Without the invention of touchscreen technology, we would still be using outdated and inefficient keyboards. Keyboards used to require a mechanical interface, and individual keys had to be pushed individually in order to take action. Now, screens allow us to use gestures such as tapping or swiping for tactile input.
Touchscreen phones need many parts, but a digitizer assembly often ignores them.
Which Part Do You need?
The upper glass, a digitizer, and an LCD are the most basic parts of a cell phone screen. Depending on the device, these three parts may be sold separately or combined into one assembly.
There are several ways to replace a screen (not all devices come with a separate parts section):
- This device comes with a complete LCD screen assembly, including glass, a touch screen, and an LCD.
- A touchscreen with using outer glass
- The outer glass screen
- Only a screen
LCD Displays
The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen on your phone is the source for images that appear on the screen. It’s located at the bottom beneath the glass screen, and you might need to buy an iPhone/iPad LCD Screen assembly for most devices. This comes with a brand new LCD and touch digitizer as well as new top glass.
Replace if:
- The phone does not turn on.
- LCD did crack.
- The screen has black patches on it.
- Image wavers or flickers.
- The front glass did break.
For basic maintenance, it’s safe to replace the LCD assembly if your smartphone has a broken screen. If you’re not sure which component broke, replacing the entire phone will ensure that both screens are working correctly.
Although some would argue that buying a new screen assembly is more expensive, it’s also the easiest fix for any damage to the LCD and touch screen.
Touch Screen Digitizer
The digitizer does often fuse to the glass in devices. The digitizer senses your touch and then connects a flex cable to screens with the fused digitizer.
Replace if:
- Cracked Touch Screen.
- The touch screen is not sensitive.
- You can’t choose any icons.
- It takes a while for an app to start up.
Glass screens
Your LCD screen is protected by a front piece of glass, or the Glass Lens. Devices with an integrated digitizer and LCD have one glass-only screen attached to the top.
Replace if:
- Though the glass did break or chip, all the other parts are in good condition.
- The glass didn’t shatter.
How Difficult Is A Screen Repair?
The most straightforward mobile phone repair is replacing the screen. You’ll need a little technical skill for this, but it only takes less than an hour. Some devices may require removing a few screws and cables to replace the screen.
The assembly in this screen repair kit includes the glass, touch screen, and LCD. With these pieces on hand, you can be sure that it will perform a complete screen repair.
If the glass touch panel on your phone is broken or bad, then you can replace it. But if it’s only the screen, then you can fix that by changing the glass touch digitizer. Either way, most repairs usually take 1-2 hours because you’re replacing an entire assembly.
If a screen is damaged and the components aren’t permanently fused, a special tool can be used to heat the screen and break apart the adhesive holding it to the LCD. All iPhones, most other cell phones, some iPads and some tablets fall into this category.
For this, you can use either a hair dryer or a heat gun. Then carefully pry away the LCD from the screen to avoid breaking it. Attempting this repair on your own requires that you take precautions to avoid damaging the LCD during the procedure.
Tip – Transferring the iPhone’s home button often proves to be the most difficult part of the repair. It requires patience and a little bit of heat to make sure you can! The simplest of all repairs, screens with detached home buttons, might purchase together with other parts such as microphones. This type typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes.
The original home button on the iPhone provides a Touch ID feature. If you want to keep it, you’ll have to transfer it. It should also be noted that certain iPhones aren’t replaceable with the home button and can only be replaced with new devices. If a device already has a home-button equipped display, there is no need to replace the screen in order for it to work properly.
Replacing The LCD And Digitizer
The LCD screen and the digitizer are both necessary to replace when there is not display, a distorted display, or a lack of touch response. When someone comes to us with an iPhone that broke, they usually require this.
