iPad 4 CDMA Battery Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 59 Steps
Get ready to give your device a boost! This guide will walk you through the steps to swap out that old battery and bring your gadget back to life. Let's turn things around together!
Step 1
For carousel microwaves: Ensure that the plate is spinning like a top! If your iOpener gets a little too cozy and gets stuck, it might overheat and cause some serious trouble.
Before you dive into this, give your microwave a quick clean-up. Any stubborn gunk left behind could hitch a ride on your iOpener, and trust us, it’s better to get it out of the way now.
- Pop that iOpener right in the middle of the microwave!
Tools Used
Step 2
Hey there! Just a friendly reminder to keep an eye on that iOpener during your repair—overheating can lead to a dramatic burst! Let’s keep it cool and avoid hitting over 100˚C (212˚F).
If you notice your iOpener looking a bit puffy, steer clear! Safety first, my friend.
Still too toasty in the middle? No worries! Keep using it, but give it a moment to chill before you reheat. A well-heated iOpener should stay cozy for about 10 minutes.
Microwave wattage can change how long you’ll need to heat this up. The iOpener is ready when it’s just a little too toasty to keep your fingers on it comfortably.
- Give your iOpener a quick spin in the microwave for thirty seconds to get it nice and toasty.
- As you work through the repair, keep an eye on the iOpener. When it starts to cool down, pop it back in the microwave for another thirty seconds to keep the heat flowing!
Tools Used
Step 3
Heads up! The iOpener gets super hot, so handle it with care. If you want, throw on an oven mitt to keep those fingers safe.
- Carefully remove the iOpener from the microwave by grabbing one of the flat ends, steering clear of the hot center—trust us, it's a lot warmer than it looks!
Tools Used
Step 4
The iOpener is going to be super toasty, so make sure you grab it by those end tabs only. Safety first, my friend!
No microwave? No problem! Just heat your iOpener by placing it in some boiling water instead.
- Grab a pot or a pan and fill it up with enough water to completely soak that iOpener.
- Crank up the heat until the water is boiling, then go ahead and turn it off.
- Carefully drop the iOpener into the hot water for about 2-3 minutes. Just make sure it’s fully submerged, okay?
- Use some tongs to fish out the warm iOpener from its steamy bath.
- Give the iOpener a good pat down with a towel until it's nice and dry.
- And voilà! Your iOpener is all set to help you out! Need to heat it up again? Just repeat the water boiling dance for another 2-3 minutes.
Tools Used
Step 5
- Grab a SIM eject tool or an unfolded paperclip and give that SIM tray a gentle push. It’ll pop right out, no sweat!
Step 6
- Gently slide the SIM tray out of its cozy little spot and set it aside, ready for the next step.
- If you're swapping out the SIM card, simply pop the old one out of its tray and slide in the shiny new card. You're almost there!
Step 7
Put on those safety glasses to keep your eyes safe, and take extra care around that LCD screen – we don’t want any accidental cracks!
This will help keep those pesky glass shards in check while giving your display the support it needs during the prying and lifting process.
- If your display glass is cracked, make sure to keep things from getting worse and avoid any injury while working on it by covering the glass with some tape.
- Stick overlapping strips of clear packing tape over the screen of your iPad until it's fully covered. This will help keep everything in one piece.
- Do your best to follow the rest of the guide as you go. But keep in mind, once the glass cracks, it's probably going to keep breaking, so you may need to grab a metal prying tool to scoop out the glass.
Step 8
Heads up! Since you might be handling some broken glass here, we definitely recommend rocking a pair of safety glasses to keep those sneaky shards from making a surprise appearance. Stay safe and steady!
- Place the iOpener flat along the right edge of the iPad, pressing it down so it makes solid contact with the surface.
- Let it hang out there for about 90 seconds to warm things up before you try to pop open the front panel.
Tools Used
Step 9
It might take a little extra muscle to slip the opening tool's tip between the glass and plastic, but no worries! Just keep at it, wiggling the tool gently and carefully as needed. Patience is key here, so take your time and work through it slowly.
- Spot the little gap in the iPad’s adhesive ring up in the upper right corner, about 2.0 inches (~5 cm) down from the top. This is your secret entrance.
- Line up your tool with the mute button. Gently slip the tip of a plastic opening tool into the crack between the front glass and plastic bezel. Just nudge it in enough to start prying that gap open.
Step 10
- Ensure you tuck that tool right where it needs to be—snugly between the plastic display bezel and the front panel glass.
Step 11
- Place the tip of your plastic opening tool between the front glass and plastic bezel. Then, gently slide a plastic opening pick into the gap right next to the tool. It’s like finding a hidden treasure—just a little patience and the right angle!
Step 12
- Gently pull out the plastic opening tool from the iPad, then slide the opening pick a bit deeper under the front glass—aim for about half an inch.
Step 13
- As you carefully loosen the adhesive on the right side of the iPad, pop that iOpener back in the microwave to warm it up again, then place it along the bottom edge to keep things nice and toasty.
Tools Used
Step 14
That adhesive is no joke! It’s super strong, so you might need to put in some elbow grease. Just take your time and be gentle with it.
If you can spot the tip of the opening pick peeking out from under the front glass, gently pull it out a bit. While it's all good to dive in this deep without causing any harm, just keep in mind it might leave a little adhesive residue on the LCD. No biggie, though!
- As the iOpener warms up the bottom edge, start loosening the adhesive along the right edge of the iPad.
- Gently slide the opening pick down the iPad’s edge, carefully freeing the adhesive as you move.
Tools Used
Step 15
As you start peeling away the adhesive, you might need to move the heated iOpener back to the right edge of your iPad. How long you’ve been working on it and how much it’s cooled down will determine if that’s necessary.
- If your opening pick gets a little stuck in the adhesive, gently roll it along the edge of the iPad to keep loosening the glue without stressing the device.
Tools Used
Step 16
- Alright, before you whip out that first opening pick from the bottom corner of your iPad, slide in a second pick under the right edge of the front glass. This will help keep that pesky adhesive from sticking again.
- Next up, give that iOpener a little heat love and place it at the top edge of the iPad. Let's keep things warm and cozy!
Tools Used
Step 17
The Wi-Fi antenna is secured to the bottom right corner of the rear case with screws and a cable. Be extra careful here! The antenna's position makes it sensitive to mishandling, and if you're not cautious, you might cause permanent damage. Slow and steady wins the race!
- Alright, things are about to get a bit tricky, so take it slow here.
- You're going to need to carefully release the adhesive that's holding the antenna to the front panel. Watch out for those delicate parts connecting the antenna to the bottom of the iPad—don't want to damage anything! Stick to the steps closely, and you'll be good to go.
Step 18
Be careful not to push the pick past the bottom right corner! Doing so could mess with the Wi-Fi antenna, and we definitely don’t want that.
- Gently glide the opening pick around the bottom right corner of the iPad to free up that sticky adhesive. You've got this!
Step 19
As you glide that opening pick along the bottom right edge of the front panel, keep your eyes peeled! The Wi-Fi antenna is hanging out right by the corner, and if the adhesive decides to misbehave, it could get clipped. So, be gentle and steady, and you'll be just fine!
Just a gentle nudge here! Don't fully yank that pick out from under the front glass. Instead, give it a little pull to leave about 1/8" (3 mm) of the tip still cozy under there. You're doing great!
- Gently slide the opening pick along the bottom edge of your iPad to loosen the adhesive near the Wi-Fi antenna—nice and easy does it!
Step 20
- After you’ve passed the Wi-Fi antenna area (about 3" or 75 mm in from the right edge, right next to the home button), slide your opening pick all the way back in.
- Gently slide the pick to the right to break the adhesive holding the Wi-Fi antenna to the front glass.
- Remember, the antenna is screwed and connected by a cable at the bottom of the iPad. This step frees the antenna from the front panel so you can remove the panel without causing any damage.
Step 21
Keep the iOpener to short bursts—no more than a minute at a time. Give it a couple of minutes to cool down before you heat it again. Patience is key!
If the adhesive along the bottom edge has gotten too chilly, just give your iOpener another quick warm-up to soften things up before you dive back in.
- Keep on gently peeling back the adhesive at the bottom of your iPad. As you do, slide that opening pick around the home button and give it a little extra push in there—about half an inch (10 mm) should do the trick once you're past the home button. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 22
For iPad 4 models, gently insert the pick up to about 1/2 inch (10 mm) in this area, and keep it cool – you don’t want to accidentally mess with that delicate home button ribbon cable!
- Keep gently peeling the adhesive all the way along the bottom edge of the iPad. Take your time—no rush!
- Once you’ve got the adhesive free, leave the opening pick snugly under the front glass near the home button. This keeps things steady while you work.
Step 23
- Pop the iOpener into the microwave for a quick warm-up. Once it’s ready, place it on the left side of your iPad to heat up the adhesive in that area. This will get things nice and toasty, making it easier to work with. Don't rush, let the heat work its magic!
Tools Used
Step 24
If the adhesive has cooled down too much, pop the iOpener back along the top edge and keep going. If the iOpener itself feels chilly, just give it a quick reheat and you’re good to roll.
- 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 is pretty sturdy, so don’t be shy about applying some muscle. Just take your time and be cautious to avoid any slips that might harm you or your iPad.
- If the opening pick seems to be sticking to the adhesive, try 'rolling' the pick as demonstrated in step 9.
Tools Used
Step 25
Once your iOpener is nice and toasty, go ahead and take it off the iPad for some added ease. But if you find that the adhesive is still feeling a bit clingy, just give your iOpener another warm-up and place it on the left edge while you tackle the task at hand.
- Keep peeling back the adhesive along the top edge of the iPad, and carefully slide your opening pick around the top left corner like a pro.
Tools Used
Step 26
The digitizer cable hangs out about 2" (50 mm) from the bottom of the iPad. When sliding your pick, ease up and stop once you hit around 2.25" (60 mm) from the bottom to keep things safe and sound.
- Gently slide the opening pick along the left edge of your iPad, letting it work its magic on that adhesive. It's pretty thin along the left side thanks to the digitizer, so keep it light and breezy! Just remember, no need to go deeper than 1/2 inch (10 mm) to keep that digitizer safe and sound. You've got this!
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 tread lightly so you don’t accidentally cut this cable.
- With your trusty opening pick still tucked under the bottom edge of your iPad, give a gentle nudge to loosen the adhesive in the bottom left corner. You're doing great!
Step 28
Sometimes the adhesive around the edge of the iPad likes to stick around a little too much. If that happens, gently slide a pick under the spot where the front glass is still hanging on and carefully slice through the adhesive to free it up.
- Take an opening pick and carefully lift the bottom right corner of the iPad. Once it's up, grab it gently with your fingers. You've got this!
Step 29
Watch out for any sticky glue still hanging around, and carefully slide an opening pick under the front panel to gently slice through any stubborn adhesive holding it down.
- Grab your iPad by the top and bottom right corners and gently twist the front glass away from the device. Think of it as a little dance move!
- When you're putting everything back together, don’t forget to use a microfiber cloth and some compressed air to wipe away any pesky dust or fingerprints from the LCD before you lay the glass back on. Your screen deserves a clean start!
Step 30
That bottom left screw is playing hide-and-seek behind the home button ribbon cable connector. Gently nudge the ribbon cable out of the way so you can grab that sneaky screw and remove it.
- Unscrew the four tiny 2 mm Phillips #00 screws holding the LCD onto the aluminum frame—think of it as gently freeing the screen from its cozy metal hug.
Step 31
Handle the LCD like it’s made of glass—because it kind of is! The ribbon cable is super delicate, so be gentle and avoid bending it too much or it might snap.
- Grab a plastic opening tool or spudger and gently pry up the right edge of the iPad's LCD.
- Swing the LCD up around its left edge and rest it carefully on top of the front glass panel.
Tools Used
Step 32
- Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift up the tape that's covering the LCD ribbon cable connector. Go slow and steady – you'll be done in no time!
Tools Used
Step 33
- Gently lift the little flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector—think of it like opening a tiny secret door.
- Carefully slide the LCD ribbon cable out of its socket on the logic board using your fingers or a pair of tweezers. Take it slow and steady!
- If the screen doesn’t light up after reconnecting the LCD ribbon cable, do a force restart by holding down the power button and home button for at least ten seconds until the Apple logo appears.
Tools Used
Step 34
- Gently lift the LCD off the front panel, but be sure not to touch the front of it. Keep it cool and steady, just like a pro.
Step 35
If you spot some electrical tape hiding the Wi-Fi antenna, speaker cable, or home button ribbon cable, go ahead and peel it off gently.
Step 36
- Gently lift the retaining flap on the home button ribbon cable ZIF connector.
Step 37
- Grab your trusty tweezers and gently pull the home button ribbon cable straight out from its socket on the logic board. Easy does it!
Tools Used
Step 38
- Gently pop the home button ribbon cable out of its snug little nook in the rear case.
Step 39
- Gently use the tip of your spudger to lift and peel back the tape that’s holding the digitizer ribbon cable onto the logic board. Take it slow and steady!
Tools Used
Step 40
- Gently lift the little flap on both digitizer ribbon cable ZIF connectors to free them up.
Step 41
- Gently wedge the flat end of your spudger under the digitizer ribbon cable to break up the sticky adhesive holding it down.
- Carefully pull the digitizer ribbon cable straight out from its connectors on the logic board—steady hands win the race!
Tools Used
Step 42
- Gently lift the digitizer ribbon cable, then use the flat end of your spudger to carefully loosen the glue holding the cable to the back aluminum case.
Tools Used
Step 43
- With a gentle touch, coax the digitizer ribbon cable out of its snug home in the aluminum frame using your fingers.
- Carefully lift off the front panel from the iPad and set it aside.
Step 44
- Carefully peel back the electrical tape that’s cozying up to the headphone jack assembly cable connector and set it aside.
- Grab your spudger and gently flip up the retaining flaps on both ZIF connectors that are holding the headphone jack cable in place on the logic board.
Tools Used
Step 45
- Gently slide the flat end of a spudger under the headphone jack assembly cable to release the sticky stuff holding it to the back frame. Easy does it!
- Now, pull that headphone jack assembly cable straight out of its cozy socket on the logic board. It should come out with a little bit of finesse, no need to force it.
Tools Used
Step 46
- Gently peel back and remove the tape that’s keeping the SIM board cable ZIF connector under wraps.
- Flip up the little retaining flap on the SIM board cable ZIF connector to unlock it.
- Carefully use the tip of a spudger to pull the SIM board cable straight out from its socket on the logic board.
Tools Used
Step 47
Be careful to pry underneath the connector, not the socket itself. If you go for the socket, you might end up doing more harm than good.
Heads up! You might spot a sneaky little piece of black tape hiding over this connector. Grab your tweezers and gently peel it off.
- Alright, let’s get those connectors off the logic board. Here’s what you need to do:
- 1. Gently detach the Wi-Fi antenna cable from its socket.
- 2. Unplug the speaker connector cable with care.
- 3. Finally, disconnect the Dock/Lightning connector cable.
Tools Used
Step 48
One of those tricky screws at the top of the logic board is hiding under the headphone jack assembly cable. Be sure to gently hold that cable out of the way while you're removing and putting back that sneaky screw!
- Time to unscrew seven screws holding the logic board to the rear aluminum panel—let's get these babies out!
- Six 2.1mm Phillips #00 screws
- One 2.5mm Phillips #00 screw
Step 49
- Grip the logic board by the edge closest to the dock connector, then gently slide it down towards the bottom of the iPad.
Step 50
- Gently flip the logic board over, keeping an eye out for any cables that might get tangled up.
- With the spudger's tip, carefully detach the three antenna connectors from their cozy spots on the logic board.
Tools Used
Step 51
Heads up! When pulling out the battery from the iPad, take extra care not to poke or damage it. Batteries are packed with nasty chemicals that you definitely don’t want to breathe in or get on your skin.
You'll be peeling off the adhesive from under the battery in small 2-inch sections. Taking it slow like this helps keep the battery happy and avoids putting too much strain on it.
- The battery is securely glued to the aluminum frame with a generous amount of strong adhesive. It's definitely not going anywhere, so you’ll need to apply a bit of force to separate them.
Step 52
This adhesive is super tough stuff. It’s going to take some serious effort to loosen it up. Take your time, work carefully, and keep that metal spudger steady so it doesn’t slip.
- Gently slide the flat end of your trusty metal spudger under the battery, just near the bottom of your iPad.
- Keep that spudger gliding for about 1.5 inches to loosen up the adhesive. You're doing great!
Tools Used
Step 53
- Just like we did earlier, gently slide the spudger about 2 inches under those pesky adhesive strips. You've got this!
Tools Used
Step 54
- Gently wiggle the metal spudger under the battery connector to pop it free from the sticky adhesive holding it down.
Tools Used
Step 55
- Keep gently peeling back the adhesive near the top of the battery. Almost there!
Step 56
As you slide the spudger under the battery, make sure it stays nice and flat against the rear case—this helps keep the battery in one piece, no bending allowed!
- Pick up where you left off and slide the metal spudger another couple of inches under the battery.
- Keep at it and repeat this move for the rest of the adhesive strips.
Tools Used
Step 57
- Just like you did before, keep working that adhesive loose on all the strips until you reach about 4 inches deep. You've got this!
Step 58
- For the final stretch, glide that metal spudger all the way over to the right edge of the iPad like you mean it!
- Keep up the momentum and tackle all those adhesive strips with the same enthusiasm!
Tools Used
Step 59
Grab your trusty metal spudger and gently coax any leftover adhesive that's keeping the battery snug in its spot. You've got this!
- To put your device back together, simply follow these steps in reverse order and use our iPad 4 CDMA Front Panel Adhesive strips guide to stick the front panel back on. If you hit a snag, you can always schedule a repair with us!
