DIY Phone Cases

There are a number of reasons to want to dissemble your mobile phone, the most common being to repair a cracked or smashed phone screen or to perhaps replace a broken camera. If the phone would be heading for the local phone recycling unit if a DIY repair as opposed to a professional repair wasn't successful then this walk-through may be highly beneficial.

To dissemble the HTC Desire you will need a Philips screwdriver, a Torx 5 screwdriver, a plastic tool for prying parts away, such as the edge of a credit or debit card, and a steady hand.

1. Start by removing the back cover, the battery and the sim card and setting these aside somewhere safe. Now remove the five screws presented as this will allow you to also remove the antenna cover. This cover, located at the bottom left of the back of the phone needs to be pried away.

2. Use the clean edge of a credit card and run it around the outside join of the battery compartment. This will release it from the casing and it should then be set aside safely.

3. Next remove the two screws in the top left and bottom left corner.

4. Carefully disconnect the ribbon connectors found on the bottom half of the far right side of the back of the phone. These should detach much like a plug and socket.

5. Remove the GPS antenna in the same way as the ribbon connectors. The antenna may be located at the top left, below where the screw was removed earlier.

6. Flip out the volume switch from the side of the phone but be aware that it will still be connected to the circuit board so care must be taken.

7. The circuit board may now be lifted away from the case. The power and volume buttons will come with it so move carefully.

8. With a very light touch peel back and retain the gold foil and the sticky tape on the bottom half of the inside of the case.

9. Looking now at the carcass of the case you will see that at the bottom there is a part the width of the case that needs to be levered out with your credit card. The screen will now have been removed and may be replaced if that is your goal.

Putting the phone back together should be done by carefully moving backwards through the steps above.

For those used to poking around in the inside of a mobile phone case this may seem very straightforward however for the majority this type of work should be left to a mobile phone repair team.