Guide: HTC Cruise Polaris Screen replacement/dismantling

It happened to me that the TC fell on the sidewalk face down, so I had to find and replace the screen. Couldn't find any pictorial guide so I decided to share my experience for the benefit of others with the same problem.

Cause: Cell phone shocked, fell down, hit
Symptoms: touch screen works OK, but display has cracks, blackened areas, which are spreading as time goes by.
Screen type : TC combines the matrix sensor (touch) and the LCD in 2 layers, the front touch-glass and shell, and the LCD itself underneath it.
Source of display: I bought via eBay on this source: Asia Bol
http://stores.ebay.com/newasiabol
Cost $70 inc. shipping and arrived within a week and a half. Rumors insists the at below $100 a screen is either factory dropout or refurbished.

Tools needed: Torx screwdriver T5-50, the size can be viewed after removing battery door, at lower corner.
A flat sharp tool ("fish knife") to help open the plastic case, but not too sharp to scratch the phone.

Here are the pictures and some notes:
1. Remove battery case and battery, SIM
2. Remove 2 screws from lower side
3. Prick open the shell with the flat tool
4. Prick open the top shell with the flat tool

5. CAREFUL as there are 2 tiny ribbons from the touch screen/hardware buttons into the PCB, one is held in place with sticky band (keys), the other (digitizer) is locked in-place with a lever, tiny one! - pull them out, not before noticing where they went into and lifting the lever on the smaller one.
6. Take apart the FRONT shell with the flat tool slowly as not to tear ribbons
7. Pull the LCD ribbon out
8. Carefully pull the old screen as it is held in place with sticky gum
9. Clean interior glass of phone if needed, pull out new screen protective sheet and put in place.
10. Connect new screen ribbon, 2 keyboard/jog tiny ribbons
11. Press shells in place
12. Pray you didn't forget anything and load SIM and battery
13. Good luck

more pictures...

following...(please note that where it's marked on the above picture as "jog wheel" - it is not. it's the glass digitizer ribbon.

As you see on the completly dismanteled TC picture above (left on the last picts row), there are:
Glass top, actually the outer top shell, and the LCD & Digitizer are one piece (the 'glassy' square with flat orange attachement)
If the scratch in on the shell glass, that's not the LCD screen, it is the so called "LCD LENS GLASS" or "faceplate".
If the TC fell and you see cracks and smears on the screen instead of what should be displayed, that's the LCD.
Please make sure where your scratches are.

well, I was (and still) confused as I was looking for some info about the screen assembly, and the only one I've found was on this lab site (not particular to TC model though).
Please read the paragraph in RED starting with "ATTENTION..." later on that page (the link above includes Google's translation from russian).
More confusing is that the part you mention here IS available as is...

puzzle solved.
I was curious so I dismantled the TC again, than I notice the the glass shell IS carrying a tiny ribbon, which means IT IS the digitizer (I though it's coming from the hardware keys).
So I assume you ordered the right part.

Actually it's a very delicate work with a steady hand and non scratching behaviour.
points to notice:
- The side silver bars are detached by sliding as well as pulling gently, as there are L shaped pins coming out of them into a niche in the body.
- The glass digitizer ribbon is run from one side of the main board into the other, so unlocking it (small lever and pull out) is needed as well as having the upper and rear shell apart as much as allowed, Or having the LCD wide ribbon out (& digitizer small one) and let the 2 shells free for easy access.

Saying that, it means that the procedure is almost identical as for replacing the LCD as the glass/digitizer is attached to front glass with sticky rubber and you need to get in there to release the tiny ribbon.

In your case I assume you also have to pull the bottom hardware keys' plate (assembly), in order to release it from the old shell/glass.
If that is the case, be carefull as the assembly is pinched into place by fragile plastic bumps that keep it in tight place in order to make a good push action (click). You'll have to widen the shell sides a bit and help it out.

! bent ribbon, and some mulfunction may occure.

you can disable the camera by software & registry, but I guess they want it to be out of sight..
as you see on the left pict on the first row of images, the front camera is a cubic aparatuse with 3-wings circle in the middle, just underneath the ext GPS antena hole:

this can be pulled out but I think it's ribbon (connection flat wires) is going via a cooling metal plate element and then to a PCB connector. Not sure about that as it's very delicate in there.
as for the back camera, I can't recall
here is a close up: