[GUIDE] I9000 Screen Replacement

This topic has clues for replacing the screen. I have not concluded an manual for chancing it yet but reading this whole topic gives you the big picture how it is done. Questions are always welcome and I try to answer them with my knowledge. This 1st post gives you 2 links to follow for pics about changing screen and my own starting point for chancing my own screen.

Has anyone bought and installed a digitizer+screen set which is on sale at ebay? I could not post direct link to ebay because I'm a newbie on these forums. You can find the product searching ebay with these keywords "I9000 digitizer". My galaxy's screen cracked and I need an replacement. Both screen and glass broke. I think that this set includes them both. There is also told in the questions that the set infact includes amoled display and not LCD as the title says.

Second question is that does someone have an service manual somewhere. Would be nice to know how to break apart my phone when replacing screen.

Third question is that doesn't samsung vibrant and galaxy s share the same chassis but different screen with more capacitive buttons. Could it be possible to install vibrant's screen to galaxy s?

PS. The way my galaxy brokedown is very funny. I lay down my phone on the kitchen table and the screen cracked. I was like OMFG when I heard the cracking noise. Phone was like 13 days old. Samsung does not repair it with warranty because they think that it wasn't an manufacturing defect. They said that I have dropped my phone and that's the way it broke. That could not be the case because I handled it like a baby. I would have to pay 255€ for new screen and digitizer. Hell no!! I'm a student so that sum does not fit with my wallet.

New screen installed, see posts http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=7683527&postcount=37 and http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=7710572&postcount=40

Edit: Ebay's prices have rised noticeable in the last couple of months. At the moment the price for these screens is around 100$. I found this site which sells them for 60£. http://www.shineyourmobile.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=8128

I haven't read of anybody just replacing only the glass yet. But I have managed to replace only the glass and it works!

I fell skiing at Heavenly on December 27th. The Gorilla Glass did not survive.

I bought the glass from eBay that same night http://www.ebay.com/itm/25095815361...NX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_1340wt_958 for $4.99 + $4.99 ship from an Australian distributor. I arrived today and I started working on it at 1pm. I searched YouTube and found a bunch of videos on how to remove everything up to the digitizer and glass assembly, but nothing after that!


At this point I cracked open the phone and followed the video thinking there was more. The logical think to do would have been to watch the video all the way through at first. And I guess since my SGS works, I'm fortunate that I didn't!

The glass on the phone was completely shattered with no pieces larger than dime left whole. So I started around the top edge first. Once I gain confidence on separating the glass from the thick layer of glue using an Olfa L-2 knife, I started in on the capacitive buttons. Here the glass had shattered to pieces about 1/16 - 1/8th of an inch, relatively easy to remove using the knife to at first wedge, then pry upwards. Both buttons work fine, but I was really careful and it took a bit of time to do. Thinking that was the hardest part was foolish thinking in hindsight...

Clearing the rest of the digitizer is a chore I care not to do again. But it is possible! It took about 3 hours to remove every sliver of glass. As it is like safety glass, it shatters into fragments easily. And once that's done you need to clean up the glue, laced with fine glass dust that can potentially scratch the digitizer. I did it with 50% alcohol and polishing compound. It took the better part of an hour, but it was the only thing I had around the house. Somebody mentioned ethanol on this thread, I'd go with that instead.

You will see a few nicks and scratches on the digitizer. I was will to accept this since I am eyeing a Galaxy Note and this phone is going to to be permanently stationed in the car (the Torque OBDII app works like a dream, it has GPS, is a web browser and plays music though my bluetooth car audio, and can share the 3G data plan. Name a head unit that does all that?). And in all honesty, with the glass installed it looks better than I expected.

To install the glass I used double-sided tape. I heated up the tape with a blow dryer when I sealed everything up, and pressed firmly on all sides to insure a good bond. I was disheartened to find that the digitizer did not respond to every touch. Turns out this was the effect of the warmed glass. As it cooled the touch response time got back to normal. Also be careful of over heating the glass and pressing too hard on the corners of the digitizer. I have a red spot in the edge of a corner I pressed. If I were to do it again, gluing (the type discussed earlier in the thread.) would be the way to go. Finally finished around 6pm. And everything works!

Good luck!

Removed my screen today, now waiting for new arriving from Hong Kong. I took couple of photos after the screen was removed. You can see the two sensors at the bottom where I had to be very careful when removing screen. It felt like they would rip apart anytime. My luck was that the glue used was very soft and by prying very slowly the screen removed easily. Took about 30min to remove but would have gone faster if my screen wouldn't been shattered near home button. Little glass and amoled pieces are everywhere. I recommend to keep safety glasses on when removing screen because it shatters easily and pieces fly long way. My hand is now like a disco ball. Tools used are seen on the photos. I also used a little kitchen knife but not much so I didn't include it in the photo. There are still little pieces of glass which I have to remove before applying new screen. Gotta figure out how to remove those.

SOLVED with 6€ (only glass ) !!!

Tks "devonblue4u" : D

you were the only one with courage like me, and I read your post carefully before you venture into the place of "GLASS ONLY OUTSIDE".

I purchased the glass only by E-Bay about 6 € (arrived in about 10 days)

I wanted to say that with my method you put about 2 hours without disassembling the phone!

get yourself a micro optical screwdriver, something hard and plastic is not very sharp, knife and .... the REMOVE SILICONE [/ B] spray ( 3€ ).

spray the spray along the edge of the glass of the phone until it starts to become unstuck from the edge of the glass and try to separate the edge, taking care to contacts of the lower part.

Once separated the plastic lip (helping with screwdrivers and plastic tool and cutter always being careful to touch the glass) to try to divide the 2 glass with the cutter and the spray (always doing dissolve the glue of the adhesive).

after removing all the broken glass, clean the glue touch the glass with alcohol and then remount the board appoggiateci pasting over the glass again with very little glue (I used bostik) being careful not to smudge the glass.
If you made ​​a mistake of gluing always use the "remove silicone" to remove the bostik (or silicon) clean and put the glue.

: D

Good luck.

Umby

It took me 3 hours for first time since I didn't know procedure.

I've followed youtube video for disassembly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt9XNnjAcBc).

You have to be very careful and use non-metal tools so you don't damage case.

It's not so scary with keypad sensors on bottom (just at the 85% of disassembly be very careful).

I had bad luck and bought faulty display with bad touch (left side of display was always active, numbers are being dialed by self). I just return back and got a new one.

Don't glue anything or take off screen protect until you try if everything is OK.

*See image if you want to know where you need to use glue.