How to Replace iPad 2 GSM Left Cellular Data Antenna
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 62 Steps
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: if you’re feeling a bit stuck or need a hand, don’t hesitate to schedule a repair. We’ve got your back!
Get ready to swap out the left-hand cellular antenna in your iPad 2 GSM! Just a heads-up: some shots in this guide feature a Wi-Fi model, so the insides might look a tad different. Don’t worry, though—the process is pretty much the same for both models, except where we’ve noted any differences. And if you find yourself in a pickle, feel free to schedule a repair!
Step 1
We suggest giving your microwave a quick clean before diving in, as any stubborn mess on the bottom might just hitch a ride on the iOpener.
– Pop the iOpener right in the middle of the microwave and let it soak up some warmth!
Tools Used
Step 2
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on that iOpener during your repair adventure. Overheating it could lead to a surprise burst, and we definitely don’t want that! So, let’s keep it below 100˚C (212˚F).
If your iOpener looks like it’s been hitting the gym and is all swollen, just steer clear of it, okay?
Still feeling the heat? No worries! Just keep using it while it cools down a bit more. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for up to 10 minutes, so hang tight!
– Give that iOpener a warm-up in the microwave for thirty seconds.
– As you dive into the repair, keep an eye on the iOpener. If it starts to cool down, pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds to keep things toasty.
Tools Used
Step 3
Watch out! The iOpener is going to be super toasty, so handle it with care. A trusty oven mitt could be your best friend here!
– Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, gripping it by one of the two flat ends to keep your fingers away from the hot center. Stay safe and keep it cool!
Tools Used
Step 4
No microwave? No problem! Just heat up your iOpener in some good old-fashioned boiling water instead.
– Grab a pot or pan and fill it up with enough water to totally dunk that iOpener.
– Get that water boiling hot, then turn off the heat. Safety first!
– Carefully drop the iOpener into the warm water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s completely covered by the water for optimal heating.
– Use some tongs to fish out the warmed-up iOpener from its bath.
– Give the iOpener a good towel dry—let’s keep it nice and cozy!
– And voilà! Your iOpener is all set to go! If it needs a little extra warmth, just repeat the process: boil the water, turn off the heat, and let it soak for another 2-3 minutes.
Tools Used
Step 5
– Grab a SIM eject tool or a straightened paperclip, and gently pop that SIM card tray out like a pro!
Step 6
– Gently slide the SIM tray out of its cozy home and give it a little wave goodbye as you remove it from the iPad 2.
– If you’re giving your SIM card a makeover, just pop it out of its tray and slide in the shiny new one.
Step 7
Put on those safety glasses to keep your peepers protected, and watch out for that LCD screen – it’s more delicate than it looks!
– If your display glass has taken a hit and is cracked, let’s keep things safe and sound by taping it up! This will help prevent any further breakage and keep you injury-free while you work your magic.
– Grab some clear packing tape and lay overlapping strips over the entire face of your device until it’s all covered. It’s like giving your iPad a protective hug!
– Now, just follow the guide as best as you can. Keep in mind, once that glass starts to crack, it might just want to keep on cracking. You might need to break out a metal prying tool to help scoop out the glass when the time comes. You’ve got this!
Step 8
Just a friendly reminder: while you’re getting your hands dirty with that broken glass, it’s a smart move to rock some safety glasses! They’ll keep those pesky shards from becoming a surprise decoration for your face.
– Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, making sure it’s snug and cozy against the surface for optimal warmth.
– Give the bag a little time to work its magic on the iPad—around 90 seconds should do the trick—before you dive in and start prying open the front panel.
Tools Used
Step 9
You might need to give a little elbow grease to slip that wedged tip of the opening tool between the glass and plastic. Take your time and be gentle, wiggling that plastic opening tool back and forth as needed. You’ve got this!
– Hey there! Look closely and you’ll spot a tiny little gap in the iPad’s adhesive ring at the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top. Let’s take advantage of that sneaky spot!
– Now, line up your tool with the mute button. Gently slide the tip of your plastic opening tool into that gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just nudge the very tip in there—just enough to give that crack a little more room to breathe.
Step 11
– With the plastic opening tool snugly placed between the front glass and the plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into the gap right beside it. You’re doing great—keep it steady!
Step 12
– Take out the trusty plastic opening tool from the iPad, and gently slide the opening pick further under the front glass until it’s about 0.5 inches deep. You’ve got this!
Step 14
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to apply some serious elbow grease. Just take your time and be careful.
If you can spot the tip of the opening pick peeking out from beneath the front glass, gently pull it out a bit. While it’s totally fine to use the pick this deep without any worries, just a heads up—it might leave some adhesive residue on the LCD. Keep it cool and carry on with the repair!
– As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, let’s get things rolling by peeling back the adhesive on the right side of your iPad.
– Gently slide that opening pick down the edge of your iPad, releasing the adhesive like a pro as you go.
Tools Used
Step 15
You might find it handy to slide that warm iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad as you peel away the adhesive. This little maneuver depends on how long the iPad has been chilling while you’ve been busy working your magic.
– If your opening pick is feeling a bit stuck in the adhesive, just give it a gentle ‘roll’ along the side of the iPad to help release that sticky stuff. You’re doing great!
Tools Used
Step 16
– Before you pop that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This little buddy will help keep the adhesive from sticking again—smart thinking!
– Give your iOpener a quick reheat and then place it at the top edge of the iPad. You’re doing great!
Tools Used
Step 17
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly secured to the bottom right edge of the rear case of the iPad with screws and a cable. Due to the unique orientation of the Wi-Fi antenna, it’s super important to tread carefully here—otherwise, you might accidentally cause some serious damage to the antenna. Let’s keep it safe and sound!
– Alright, folks, it’s time to proceed with a sprinkle of caution! We’re diving into some delicate territory here.
– You’ll need to carefully free the adhesive that’s holding the antenna to the front panel. Remember, we want to keep those sensitive parts connected to the bottom of the iPad safe and sound. So, let’s take it step by step and keep that focus sharp!
Step 18
Hey there! Just a quick heads up: avoid sliding that pick too far into the bottom right corner. You wouldn’t want to accidentally mess up the Wi-Fi antenna, would you?
– Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad, and watch that adhesive give way like magic!
Step 19
As you glide that trusty opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, keep an eye out! The Wi-Fi antenna is sneaky and lurks close to the corner, ready to be accidentally snipped if you let the adhesive loose in the wrong way. So, stay sharp and take it slow!
Just a friendly tip: don’t yank that pick all the way out from under the front glass! Instead, give it a gentle tug so about 1/8″ (3 mm) of the tip stays snugly tucked under there.
– Gently glide the tip of the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad, letting it do its magic and break free the adhesive over the Wi-Fi antenna.
Step 20
– After you’ve navigated past the Wi-Fi antenna (about 3 inches or 75 mm from the right edge, right by the home button), go ahead and slide that opening pick back in all the way.
– Now, gently glide the pick to the right to free up the adhesive that’s keeping the Wi-Fi antenna stuck to the front glass. You’ve got this!
Step 21
Keep the iOpener’s hot streak to just a minute at a time, and give it a little breather of at least two minutes before bringing it back to life!
– Keep gently peeling back the adhesive along the bottom of your iPad. Slide that opening pick around the home button and then give it a little extra push back in to about 1/2 inch (10 mm) once you’ve passed the home button. You’re doing great!
Tools Used
Step 22
– Keep working that adhesive all the way down the bottom edge of the iPad like a pro.
– Pop the opening pick in snugly under the front glass close to the home button and let it chill there.
Step 24
If the adhesive has cooled down a bit too much, just swap in a fresh iOpener along the top edge and keep going! If your iOpener is feeling a little chilly, give it a quick reheat and get back to work!
– Gently glide the opening pick along the top edge of your iPad, giving it a little tug to navigate around the front-facing camera bracket.
– The adhesive in this area can be quite stubborn, so don’t be shy about using some muscle! Just take it slow and steady to avoid any slips that could lead to mishaps with your iPad.
– If the opening pick feels like it’s stuck in the adhesive, try giving it a little ‘roll’ as demonstrated in step 9.
Tools Used
Step 25
If the adhesive is feeling nice and toasty, go ahead and set the iOpener aside for a moment. But if it’s still clinging on tight, give the iOpener another round of heat and place it on the left edge while you tackle the task at hand.
– Keep peeling away that adhesive along the top edge of the iPad, and give the opening pick a little dance around the top left corner.
Tools Used
Step 26
The digitizer cable hangs out about 2″ (50 mm) from the bottom of the iPad. When you’re sliding that pick, take a pause when you reach around 2.25″ (60 mm) from the bottom. You’ve got this!
– Gently glide the opening pick along the left edge of your iPad, freeing up that stubborn adhesive as you go. It’s nice and thin in this area because of the digitizer stretching along the whole left side. Just a friendly tip: keep the pick no deeper than half an inch (10 mm) to avoid any digitizer drama.
Step 27
Be super careful! The bottom of that digitizer cable is just about 1 inch (25 mm) from the iPad’s base. Take your time and handle it gently to avoid cutting that cable. You’ve got this!
– With the trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently free the adhesive in the bottom left corner. You’ve got this!
Step 28
– Grab one of those nifty opening picks and gently pry up the bottom right corner of your iPad. Once it’s popped, give it a friendly pinch with your fingers to hold it steady!
Step 29
Watch out for any sticky stuff that might still be lingering, and grab an opening pick to slice through any adhesive that’s keeping the front panel snug. Stay smooth and steady!
– Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners and gently twist the front glass away from the device. You got this!
– When putting everything back together, remember to use a microfiber cloth and a blast of compressed air to wipe away any pesky dust or fingerprints from the LCD before you set the glass back in place. A clean screen is a happy screen!
Step 30
– Unscrew those four 2.0 mm Phillips screws holding the LCD snugly to the rear case. You’ve got this!
Step 31
– Gently lift the LCD from the edge nearest to the volume buttons and swing it away from the rear case like a pro.
– Carefully place the LCD down on the front panel, just like you see in the second picture.
Step 32
Remember to gently pry up on the hinged retaining flaps, not the sockets themselves. You’ve got this!
The retaining flaps are marked in red in the second image.
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently lift the retaining flaps on the two digitizer ribbon cable ZIF sockets. You’ve got this!
Step 33
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently coax the digitizer cable away from the shields on the logic board. It’s like a little dance, just be smooth about it!
– Next, carefully peel the digitizer cable off the adhesive that’s holding it snugly to the side of the rear case. Think of it as giving your device a little hug goodbye!
Step 34
– Gently wiggle that digitizer ribbon cable and pull it straight out from its cozy sockets on the logic board. You’ve got this!
Step 35
To get that front panel assembly off, you’ll want to gently slide the ribbon cable out from between the case and the LCD. A little nudge on the LCD might give you the extra space you need to make it happen.
– Gently lift the LCD from the edge that’s farthest from the digitizer cable and flip it back like you’re closing a book—smooth and easy does it!
– While you’re holding the LCD up, carefully slide the front panel away from the iPad. Just a heads up—watch out for the digitizer cable; we don’t want it getting caught on the rear case or LCD!
Step 36
To get to the heart of your iPad, we first need to gently lift the LCD out of its cozy case.
– Gently lift the LCD from the edge closest to the volume buttons and flip it out of the rear case, just like you’re turning the pages of your favorite book.
– Carefully place the LCD face down on a clean surface. A soft cloth can be a great buddy here to keep it scratch-free.
Step 37
Be gentle when disconnecting the connector—just a little wiggle, not a tug upward!
– Gently place the LCD right next to the rear panel, just like best buddies hanging out.
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and give the display data cable lock a little lift upwards.
– Now, carefully pull the display data cable out of its cozy socket. Easy peasy!
Step 38
– Gently detach the LCD assembly from the back panel assembly, and give yourself a little pat on the back for being so handy!
Step 39
Make sure you’re gently prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself! You’ve got this!
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently lift the retaining flap on the headphone jack and front camera cable ZIF socket. You’ve got this!
– Carefully peel the headphone jack and front camera cable away from the rear case. Easy does it!
Step 40
– Gently tug on the headphone jack and front camera ribbon cable to pop it right out of its cozy spot on the logic board.
Step 41
– Take out those three 2 mm Phillips screws holding the SIM card slot snugly to the rear panel. You’re almost there!
Step 42
– Unscrew those two 2.9 mm Phillips screws holding the headphone jack snugly against the top edge of the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 43
Hold your horses! The assembly isn’t going anywhere just yet, those ribbon cables are still hanging on tight.
– Grab a trusty plastic opening tool and gently coax the headphone jack out of its snug little home at the top of the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 44
– Gently lift the front camera and microphone cables away from the rear panel. Keep it smooth and steady!
Step 45
– Gently peel back the strip of tape that’s protecting the front camera cable connector. You’ve got this!
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and carefully disconnect the front camera cable from the microphone cable right below it. Easy peasy!
Step 46
– Gently lift the front camera cable away from the microphone cable, like you’re peeling a sticker off a book. Easy does it!
Step 47
Watch out for those delicate camera, microphone, and headphone jack ribbon cables as you peel off the tape! We want them to stay in one piece, so take it nice and easy.
– Peel off the red-highlighted piece of tape like a pro!
Step 48
– Gently lift the front camera away from the foam adhesive that’s holding it snugly against the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 49
– Gently slide the front-facing camera cable out of its cozy little channel in the rear panel.
– Carefully detach the front-facing camera from your iPad.
Step 50
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently pop that microphone cable connector free. You’ve got this!
– Next up, let’s remove the headphone jack/SIM slot from the device. Just a little twist and pull, and it’ll be out in no time!
Step 51
– First things first, if there’s any tape hanging around the dock connector cable, go ahead and peel that off. It’s just in the way!
– Next up, grab a plastic opening tool and gently nudge the dock connector cable’s connector upward from its cozy spot on the logic board. Be gentle, it’s a little shy!
– Lastly, carefully peel the dock connector ribbon cable away from the rear panel. It’s like unwrapping a present, but this one’s for your device!
Step 52
– Slide the prying tool gently under the four wires at the end of the connector and lift the speaker cable connector straight up from its cozy home on the logic board. Remember, no prying from the other end! That could mess up the four solder points underneath and lead to a need for some microsolder magic. Let’s keep it smooth!
Step 53
Be gentle with that cable! When disconnecting, keep it level and avoid lifting it up. You got this!
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently lift up the retainer that’s holding the upper component board cable connector snugly to its socket on the logic board. You’ve got this!
– Now, give the connector a gentle tug to free it from its cozy socket on the logic board.
Step 54
– First up, grab your trusty screwdriver and take out those two 2.1 mm Phillips screws that are holding the logic board bracket snugly against the rear case, right by the digitizer cable socket.
– Once those screws are out, gently lift the logic board bracket away from the rear case. You’re doing great!
Step 55
– Start by unscrewing the four 2.6 mm Phillips screws that are keeping the logic and communications boards snug against the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 56
– Grab a plastic opening tool and carefully nudge the logic board up from the rear case. It’s like a gentle dance, so take your time!
– Remember, the logic board is stuck to the rear case with some serious adhesive love. Move slowly and steadily to peel away the glue without causing any harm to the board.
Step 57
Hold your horses! Don’t try to yank out the logic board just yet. It’s still got three antenna cables hanging on for dear life.
– Gently lift the logic board out of the rear case and give it a little twist towards the battery. You’ve got this!
Step 58
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently pop that cellular data antenna cable out from its cozy spot on the communications board. You’ve got this!
Step 59
– Unscrew the lone 2.1 mm Phillips screw that’s keeping the cellular data antenna cable snug against the rear case. You’ve got this!
Step 61
– Carefully nudge the cellular data antenna away from the rear case using a plastic opening tool. Take your time and enjoy the process!
Step 62
– Carefully lift the cellular data antenna out of its cozy spot in the iPad casing.
– Gently guide the cellular data antenna cable through the little pathway in the rear panel, and then free the antenna from the device.
