LCD/Lens Replacement
* If you are having an LCD problem after the phone got wet, see our
LCD liquid damage repair guide. instead.
Need a replacement LCD or lens? We have all parts in stock, for the most common verizon phones. If we don't have the part you need- we can special order it. We can order parts for all phones- regardless of the carrier (AT&T, T-mobile, Alltel, Sprint, USC, etc). E-mail us for parts availability..
A common mistake people make is confusing the LCD with the lens. The lens is much cheaper / easier to install then the LCD. To avoid confusion when deciding which part you may need, always remember that the clear lens covers the LCD.
The image on the left shows what a cracked lens looks like. The only distortion is the top layer where the clear plastic is cracked. The image underneath the clear plastic is not distorted when powered up.
The image to the right shows the bleeding LCD, indicating the LCD has to be replaced. The lens on this phone is fine , it wouldn't have to be replaced in this case since it is not cracked.
Depending on the damage, depends on which part you need. For example if you drop your phone, usually the shock is absorbed by the plastic lens, however the glass LCD often cracks. Sometimes both the lens and the LCD will crack.
LCD PROBLEMS: A common problem people make when attempting to repair a phone themselves is they don't always know what part is defective. Just because the LCD is having problems, doesn't mean the LCD is the source of the problem. For example, lets take a look at the phone below:
Notice the LCD is distorted. As you can see, 3/4 of the screen is still stuck on the black startup logo. So,by ordering and installing a new LCD, most people may think the LCD is the problem.
In this case, the LCD is not the problem though. Replacing the LCD would not fix the problem.
After taking a closer look, (after disassembling the phone), we can see that a damaged flex cable is the source of the LCD problem. The damaged cable is effecting the LCD.
Notice the crack that started to form at the corner of the flex cable.
If you took the above flex cable apart, you would see that the flex cable is composed of seven layers of stacked cable (three are shown below, but there are actually 7 cables stacked on top of each other, which makes up the entire flex cable).
Above, You can see the individual strands within each of the cables. Notice 2-3 individual strands (at the red arrows) that were damaged when the cable was ripped. This rip can develop over time, as the phone is opened and closed many many times. But more commonly, the crack happened when the phone was dropped while in the open position and hits the ground. This happens because the phones hinge can be pushed beyond its limit, causing tension on the flex cable. If the tension is strong enough, the individual strands within the cable can tear, as it did with this phone. The flex cable is the cable that connects the LCD to the circuit board. Its like the spinal chord of the phone. Tearing several strands will effect the LCD in some way or another, in this case, causing the image to be distorted.
So if you have a general LCD problem, its recommended to send your phone in for service rather then attempting to replace it yourself- because in the case of the phone above, If you purchased an LCD in hopes of fixing the problem - even if you managed to successfully install a new LCD, that still wouldn't fix the problem.
LENS PROBLEMS:
The caller ID lens or outer lens, (the lens that covers the caller ID window) is most commonly damaged, because its usually only composed of a thin piece of plastic. Applying pressure, or even bumping the front lens, can cause enough stress to create a crack. We have lenses in stock to the most common Verizon phones, and if we don't have the lens you need, we can special order it for you.
The inner lens usually will not crack because it is protected better (being on the inside of the phone). However they do tend to scratch up very easily (some brands more then others). Some times the lens seems to scratch up all by itself. No matter how careful you are, scratches start to appear. If scratches appear at a fast rate, usually something is causing it. A common source is the keypad that causes scratches on the LCD lens.
On a flip phone, when the flip is closed, depending on the shape / style the manufacturer created, as the phone closes, the inner lens may make slight contact with the keyboard. If any contact is made, micro scratches may develop over time after the keyboard is constantly being pressed against the LCD lens. Mostly this is caused when fibers or debris gets get between the keypad and the plastic lens. To avoid further damage, you may want to put a clear screen protector on the inner lens (available at most electronic stores, or even cheaper if you buy it online).
This is an Audiovox phone- the cdm-9500, (commonly also known as the cdma 2000). This phone was poorly designed- because this is a very common problem after prolonged use. As you can see, "marks" develop on the lens (ironically with this phone, the markings appear as a sad face). However, if you took a look at the keyboard you will notice the marks are actually indentations of the keys.
As you can see, the markings on the lens line up perfectly with the keyboard, In this case the hinge was poorly designed, and most likely one end of the hinge offset itself, since more markings are present on one side of the phone then the other. Adding a layer of clear protective film however, would have avoided the visible scratches.
Another common phone that often causes indentations on the inner lens is the Motorola v3 series. (known as the razor phone). After prolonged use, they all develop minor markings on the inner lens, because after prolonged use, the plastic upper screw cover caps become too soft, and no longer separates the top of the phone from hitting the keypad when the phone is flipped to the closed position.
If its too late for you, and you have a lens that is already scratched up, lenses are pretty easy for the average consumer to install. That way you don't have to be without a phone during the time it would have taken to send the unit out to be serviced. Simply order a lens and install it yourself. Technical support is offered by us (at no additional cost). If you would prefer us to install it, that's fine as well. Email us for pricing or with any questions that you may have.