iPad CDMA Front Facing Camera Replacement Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 38 Steps
Hey there, savvy technician! Just a quick heads-up: remember to keep your work area tidy and organized – it’ll make this process a whole lot smoother and ensure you don’t lose those tiny, mischievous screws. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair. Let’s keep it calm and carry on fixing!
Hey there! Ready to swap out that front camera? This guide has got you covered. Some shots may look a tad different because we used a Wi-Fi model for parts, but don’t worry, the steps are the same for cellular models too. We’ll call out any differences. Let’s dive in, and if you get stuck, remember you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
Before diving into the repair, give your microwave a little TLC. A quick clean will help prevent any stubborn gunk from sticking to the iOpener. Trust us, your future self will thank you!
– Pop that iOpener right in the middle of the microwave.
Tools Used
Step 2
Hey there, friend! Avoid overheating your iOpener during your repair adventure. Overheating? Not cool—literally! It might just pop, like popcorn, so let’s keep it below 100˚C (212˚F), alright?
Swollen iOpener? Don’t touch that hot potato! Leave it alone.
If your iOpener’s warmer than a cuddle, that’s alright. Keep using it while it cools down a bit. It should stay snugly warm for about 10 minutes. And if you ever need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Warm up your iOpener for a quick thirty-second microwave spin.
– As your iOpener starts cooling off, spice things up by giving it a fresh thirty-second nuke in the microwave whenever necessary. Remember, if you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 3
Watch out! The iOpener gets really hot, so handle with care. Grab an oven mitt if you need a helping hand.
– Hey there, microwave pro! Grab that iOpener by one of its flat ends and avoid the hot center – you’ve got this! And remember, if you hit a snag, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 4
No microwave? No worries! Pop your iOpener into some boiling water to get it heated up. Need a hand with your repair adventure? You can always schedule a repair.
– Fill up a pot or pan with enough water to completely dunk the iOpener.
– Bring the water to a bubbling boil, then cut the heat.
– Drop the iOpener into the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s fully underwater.
– Grab some tongs to fish out the hot iOpener from the water.
– Give it a good dry with a towel.
– Boom! Your iOpener is all set to go! Need to reheat it? No problem. Just boil the water, turn off the heat, and let the iOpener sit in the water for 2-3 minutes again.
Tools Used
Step 5
Put on your safety glasses to keep those peepers safe, and watch out for that LCD screen—it’s more fragile than it looks!
– If your display glass has taken a hit, let’s keep it from shattering further and avoid any injuries during your repair. Grab some tape and let’s get to work!
– Apply overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the iPad’s display until it’s fully covered. Think of it as giving your device a protective hug.
– Now, try your best to follow the rest of the guide as it flows. Just a heads up, once the glass is cracked, it might keep on cracking while you’re at it, so you might need to use a metal prying tool to gently scoop out the glass bits.
Step 6
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder: you might be dealing with shattered glass, so pop on some safety glasses to keep those peepers protected from any unexpected, flying shards! And if things get tricky, remember you can always schedule a repair.
– Place the iOpener flat against the right edge of your iPad, ensuring it’s nice and snug for a solid connection.
– Give the bag a little time to work its magic on the iPad, letting it rest for about 90 seconds before you dive into opening that front panel.
Tools Used
Step 7
Sometimes you gotta use a little elbow grease to wedge that opening tool between the glass and plastic. But don’t sweat it—stay chill and patient! Wiggle the plastic opening tool back and forth gently—easy does it. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Check it out! There’s a tiny little gap in the iPad’s adhesive ring hanging out in the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) from the top. Time to take advantage of that sneaky spot!
– Now, let’s get to work! Line up your tool with the mute button, and gently insert the tip of a plastic opening tool into that gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just slide in the very tip of the tool—enough to give that crack a little nudge.
Step 9
– With the tip of your trusty plastic opening tool nestled between the front glass and the plastic bezel, take your nifty plastic opening pick and glide it into the gap right beside the tool. Remember, if it feels tricky, you can always schedule a repair!
Step 10
– Take that handy plastic opening tool out of your iPad, and slide the opening pick a little deeper under the front glass—aim for about 0.5 inches. You’ve got this!
Step 11
– As you work on freeing the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, give the iOpener a little warm-up session and pop it back on the bottom edge of the iPad. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 12
The adhesive is super strong, so you might need to put in some elbow grease. Take it slow and steady!
Got the tip of the pick peeking out from the front glass? Awesome! Just ease it back a smidge. Digging in too deep won’t break anything, but you might end up with sticky LCD fingerprints. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair!
– As you give the bottom edge a warm hug with the iOpener, let’s loosen up that stubborn adhesive on the iPad’s right side.
– Glide the opening pick smoothly down the iPad’s edge, freeing the adhesive like a pro. Keep it cool and steady!
Tools Used
Step 13
As you peel away the adhesive, you might want to slide that warm iOpener back over to the right edge of your iPad. Just keep in mind how long it’s had a chance to cool off while you’ve been busy fixing things up!
– If your opening pick gets stuck in the glue, just give it a little roll along the edge, and keep on freeing that adhesive. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 14
– Before you dive in and pop that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, slide a second pick under the right edge of the front glass to keep that pesky adhesive from sticking again.
– Give your iOpener a little reheat love, then place it at the top edge of the iPad.
Tools Used
Step 15
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly fastened to the bottom right edge of the rear case of your iPad with screws and a cable. Given the unique positioning of the Wi-Fi antenna, it’s super important to handle it with care to avoid any permanent damage. Let’s keep that antenna happy!
– Take a deep breath and get ready, because the next few steps need a gentle touch.
– You’ll be carefully loosening the adhesive that’s holding the antenna to the front panel. Just remember, we want to keep those delicate connections at the bottom of the iPad safe and sound. Follow the upcoming steps with care and confidence!
Step 16
Hey there, make sure not to slide the pick too far past the bottom right corner. Going beyond could harm the Wi-Fi antenna. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to free up that stubborn adhesive. You’ve got this!
Step 17
Hey there, repair hero! As you glide your opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, keep your cool and be gentle—the Wi-Fi antenna is playing hide and seek near that corner and could get snipped if the adhesive lets go too quickly. Remember, if you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Keep that pick snugly in place! Just slide it out a smidge so that about 1/8″ (3 mm) of the tip stays cozy under the front glass.
– Gently glide the tip of your opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to free the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna in place. You’re doing great!
Step 18
– Once you’re dancing past the Wi-Fi antenna (that’s about 3 inches or 75 mm from the right edge, right by the home button), slide in that trusty opening pick all the way.
– Now, glide the pick to the right to free the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass. It’s like magic! If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 19
Keep the iOpener heatin’ groove under a minute, and make sure to give it a cool-down break of at least two minutes before firing it up again.
– Keep working that adhesive loose along the bottom of the iPad, and gently pull the opening pick out far enough to maneuver around the home button. Once you’ve got it past the home button, reinsert it to about a depth of 1/2 inch (10 mm) and keep the good vibes going!
Tools Used
Step 20
– Keep peeling away that adhesive along the bottom edge of the iPad until it’s all gone!
– Slide that opening pick snugly under the front glass near the home button and let it rest there.
Step 21
– Warm up that iOpener in the microwave again and place it on the left side of your iPad to start getting the adhesive nice and toasty in that spot. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 22
If your adhesive has gotten a bit too cool for comfort, just swap the iOpener along the top edge and keep at it! If the iOpener itself is feeling chilly, give it a little reheating and you’re back in business.
– Gently glide the opening pick across the iPad’s top edge, just giving it a little nudge to maneuver around the front-facing camera bracket.
– The adhesive here is a real tough cookie, so you might need to flex those muscles a bit! Take your time and be cautious to avoid any slips that might harm you or your iPad.
– If your pick gets a bit too friendly with the adhesive, give it a playful ‘roll’ as described in step 9.
Tools Used
Step 23
Once the adhesive is feeling nice and warm, go ahead and set the iOpener aside for a breather. But if that stickiness is still giving you trouble, just heat up the iOpener again and let it chill on the left edge while you keep going. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Keep peeling away that sticky stuff along the iPad’s top edge, then smoothly glide the opening pick around the top left corner. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Tools Used
Step 24
Hey there, tech savvy friend! Heads up: The digitizer cable is chillin’ about 2 inches (50 mm) from the bottom of your iPad. Just a piece of friendly advice: ease up on sliding the pick once you get to around 2.25 inches (60 mm) from the bottom. And remember, if you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Glide that opening pick gently along the iPad’s left side, freeing up the adhesive as you move. The glue is pretty thin here because of the digitizer running down the side, so keep that pick shallow—no more than 1/2 inch (10 mm)—to avoid any digitizer woes. If you’re feeling stuck, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 25
Be super careful here! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad’s bottom. Take your time and watch out—let’s not cut that cable!
– With that trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently coax the adhesive loose from the bottom left corner. You’ve got this!
Step 26
– With one of those nifty opening picks, gently lift the bottom right corner of your iPad and hold it with your fingers like a pro.
Step 27
Watch out for any leftover sticky stuff that might still be clinging on, and grab an opening pick to slice through any adhesive that’s keeping that front panel in place.
– Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners, and gently twist that front glass away from the device like you’re unveiling a surprise.
– When you’re putting everything back together, don’t forget to give the LCD a little TLC! Use a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to whisk away any pesky dust or fingerprints before you seal the glass back on.
Step 28
– First up, grab your trusty Phillips #0 screwdriver and tackle those four 2.0 mm screws that are holding the LCD tight against the rear case. Let’s get that screen free!
Step 29
– The front panel ribbon cables are hiding beneath the LCD. To get to them, you’ll want to gently flip the LCD out of the way for a moment.
– Carefully lift the LCD from the edge nearest to the volume buttons and flip it back, just like you’re turning a page in your favorite book.
– Now, set the LCD face down on the front panel, giving it a cozy spot to rest.
Step 30
Make sure you’re lifting gently on the hinged retaining flap and 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-facing camera ribbon cable ZIF socket. Easy peasy!
– Slide that plastic opening tool under the headphone jack and front-facing camera cable to gently detach it from the sticky stuff holding it to the rear panel. You’re doing great!
– Now, with a steady hand, pull the headphone jack and front-facing camera ribbon cable straight out of its cozy socket on the logic board. Almost there!
Step 31
– Unscrew those two 2.9 mm Phillips screws holding the headphone jack snug against the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 32
Hold your horses! Let’s not rush into removing the assembly just yet.
– Grab a trusty plastic opening tool and gently coax the headphone jack out from its cozy spot in the top edge of the iPad. You’ve got this!
Step 33
– Gently lift the front camera and microphone cables away from the rear panel, like you’re unwrapping a present!
Step 34
– Gently peel away the tape that’s keeping the front camera cable connector under wraps.
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and use its edge to disconnect the front camera cable from the headphone jack cable. Easy peasy!
Step 35
– Gently lift the front camera cable away from the bottom ribbon cable that connects to the headphone jack. Remember, patience is key here!
Step 36
Watch out for those delicate camera, microphone, and headphone jack ribbon cables while you’re peeling off that tape. Let’s keep them safe and sound!
– Peel away that piece of tape holding down the front-facing camera’s ribbon cable like a pro!
Step 37
– Gently lift the front camera away from the foam adhesive that’s holding it snugly to the rear panel.
Step 38
– Gently slide the front-facing camera cable out from its cozy little channel in the rear panel.
– Carefully take out the front-facing camera from your iPad and give it a little wave goodbye!
