A pretty comprehensive read, ideal for any iDevice owner who wants to truly own their device
The Benefits of DIY iDevice Repair
The decision to take apart an iDevice is not one to be taken lightly. As you’ll soon read, you have the AppleCare warranty to think about. If your device is still under warranty then removing a single screw means you just violated that warranty. Yes, it is theoretically possible for you to obtain warranty service from Apple if you scrupulously cover your disassembly tracks, but I advise against it (I explain why as we move onward). The following list summarizes the primary advantages to learning DIY iDevice repair, and the following sections explain each bullet point in detail. Disadvantages are covered in this discussion as well. The primary advantages to learning iDevice repair include Saving money Fighting back against the “tyranny” of Apple Inc.
Saving Money
My twin sister Trish called me up the other day, very upset. “Timmy, my iPad 2 won’t charge anymore!” Sure enough, I concluded after performing some diagnostic testing that her Dock connector was bad. Unfortunately, Trish had not purchased AppleCare protection for the device, and she has owned it for more than one year. Thus, the only option she felt she had available was to purchase a new iPad from her local Apple Store.
“Wait a minute, Trish,” I told her. “Let me repair that device for you.”
“You can do that?” Trish replied, astonished.
“Yep. Give me a few days to get the part in and your iPad should be as good as new.”
Within 10 minutes I had placed an order for an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) iPad 2 Dock connector cable, which set me back all of $10. Within 4 days I had the part, and within 20 minutes I had Trish’s iPad 2 charging as good as new.
The previous real-life example is a good justification for taking the time and exerting the effort to learn how to repair iDevices. You can definitely save yourself and those around you a substantial amount of money!
The potential downside to this advantage is that you might make a mistake while performing a repair and cause further damage to the device. In this case, you won’t save money at all; in fact, a mistake is likely to cost you extra.
The ways to ward against this problem are to practice on iDevices that you don’t plan to actually use. You’ll find you are much more willing to experiment and learn iDevice repair best practices the hard way when you aren’t invested in the utility of that device. Later in this chapter I share some places where you can check to find deeply discounted iDevices that you can add to your training environment.
Fighting Back Against the “Tyranny” of Apple
In my experience, some folks get awfully bent out of shape over Apple Inc.’s business model. Some iOS developers bristle at having to submit their apps to Apple for approval, much less having the Apple Store be their only sales outlet.
Apple makes it nearly impossible for non-Apple employees to perform warranty repairs on iDevices. Thus, we tinkerers and enthusiasts need to work around Apple’s “walled garden” if we want to succeed in our endeavor.
Going further, some iDevice owners jailbreak their devices in order to free the hardware and software from Apple’s usage limitations. Read Chapter 3, “Protecting Your iDevice User Data and Settings,” to discover more about jailbreaking.
Apple designs, sells, and supports its own hardware and software. Thus, it is within Apple’s right to lay down the law with regard to what people who are not Apple staff can and cannot do to our iDevices. That said, we are free to tweak, jailbreak, or hack away on our own iDevices so long as we are aware of the possible consequences of doing so.
Those “consequences” represent the disadvantage of this philosophical advantage. If Apple discovers that you opened an iDevice then the company will formally void your warranty and you have to pay out-of-pocket for a replacement device. This same result occurs if you attempt to submit a jailbroken iDevice for warranty service without resetting the iOS firmware first.
Book Contents:
Chapter 1 Why Do it Yourself?
Chapter 2 The Tools of the Trade
Chapter 3 Protecting Your iDevice User Data and Settings
Chapter 4 iDevice Repair Best Practices
Chapter 5 iPhone 3GS Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 6 iPhone 4S Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 7 iPhone 5 Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 8 iPad 2nd Generation Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 9 iPad 3rd and 4th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 10 iPad mini Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 11 iPod touch 4th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 12 iPod nano 5th and 7th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly
Chapter 13 Sourcing iDevice Replacement Parts
Chapter 14 Addressing Water Damage
Chapter 15 Replacing the Front Display and/or Rear Case
Chapter 16 Replacing the Battery
Chapter 17 Replacing the Logic Board and/or Dock Connector
Chapter 18 Recovering Data from Your Broken iDevice
Chapter 19 Before You Sell, Donate, or Recycle Your iDevice