The Unauthorized Guide to iPhone ® , iPad ® , and iPod ® Repair A DIY Guide to Extending the Life of Your iDevices!
Contents at a Glance Introduction 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 Index
Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Why Do It Yourself? The Benefits of DIY iDevice Repair Saving Money Fighting Back Against the “Tyranny” of Apple Preparing to Become an Apple Tech Earning Extra Money iDevices—A Roster iPod iPod touch iPhone iPad Limiting Our Scope Apple Warranties and You Apple Hardware Warranty AppleCare+ Finding Old, “Broken” iDevices Pawn or Secondhand Shops eBay or Craigslist Amazon.com Yard Sales or Flea Markets Friends, Family, and Colleagues Bulletin Boards Chapter 2 The Tools of the Trade What Does It Take to Become an iDevice Technician? Character Traits Technical Ability Obtaining iDevice Technician Tools Sources for iDevice Tech Tools ESD Safety Equipment Screwdrivers Spudger Plastic Opening Tool(s) Heat Gun/Hair Dryer Magnetizer/Demagnetizer
Pick-up Tools Work Lamp with Magnifying Glass Magnetic Project Mat Industry Certification Increased Professional Credibility Gaining a Leg Up in the Job Market Meeting Apple’s Certification Requirements Attaining Deeper Access to Apple Tech Resources Increased Confidence Certification Options Apple Certified Macintosh Technician (ACMT) iCracked iTech OnForce Consultant Apple Consultants Network (ACN) Chapter 3 Protecting Your iDevice User Data and Settings What Exactly Do You Need to Back Up? Backing Up an iDevice by Using iTunes 11 Where Are the Backup Files Stored? Backing Up an iDevice by Using iCloud Backing Up an iDevice Manually Restoring an iDevice by Using iTunes 11 Restoring an iDevice by Using iCloud Jailbreaking and Unlocking iDevices What Is Jailbreaking? What Is Unlocking? Chapter 4 iDevice Repair Best Practices Checking iDevice Warranty Coverage Verifying iDevice Version Info What Are Order Numbers? Deciphering iOS Speak How Do Warranty Repair Orders Work? Creating an ESD-Safe Workspace Wear Appropriate Clothing and Protect Your Workspace Handle IC Components Appropriately Condition the Air in Your Workspace Documenting and Securing Your iDevice Components Chapter 5 iPhone 3GS Disassembly and Reassembly
iPhone 3GS External Anatomy Disassembly Procedure Reassembly Notes A Few Words About iOS 6 Chapter 6 iPhone 4S Disassembly and Reassembly External Anatomy Required Tools Disassembly Procedure Reassembly Notes Chapter 7 iPhone 5 Disassembly and Reassembly External Anatomy Required Tools Disassembly Procedure Reassembly Notes On Material Costs and Profit Margins Chapter 8 iPad 2nd Generation Disassembly and Reassembly External Anatomy Required Tools Disassembly Procedure Reassembly Notes What Exactly Is a Retina Display? Chapter 9 iPad 3rd and 4th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly External Anatomy Required Tools Disassembly Procedure Reassembly Notes Why Do Front and Rear Cameras Have Different Resolutions? Chapter 10 iPad mini Disassembly and Reassembly External Anatomy Required Tools Disassembly Procedure Reassembly Notes What Are Benchmarks? Chapter 11 iPod touch 4th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly External Anatomy Required Tools
Disassembly Procedure Reassembly Notes Is the iPod touch a “Watered Down” iPhone? Chapter 12 iPod nano 5th and 7th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly External Anatomy Required Tools Disassembly Procedure iPod nano 5th Generation Reassembly Notes iPod nano 7th Generation Quick-Disassembly About the Mysterious Pixo OS Chapter 13 Sourcing iDevice Replacement Parts What Is OEM, and Why Do I Care? Where Can I Find OEM iDevice Parts? No Guarantees Study Buyer Reviews Trust Your Gut But Where Do I Start My Search? Grim Realities Chapter 14 Addressing Water Damage The Problem of Water Damage Warranty Ramifications of Water Damage Liquid Contact Indicators (LCIs) and You How to Address a Waterlogged iDevice: Non-Invasive Approach The Rice Method Dedicated Drying Tools How to Address a Waterlogged iDevice: Invasive Approach How to Limit the Possibility of Water Damage Purchase a Specialty Case Limit Exposure to Steam Use a Low-Tech Plastic Baggie Chapter 15 Replacing the Front Display and/or Rear Case Anatomy of the iDevice Front Display Repair Options and DIY Strategies Visit the Apple Store Hire a Third Party to Replace the Display Do It Yourself How to Minimize Damage to the Display/Rear Case
Chapter 16 Replacing the Battery What You Need to Know about Lithium-Ion Batteries What Is the “Memory Effect”? Understanding iDevice Battery Specifications Best Practices for iDevice Battery Use Exploding Batteries Maximizing Battery Life Performing Battery Replacements Chapter 17 Replacing the Logic Board and/or Dock Connector About the Logic Board iDevice Connectors Repair Advice Tips and Tricks for Logic Board Replacements iPhone 5 iPad 3rd and 4th Generation iPad mini iPod touch 5th Generation Chapter 18 Recovering Data from Your Broken iDevice Protecting Your Data by Using Apple Services iCloud iTunes Match Retrieving User Data from a “Dead” iDevice Retrieving User Data from a Live iDevice Music Photos The Rest of Your Stuff Passcode Security Encrypted Backups, Anyone? Chapter 19 Before You Sell, Donate, or Recycle Your iDevice Is Deleted Stuff Actually Deleted? Encryption, Your iDevice, and You Preparing Your iDevice for Transfer—Local Method Preparing Your iDevice for Transfer–Remote Method Corporate Solutions Disposal and Associated Environmental Concerns Index
Introduction Have you ever broken an electronic device? In particular, has your iPod, iPhone, or iPad ever taken a tumble, resulting in a cracked screen? Is your iDevice’s battery life not what it once was? How do you ordinarily handle these situations when they occur? Please take comfort in the fact that you are not obligated to pay Apple’s sometimes exorbitant fees for out-of-warranty iDevice replacements. Instead, you can learn to perform your own repairs! If you study this book and invest in the proper time, tools, and materials to attain enough practical experience then you can save yourself a lot of money (and even make quite a bit of extra money to boot) performing iDevice repairs for your family, friends, and even the general public. Do you want to know more? Read on, friend! What’s in This Book To present all the various ways you can take full control of your iDevices, this book contains 19 chapters. Each chapter walks you through a different aspect of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) iDevice repair, from character traits of the ideal iDevice tech to where to get the best deals on iDevice hardware: Chapter 1 , “Why Do It Yourself? ” presents all the reasons why you might want to consider taking screwdriver in hand and performing DIY work on your iDevices. Chapter 2 , “The Tools of the Trade ,” is all about understanding what is required of you, from character traits to specific hardware tools, to become an effective iDevice technician. Chapter 3 , “Protecting Your iDevice User Data and Settings ,” is where you learn how to ensure that you don’t lose any of your precious documents or settings when you perform work on iDevice hardware. Chapter 4 , “iDevice Repair Best Practices ,” connects you to the larger computer technician community and makes you fully aware of the tips and tricks professionals use to guarantee a safe work environment. Chapter 5 , “iPhone 3GS Disassembly and Reassembly ,” is a great place to begin your iDevice disassembly practice because 3GS hardware is inexpensive and the phones are relatively easy to take apart. Chapter 6 , “iPhone 4S Disassembly and Reassembly ,” shows you how easy and (dare I say it) enjoyable it is to work on iPhones; they represent the best Apple iDevices to repair, bar none. Chapter 7 , “iPhone 5 Disassembly and Reassembly ,” continues the iPhone DIY love; you’ll be pleased to note that with respect to the iPhone, Apple actually made this model of the device easier for us repair techs to disassemble and perform parts replacements. Chapter 8 , “iPad 2nd Generation Disassembly and Reassembly ,” presents a full walkthrough on the iPad 2. You’ll be unpleasantly surprised to learn how difficult it is to gain entry to these beasts. Chapter 9 , “iPad 3rd and 4th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly ,” doesn’t have a lot more good news in the screen removal department (iPads are notorious for DIYers in this regard). However, after you have the display off, performing repairs and parts replacements on iPads is largely a breeze. Chapter 10 , “iPad mini Disassembly and Reassembly ,” presents how to disassemble and reassemble Apple’s smallest iPad model. The good news is that the iPad interior is intelligently
designed. The bad news is that the display is difficult to remove and parts are permanently soldered to the logic board. Chapter 11 , “iPod touch 4th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly ,” provides proof that Apple doesn’t want anybody (including its Apple Store employees) opening any iPod touch device. Chapter 12 , “iPod nano 5th and 7th Generation Disassembly and Reassembly ,” takes on the nearly insurmountable task of disassembling an iPod nano without doing more damage in the process. Again, Apple considers all iPods to be disposable devices; I do my best to teach you how to prove Apple wrong. Chapter 13 , “Sourcing iDevice Replacement Parts ,” submits strategies for separating the wheat from the chaff, as it were, in terms of finding iDevice replacement parts that actually work. You would be surprised (or not) at the quality variance that exists in the marketplace. Chapter 14 , “Addressing Water Damage ,” gives practical tips and tricks for resurrecting an iDevice that has taken a bath against your will. The information in this chapter can save you quite a bit of money at the Apple Store! Chapter 15 , “Replacing the Front Display and/or Rear Case ,” shows you how to perform what is by far the most common iDevice repair—replacing the display assembly and/or the rear case. Chapter 16 , “Replacing the Battery ,” demonstrates that batteries do indeed have a limited lifetime and it is relatively straightforward, depending upon the model, to replace the battery in your iDevice. Chapter 17 , “Replacing the Logic Board and/or Dock Connector ,” teaches you about the logic board, which constitutes the “brains” of any iDevice, and gives you techniques for performing this most fundamental of parts swap-outs. Chapter 18 , “Recovering Data from Your Broken iDevice ,” presents clear instructions for retrieving otherwise lost data from crashed, crushed, or otherwise hopelessly damaged iDevices. Chapter 19 , “Before You Sell, Donate, or Recycle Your iDevice ,” outlines lots of ways to protect your privacy when you decide to pass your iDevice along to another person. That’s a lot of stuff! Then again, there’s a lot you can do with your iDevices. It is my goal as your instructor to make you fully aware of what’s possible with your new, secondhand, or seemingly “broken” iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Who Can Use This Book You don’t have to be a technical expert to use this book; many of the procedures discussed here require nothing more than basic computer skills. It helps if you know your way around electronics or computer hardware, and you’ll find out soon enough that this book contains some procedures that require those skills to greater or lesser degrees. But in general, just about anybody can perform most of the hardware and software exercises presented. As you must know, iDevices are made by Apple. However, you can use iTunes and many other iDevice management tools either on OS X (Mac) or Windows. This book is written for both platforms. In most cases, the procedure is the same; I point out where operating system-specific differences exist. How to Use This Book
Learn how to repair your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with the comprehensive manual by Apple Certified Repair Technician, Timothy L. Warner. This full-color guide provides step-by-step procedures and detailed photos to help you safely disassemble, replace components, and reassemble your iDevice. It covers various iDevice models and components, including battery, display, SIM card, logic board, and dock connector. Additionally, the manual addresses common software-related issues such as emergency data recovery, jailbreaking, and carrier unlocking. Discover how to revive waterlogged iDevices, prepare them for resale, and install non-Apple Store apps. Whether you're a professional mechanic or a DIY enthusiast, this manual equips you with the knowledge to perform out-of-warranty repairs and save on costly replacements.