I just banzai dropped my iPhone

JimJimBinks

I'm in Michigan. It is very cold here today. With my iphone in my pocket I went outside to check the mailbox. At the time I didn't realize that all the snow in my driveway had turned to ice overnight.
I slipped. The combined forces of gravity, and my bony but large ass introduced myself to my iPhone.


Apple wants to charge me $300. AT&T offered me a deal of $75 over the 2 year contract price of any phone on their website (When I threatened to spend $150 to cancel my contract and jump over to T-Mobile.)

All I use my phone for is podcasts on my way to work, and surfing the internet all freakin day. Occasionally taking pictures and uploading them.
Is there another phone on AT&T that would be better suited for these things that I can get for under $300 (Or, around $225, since AT&T is charging me the 2 year contract price plus $75), or is the iPhone the best out there for that kind of thing?
I can deal with the lack of podcasts, it would give me an excuse to possibly get a zune and a zunepass.
My primary computer is a PC, not sure if that matters when it comes to syncing n' stuff.

Any help here would be great? I'd resigned myself to paying the $300 to replace the iphone and have an appointment at an apple store tomorrow, but if there's something better out there I'd love to hear about it.

John Matrix

My sister-in-law did the same thing to her iPhone (non-3G version) yesterday, dropped it on concrete and now the glass is badly cracked.

Apple wants to charge $300 to replace the glass or make you buy a new phone?

JimJimBinks

They charge you $300 and give you a brand new phone.

VThornheart

Is it just the cover glass that's broken?

I don't know technically about the iPhone specifically (what with its touchscreen and all), but would it be possible to pull off a DIY replacement of the glass covering?

EDIT: It is!

Some info on how-to...
http://www.intomobile.com/2007/09/18/dude-fixes-his-iphones-broken-glass-screen-by-himself-the-ghetto-broken-display-fix-method.html

The replacement product itself, apparently...
http://www.missionrepair.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=822-4033

More info on how to...
http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-481086.html

Video about it (talking about finding it on eBay)
http://www.ideablue.com/2008/12/20/diy-iphone-3g-glass-repair/

wakkawa

My friend did the same thing to his.

He still uses it. I don't exactly now how well though.

proXimity

Sometimes breaking the glass can screw up the digitizer too, which wouldn't be fixed by replacing just the glass... However, the glass kits may come with replacements for that too...

VThornheart

Aye, if it helps, they claim to come with a digitizer. But I'll admit that the places you get it from (eBay or this sketchy website) seem questionable to me.

But then again, if it works spending $70 bucks is a lot better than spending $225. And it sounds like no one's crying foul on them with these upgrades (several places on the net talk about them working, although they do mention that it's more fragile than the original glass).

EDIT: Aye, a quick search of eBay shows a wide variety of more or less shady dealers selling them for 30 bucks a piece. I've bought from shadier looking dealers than them and actually gotten a working product though, if that means anything.

JimJimBinks

Eh, I don't feel like I'm up to the task of a DIY fix.
Money isn't so much the issue here as much as trying to see what else is available.
Has anyone played with T-Mobile's G1?

supabeast

Eh, I don't feel like I'm up to the task of a DIY fix.

Go for it. Apple makes the iProducts easy to work on: usually there’s just a special tool for popping the case, a few screws come out, and it’s just plug-and-play from there.

CFlux

JimJimBinks wrote: »

Eh, I don't feel like I'm up to the task of a DIY fix.
Money isn't so much the issue here as much as trying to see what else is available.
Has anyone played with T-Mobile's G1?

The G1 is awesome with a few big caveats, the software is no where near as polished as the iphone and the battery really really sucks.

Kyougu

CFlux wrote: »

JimJimBinks wrote: »

Eh, I don't feel like I'm up to the task of a DIY fix.
Money isn't so much the issue here as much as trying to see what else is available.
Has anyone played with T-Mobile's G1?

The G1 is awesome with a few big caveats, the software is no where near as polished as the iphone and the battery really really sucks.

Yeah the battery is a bit annoying specially with heavy use. Hopefully they will release an improved one.

illig

supabeast wrote: »

Go for it. Apple makes the iProducts easy to work on: usually there’s just a special tool for popping the case, a few screws come out, and it’s just plug-and-play from there.

did you just say "Apple" and "easy to work on" in the same sentence? referring to each other?

*head explodes*

yeah, that's not true

but OP, i hate to say it, that's one of the risk you take by carrying an expensive piece of technology in your pocket... i feel the same with my Blackberry Storm (but at least mine is covered by insurance)

thej3w

illig wrote: »

supabeast wrote: »

Go for it. Apple makes the iProducts easy to work on: usually there’s just a special tool for popping the case, a few screws come out, and it’s just plug-and-play from there.

did you just say "Apple" and "easy to work on" in the same sentence? referring to each other?

*head explodes*

yeah, that's not true

but OP, i hate to say it, that's one of the risk you take by carrying an expensive piece of technology in your pocket... i feel the same with my Blackberry Storm (but at least mine is covered by insurance)

Have you ever actually taken an iPhone or anything else apart by Apple? 90% of the time it all clips together nicely and you just need a odd tool to get it apart. I've been replaced parts for all sort of apple products and it is pretty easy to get the stuff apart.

Pheezer

Guys, never your butt pockets.

Honestly, I'd recommend investing in a jacket with an inside breast pocket if you're carrying a phone with any glass on it, or worth more than a hundred bucks.

Pheezer

thej3w wrote: »

illig wrote: »

supabeast wrote: »

Go for it. Apple makes the iProducts easy to work on: usually there’s just a special tool for popping the case, a few screws come out, and it’s just plug-and-play from there.

did you just say "Apple" and "easy to work on" in the same sentence? referring to each other?

*head explodes*

yeah, that's not true

but OP, i hate to say it, that's one of the risk you take by carrying an expensive piece of technology in your pocket... i feel the same with my Blackberry Storm (but at least mine is covered by insurance)

Have you ever actually taken an iPhone or anything else apart by Apple? 90% of the time it all clips together nicely and you just need a odd tool to get it apart. I've been replaced parts for all sort of apple products and it is pretty easy to get the stuff apart.

The only one I can think of that's exceptionally difficult is the plastic iBook line.

thej3w

Pheezer wrote: »

thej3w wrote: »

illig wrote: »

supabeast wrote: »

Go for it. Apple makes the iProducts easy to work on: usually there’s just a special tool for popping the case, a few screws come out, and it’s just plug-and-play from there.

did you just say "Apple" and "easy to work on" in the same sentence? referring to each other?

*head explodes*

yeah, that's not true

but OP, i hate to say it, that's one of the risk you take by carrying an expensive piece of technology in your pocket... i feel the same with my Blackberry Storm (but at least mine is covered by insurance)

Have you ever actually taken an iPhone or anything else apart by Apple? 90% of the time it all clips together nicely and you just need a odd tool to get it apart. I've been replaced parts for all sort of apple products and it is pretty easy to get the stuff apart.

The only one I can think of that's exceptionally difficult is the plastic iBook line.

I admit those are a bit tough but again with the right tool the clips all come out nicely and clip back in without any issue.

proXimity

supabeast wrote: »

Eh, I don't feel like I'm up to the task of a DIY fix.

Go for it. Apple makes the iProducts easy to work on: usually there’s just a special tool for popping the case, a few screws come out, and it’s just plug-and-play from there.

Ha. Haha. Hahahahahahahaha

*cry*

Pheezer

thej3w wrote: »

Pheezer wrote: »

thej3w wrote: »

illig wrote: »

supabeast wrote: »

Go for it. Apple makes the iProducts easy to work on: usually there’s just a special tool for popping the case, a few screws come out, and it’s just plug-and-play from there.

did you just say "Apple" and "easy to work on" in the same sentence? referring to each other?

*head explodes*

yeah, that's not true

but OP, i hate to say it, that's one of the risk you take by carrying an expensive piece of technology in your pocket... i feel the same with my Blackberry Storm (but at least mine is covered by insurance)

Have you ever actually taken an iPhone or anything else apart by Apple? 90% of the time it all clips together nicely and you just need a odd tool to get it apart. I've been replaced parts for all sort of apple products and it is pretty easy to get the stuff apart.

The only one I can think of that's exceptionally difficult is the plastic iBook line.

I admit those are a bit tough but again with the right tool the clips all come out nicely and clip back in without any issue.

Go look up instructions on replacing a hard drive in a white plastic iBook and tell me how many screws, and how many types of screws must be removed.

DeathPrawn

They've been bad about it in the past (see: iBook), but I would agree with the claim that as of late Apple's products are relatively pleasant to disassemble.

Everywhereasign

I can't speak for the iphone, but I have been in nearly every iPod and they are really really simple. Once you get them open You can also destroy or scratch/bend them if you don't have the right tool.

illig

thej3w wrote: »

Have you ever actually taken an iPhone or anything else apart by Apple? 90% of the time it all clips together nicely and you just need a odd tool to get it apart. I've been replaced parts for all sort of apple products and it is pretty easy to get the stuff apart.

yeah, i've taken apart several ipods and an ibook and a G4 tower... and only the G4 tower was user friendly IMHO

your experience may vary of course.