already is if you do something hastily or fail to adapt your methods to a situation different than mine. All of the above as well as 99.9999 percent of f*c* ups in the universe are not my fault.
    11
    Not much patience required, it only took me thirty minutes total. I just wanted to emphasize not rushing. That's a good idea for a tutorial video....... I am down.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
    9
    OK Ladies and Gents,

    I finally found the time to make a video showing LOCA application. It was late and sorry for blabbering :laugh: I think this will give you all the confidence to try it yourself. I still warn you this is NOT for someone who is not comfortable or technicaly inclined. If you are worried about damaging your phone I will repair it for you. This is NOT an advertisment, just trying to help out members. I do have to charge for my time and materials. If your interested PM me. And of course any questions I am here to try and help. :good:

    6
    Ok all now no making fun of me! hahaha hope this helps a bunch of you, sorry for taking so long. It is in 2 parts just a FYI

    Also I would ask if anyone has any suggestions on the video etc before I do another one let me know. :laugh:




    5
    Keep us posted please. Thanks!

    Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

    Ok I spent a few hours trying to get the loca and new glass put on JUST right. I kept getting bubbles around the Top edge near the speaker grill and Bottom Edge to each side of the home button. I had watched this video before hand and it makes it look REALLY easy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us8fz2H1qeQ

    The nice thing about the loca is if you dont like the way it looks you can easily lift the glass back off safely and start over. Trust me I did this OVER and OVER again. So here is my words of advice from what I learned...
    1. Watch the video and see HOW he places the new screen on
    2. Watch it again
    3. Do NOT try squeezing the bubbles out very much at all as it will just get worse. This is where I kept going wrong. This is why I saw watch the video multiple times and see how he puts the loca on, How he puts the loca on and tilts the phone slightly/slowly back and forth to let the loca spread, and how he How he lays the screen on, and how he LIGHTLY presses by the top of the screen by the speaker area and let it slowly start seeing the adhesive leveling out underneath the glass. then SLOWLY and LIGHTLY you can move your fingers down the screen so the leveling between the glass and lcd becomes smooth looking without the watery look if you can picture what i am trying to say. RESIST THE URGE TO PUSH DOWN HARD ON THE GLASS TO GET THE LARGE BUBBLES OUT AND LET IT GLIDE TOGETHER. THEN once they look like they are together you can LIGHTLY try to work out some of the bubbles if needed (But I had none that I could see after doing it this way without pressing the screen down hard). It is night time right now and I am at work so I will need to wait until I get home to cure the LOCA, as it needs UV light. It looks like he uses a Black Light to do it, but I think sunlight or reptile lights that have UVa aND uvB light should work as well. I will try to take some pics tomorrow of the final product and post them here.

    So LONG story short, watch the video and see HOW EASY he makes it look and how he does it. IF you do it this way EXACTLY like he does it WILL BE EASY...

    ANOTHER BIT OF INFO... PLEASE READ... I WOULD SAY IT IS BEST to remove the motherboard, camera, and any internals you can. Everything as far as the screen goes is working for me. Seeing in direct sunlight is back to normal. Touching screen is back to normal. But for my BAD NEWS. My sound stopped working and my camera is now failing. I didn't have a UV light handy as I thought I would and it was night time so I didn't have sunlight. After I found the sound not working I opened up the phones inside and found the loca leaked inside. I had to clean it all out. But so far sound has not come back to working status. I have to put on headphones to hear ANYTHING. BUMMER for me. So please remove whatwlever you can first so basically you have the frame, digitizer, and glass desperate and then perform the install. I am HOPING my sound comes back but I think it is wishful thinking. So be careful and heed my warning and learn from it. I think if I has a UV light handy I wouldn't have had this issue.