How to Replace iPad 2 GSM GPS Antenna Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 73 Steps
Hey there, repair champ! Just a friendly reminder: always be careful while tinkering with your device. Safety first, right? If you run into any hiccups, don’t hesitate to schedule a repair and let the pros handle it!
Ready to give your second generation iPad GSM a little TLC? This guide will walk you through swapping out the GPS antenna sticker, which is hanging out under the right cellular antenna assembly. Just a heads up, some parts were filmed with a Wi-Fi model, so the insides might look a tad different than your cellular version. No worries, the steps are pretty much the same for both, except where we’ve pointed it out. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 1
It’s a great idea to give your microwave a quick clean before diving in. Trust us, you don’t want any pesky leftovers sticking to the iOpener during your repair journey!
– Pop that iOpener right in the middle of your microwave!
Tools Used
Step 2
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on that iOpener while you’re working your magic. We don’t want it to overheat and cause a scene—nobody likes a burst iOpener! Aim to keep the heat under 100ËšC (212ËšF).
If the iOpener looks a bit puffed up, steer clear! It’s best to let it chill.
Still feeling the heat? No worries! Just keep using it while it cools off a bit before you reheat. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for about 10 minutes—plenty of time to get things done!
– Give your iOpener a warm-up in the microwave for thirty seconds. It’s like a little spa treatment for your repair buddy!
– As you dive into the repair, keep an eye on your iOpener. If it starts to cool down, pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds. Repeat as needed to keep things nice and toasty!
Tools Used
Step 3
Be cautious, the iOpener is going to be super hot! Handle it with care, and don’t hesitate to rock an oven mitt if you need to.
– Carefully take the iOpener out of the microwave, making sure to grab it by one of the flat ends to steer clear of that hot center. Stay cool and safe!
Tools Used
Step 4
If a microwave isn’t in your kitchen arsenal, no worries! Just heat up your iOpener in a pot of boiling water instead.
– Grab a pot or pan and fill it with enough water to give your iOpener a nice, cozy bath.
– Turn up the heat and bring that water to a rolling boil. Once it’s bubbling away, go ahead and turn off the heat.
– Carefully lower the iOpener into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure it’s taking a nice dip and is fully submerged!
– Use some tongs to safely fish out your heated iOpener from its warm water retreat.
– Give the iOpener a good dry-off with a towel, so it’s all set for action.
– And voila! Your iOpener is all prepped and ready to go! If you find yourself needing a warm-up later, just repeat the water-boiling process and let it soak for 2-3 minutes again.
Tools Used
Step 5
– Grab a SIM eject tool or an uncoiled paperclip and gently pop out that SIM card tray like a pro!
Step 6
– Gently slide the SIM tray out of its cozy little home and give it a warm goodbye as you remove it from your iPad 2.
– If you’re swapping out the SIM card, just pop it out of its tray and slide in the new one like a pro!
Step 7
Put on those safety glasses to keep your peepers safe, and watch out for that LCD screen—it’s more fragile than it looks!
– If your screen is sporting a crack, let’s keep things safe and sound while you work your magic—grab some tape and cover that glass up!
– Apply overlapping strips of clear packing tape across your device’s display until you’ve got it completely shielded.
– Now, just follow the guide as best as you can. Keep in mind, once that glass starts to break, it might get a bit rebellious and crack more. You might need a metal prying tool to help scoop out those pesky pieces.
Step 8
Just a friendly reminder: while you’re diving into this repair, you might encounter some tricky broken glass. We highly recommend rocking a pair of safety glasses to keep those pesky shards at bay. Stay safe and stylish!
– Place the iOpener flat against the right edge of your iPad, making sure it’s nice and snug for optimal warmth. We want that good contact to really do its magic!
– Give the bag a cozy 90 seconds on the iPad before diving into opening the front panel. Patience is key, and your iPad will thank you!
Tools Used
Step 9
Getting that wedged tip of the opening tool between the glass and plastic might take a bit of elbow grease. Just take your time, stay chill, and wiggle that plastic tool gently back and forth as needed. You’ve got this!
– Hey there! Look closely, and you’ll spot a tiny gap in the adhesive ring at the upper right corner of your iPad, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) from the top. Let’s take advantage of this little opening.
– Now, grab your trusty tool and align it with the mute button. Carefully slide the tip of your plastic opening tool into that gap between the front glass and the plastic bezel. Just insert the very tip, enough to give that crack a little extra width.
Step 11
– With the tip of your trusty plastic opening tool snugly wedged between the front glass and plastic bezel, gently slide a plastic opening pick into the gap, right alongside the tool. You’re doing great!
Step 12
– Carefully take out the plastic opening tool from your iPad, and gently slide the opening pick a little deeper under the front glass—aim for about half an inch. You’ve got this!
Step 14
This adhesive means business! You might need to put in some elbow grease, so take your time and work with care.
If you spot the tip of that trusty opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, give it a gentle tug. While diving in this deep won’t cause any harm, it might leave a little adhesive love on the LCD. Keep it cool and tidy!
– While the bottom edge is soaking up the warmth from the iOpener, let’s start loosening that stubborn adhesive from the right edge of the iPad.
– Gently glide the opening pick down the iPad’s edge, making sure to free up the adhesive as you move along.
Tools Used
Step 15
As you peel away the adhesive, you might want to shimmy that warm iOpener back onto the right edge of the iPad. This little dance depends on how long your iPad has been chillin’ while you were busy working your magic.
– If your opening pick is feeling a bit clingy in the adhesive, just give it a gentle ‘roll’ along the side of the iPad. Keep at it, and you’ll free that adhesive in no time!
Tools Used
Step 16
– Before you pop that first opening pick into the bottom corner of the iPad, slide a second pick underneath the right edge of the front glass to keep that pesky adhesive from sticking back down.
– Give the iOpener a little reheat love, and then place it at the top edge of the iPad.
Tools Used
Step 17
The Wi-Fi antenna is snugly secured to the bottom right edge of the iPad’s rear case with screws and a cable. Since the Wi-Fi antenna’s orientation is a bit finicky, it’s super important to handle it with care to avoid any permanent mishaps. Remember, a little caution goes a long way!
– Alright, folks! It’s time to tread carefully as we dive into the next few steps.
– You’ll need to gently release the adhesive that’s holding the antenna to the front panel. Just remember, we want to keep those delicate parts connected to the bottom of the iPad safe and sound. Take it slow and follow the upcoming steps with care!
Step 18
Be careful not to slide the pick too far into the bottom right corner! You might accidentally bump into the Wi-Fi antenna, and nobody wants that.
– Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to peel away that pesky adhesive. You’ve got this!
Step 19
– Gently glide the tip of the opening pick along the bottom edge of the iPad to free up the adhesive around the Wi-Fi antenna. You’ve got this!
Take your time as you glide the opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel. Just a heads up—the Wi-Fi antenna is hanging out right near the corner, and if you’re not careful with the adhesive, it might just decide to part ways a bit too soon!
Just a friendly tip: keep that pick snugly under the front glass! Give it a gentle tug so about ~1/8″ (3 mm) of the tip stays tucked away. You’ve got this!
Step 20
– Now that you’ve navigated past the Wi-Fi antenna—about 3 inches (75 mm) from the right edge, or snugly next to the home button—go ahead and re-insert that opening pick all the way in.
– Gently slide the pick to the right to free the adhesive that’s holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass. You’re doing great!
Step 21
Keep your iOpener’s heat game strong, but don’t overdo it! Heat it for no more than a minute at a time, and give it a cool down of at least two minutes before the next round.
– Keep peeling that adhesive away from the bottom of the iPad! Gently pull the opening pick out far enough to navigate around the home button, and once you’ve passed it, slide the pick back in to about a half-inch (10 mm) deep. You’ve got this!
Tools Used
Step 22
– Keep going and peel away that adhesive along the bottom edge of the iPad like a pro.
– Once you’re in there, slide the opening pick under the front glass by the home button and let it hang out for a bit.
Step 24
If your adhesive is feeling a bit chilly, just pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep going! If the iOpener isn’t warming up like it should, give it another heat-up session.
– Gently slide 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 is quite stubborn, so don’t be shy about applying some muscle. Just take your time and keep it steady to avoid any mishaps with yourself or your iPad.
– If the opening pick finds itself stuck in the adhesive, try ‘rolling’ it as demonstrated in step 9.
Tools Used
Step 25
If the adhesive is feeling warm enough, go ahead and take the iOpener off the iPad for a smoother experience. But if it’s still a bit too sticky for your liking, just reheat that iOpener and place it on the left edge while you tackle the task at hand. You’ve got this!
– Keep peeling that adhesive away along the top edge of your iPad, and gently maneuver the opening pick around the top left corner. You’re doing great!
Tools Used
Step 26
The digitizer cable is hiding about 2″ (50 mm) up from the bottom of your iPad. Once you reach around 2.25″ (60 mm) from the bottom, it’s time to stop sliding that pick!
– Gently glide the opening pick along the left edge of your iPad, and watch that adhesive give way! The adhesive is pretty thin here thanks to the digitizer running along the whole left side. Just remember to keep your pick at a depth of no more than 1/2 inch (10 mm) to avoid any accidental run-ins with the digitizer.
Step 27
Be super careful! The bottom of the digitizer cable is just about an inch (25 mm) from the iPad’s bottom. Take your time and handle it gently to avoid accidentally cutting this cable.
– With that trusty opening pick still nestled under the bottom edge of your iPad, gently coax the adhesive loose at 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 the iPad. Once you’ve got a little lift, use your fingers to hold it steady.
Step 29
Watch out for any leftover adhesive that might still be hanging around, and grab an opening pick to slice through any sticky spots that could be keeping the front panel in place.
– Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners and give that front glass a gentle twist away from the device. You’ve got this!
– When you’re putting it all back together, don’t forget to whip out a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to banish any pesky dust or fingerprints from the LCD before you seal the glass back on. Clean screens are happy screens!
Step 30
– Keep the LCD safe and sound!
– When you pop that LCD back into a new device, don’t forget to swap out the foam around it. This little cushion is essential for keeping the digitizer and LCD apart, helping to avoid those pesky ‘ghost’ touches that can drive you nuts.
Step 31
Make sure you’re gently lifting the hinged retaining flaps and not the sockets themselves. You’ve got this!
Check out the second picture where the retaining flaps are marked in a bright red. They’re hard to miss!
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently lift up the retaining flaps on those two digitizer ribbon cable ZIF sockets. You’ve got this!
Step 32
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently work the edge under the digitizer cable to lift it off the shields on the logic board. You’ve got this!
– Now, with a steady hand, carefully peel the digitizer cable away from the adhesive that’s holding it snug against the rear case. Take your time—patience is key!
Step 33
– Gently wiggle the digitizer ribbon cable and pull it straight out from its snug little sockets on the logic board. You’ve got this!
Step 34
To get that front panel assembly off, you’ll need to gently slide the ribbon cable out from between the case and the LCD. A little wiggle of the LCD will help create some space for this step.
– Gently lift the LCD from the edge that’s farthest from the digitizer cable and flip it back toward the rear case, just like you’re closing a book after a good read.
– While keeping that LCD up, carefully slide the front panel away from the iPad. Just a friendly reminder—watch out for that digitizer cable so it doesn’t get caught on the rear case or the LCD!
Step 35
To dive into the heart of the iPad, we’ll need to gently lift the LCD out of its cozy case.
– Gently lift the LCD from the edge nearest to the volume buttons and flip it out of the rear case—just like turning a page in your favorite book!
– Place the LCD face down on a clean surface. A soft cloth underneath is a great idea to keep it scratch-free and happy.
Step 36
Be gentle when disconnecting the connector; pulling it straight up might not be the best move.
– Gently place the LCD beside the rear panel like it’s taking a break.
– Grab a plastic opening tool and give the display data cable lock a little lift upwards – it deserves some attention!
– Now, carefully pull the display data cable out of its cozy socket. You’ve got this!
Step 37
– Gently detach the LCD assembly from the rear panel assembly. You’ve got this!
Step 38
Make sure you’re lifting 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 away the headphone jack and front camera cable from the rear case. Easy does it!
Step 39
– Gently wiggle and pull the headphone jack and front camera ribbon cable straight out of its cozy little home on the logic board. You’ve got this!
Step 40
– Time to get that SIM card slot free! Start by taking out those three 2 mm Phillips screws holding it down to the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 41
– Time to get to work! Start by taking out those two 2.9 mm Phillips screws that are holding the headphone jack snugly to the top edge of the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 42
Hold your horses! The assembly isn’t ready to be removed just yet since those ribbon cables are still hanging on.
– Grab a plastic opening tool and gently coax that headphone jack out from its cozy spot at the top of the rear panel. You’ve got this!
Step 43
– Gently detach the front camera and microphone cables from the rear panel like a pro!
Step 44
– Gently peel away the tape that’s keeping the front camera cable connector snug and secure.
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and carefully disconnect the front camera cable from the microphone cable just below it.
Step 45
– Gently lift the front camera cable away from the microphone cable.
Step 46
Take care when peeling off the tape – we don’t want to give the camera, microphone, or headphone jack ribbon cables any unintentional spa treatments!
– Peel off the piece of tape marked in red, like a pro!
Step 47
– Gently lift the front camera away from the foam adhesive that’s holding it snugly against the rear panel.
Step 48
– Gently wiggle the front-facing camera cable free from its cozy spot in the rear panel.
– Carefully lift out the front-facing camera from your iPad.
Step 49
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently detach that microphone cable connector. You’ve got this!
– Next up, carefully take out the headphone jack/SIM slot from your device. It’s all about that smooth operation!
Step 50
– First things first, if there’s a sneaky piece of tape hiding the dock connector cable, go ahead and peel that away.
– Next up, grab a plastic opening tool and gently nudge the dock connector cable’s connector upwards from its cozy spot on the logic board.
– Finally, take a moment to peel the dock connector ribbon cable off the rear panel. You’re doing great!
Step 51
– Slide the prying tool under the four wires at the end of the connector and gently lift the speaker cable connector straight up from its home on the logic board. Remember, prying from the other end could lead to breaking the four solder points underneath the socket, which means you might need a microsolder repair. Let’s avoid that, shall we?
Step 52
Remember, when disconnecting the cable, keep it level and don’t try to lift it up!
– Grab your trusty plastic opening tool and gently lift the retainer that’s holding the upper component board cable connector snugly in place on the logic board. You’re almost there!
– Now, with a little finesse, pull that connector away from its socket on the logic board. You’ve got this!
Step 53
– First, 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.
– Now, gently lift the logic board bracket away from the rear case and set it aside.
Step 54
– Unscrew those four 2.6 mm Phillips screws that are holding the logic and communications boards snugly against the rear panel. You got this!
Step 55
– Grab a plastic opening tool and gently lift the logic board away from the rear case. Think of it as giving your device a little nudge!
– Since the logic board is stuck to the rear case, take your time and work steadily to peel away the glue without causing any harm to the board. Patience is key here!
Step 56
Hey there! Just a heads up: don’t try to yank out the logic board completely. It’s still hanging on to three antenna cables that need to stay connected.
– Gently lift the logic board out of the rear case and give it a little twist toward the battery, like it’s doing a little dance!
Step 57
– Grab a trusty plastic opening tool and gently detach the cellular data antenna cable from its cozy spot on the communications board. You’ve got this!
Step 58
– Take out the lone 2.1 mm Phillips screw that’s holding the cellular data antenna cable snug against the rear case. You’ve got this!
Step 60
– Carefully pop the cellular data antenna out of the back case using a plastic opening tool. Take your time and enjoy the process!
Step 61
– Gently lift the cellular data antenna out of its cozy little home in the iPad casing.
– Carefully guide the cellular data antenna cable through the nifty channel in the rear panel, and then free the antenna from the device.
Step 62
– Grab a plastic opening tool and gently pry the right antenna cable away from its socket on the communications board. You’ve got this!
Step 63
– Unscrew the lone 2.1 mm Phillips screw that holds the right cellular antenna in place on the back of the case. You’ve got this!
Step 64
Now it’s time to peel away the three pieces of tape that are holding the right cell antenna cable snugly to the rear case. Let’s get that cable free and clear!
Step 65
– Carefully use a plastic opening tool to pop the antenna away from the back case—no need to rush, take your time!
– Gently lift and detach the right cellular data antenna from your iPad 2. You’ve got this!
Step 66
– Peel away any tape that’s hiding the GPS antenna ZIF connector. Let’s get that tech free and ready to roll!
Step 68
The GPS antenna is like a little sticker that hides at the bottom of the right cellular data antenna’s compartment. When you start to gently pry it out in the upcoming steps, keep in mind it might get a bit stubborn and could tear. If you’re on a mission to save the antenna, make sure to use some heat and proceed with caution. You’ve got this!
Step 70
Tackling the GPS antenna can be a bit of a puzzle. The approach laid out in the following steps has worked wonders for us. Just a heads up, this guide is best followed if you’re swapping out the GPS antenna for a fresh one, as trying to fix the old one could lead to some serious antenna woes.
– With a trusty pair of tweezers in hand, carefully lift the GPS antenna cable to start peeling the antenna away from the rear case. Take your time and enjoy the process!
Step 73
– Once you can get a good grip on that GPS antenna, gently peel it away from the rear case to set it free!
