subject: The New Iphone Just As Fragile As Ever [print this page] Most agree that the iPhone 4 is the sleekest iPhone yet. With its new shape, design, and glass battery cover, it has come a long way in physical appearance since the first generation iPhone 2G. Unfortunately, these attractive upgrades and revisions come with a price. Because the front and back is now made of glass (for all intents and purposes), the 4G is truly the most fragile iPhone that has been released, despite the supposed durability of the 4th generation glass.
If the iPhone 4 is dropped without any protection it will most likely chip, scratch, or crack. IPhone repair businesses have been receiving these damaged 4G phones, literally, since the second day of its release. There have been almost as many damaged battery covers (i.e., the glass back of the phone) as there have been cracked screens.
The main issue is what to do when you have damaged the cosmetics of your sleek iPhone 4. If the back glass of an iPhone 4 is damaged, it is possible to replace the back battery cover, but this repair is going to cost over $100 for a DIY repair. Why? Because the black glass assembly will cost a novice person over $100 for the part alone. Fortunately, a reputable iPhone repair business can repair a damaged back glass for well under $100. A good iPhone repair company can do it for less because they are often able to salvage some of the parts off of the damaged glass battery cover, and re-use the parts. This salvaging of parts does save a LOT of money. There isn't much informat
ion out on the web to explain how to do a DIY glass battery cover repair because the repair has to be done by a trained professional due to its difficulty.
One will find the glass battery covers for sale on EBay or other sites for less than $20. However, this is NOT the entire part needed to fix the cracked back. A DIY person must look for a battery cover "assembly", which has with it all of the necessary brackets and parts to easily replace the glass back to an iPhone 4 (get $100 ready). It's hard to see the advantage of doing a DIY repair for this particular repair, since one can pay a repair company the same price as he would pay for the part alone, and let a pro handle it.
The iPhone 4's front glass, which was made with a more durable glass than its predecessor, the iPhone 3GS, is still likely to crack if dropped. This has been confirmed by many drop tests performed by random repair companies.
Also, a glass replacement for the latest device is more difficult than any other iPhone released so far. This is because the whole phone must be disassembled before the LCD and glass can be accessed. Once reaching the glass and LCD, one will soon discover that the two are actually adhered together (also called an "assembly"). A new glass/LCD assembly is required. That is, the LCD and glass must be replaced together, even if only one of the two is damaged. Again, this is best done by a professional because the iPhone must be completely disassembled to reach the damaged parts.
In Conclusion, it is always best to protect your iPhone 4 with a case. Many iPhone owners enjoy the sleek look of an iPhone too much to cover it up with a bulky case. Be warned; it's fragile. In any case, if the iPhone 4 is damaged, a professional can probably fix it. Don't try to fix it yourself, however, simply for the reasons mentioned above. With this device, you may turn a small problem into a major problem.
