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Since the marketplace is closed, where is anyone finding replacement parts (aside from ripoffbay)? The digitizer in my mom's phone died, no response at all, and the stupid ass design of the phone won't even let you answer a incoming call without moving the ring. To make it worse, while I opened it to check for damage on the inside, I broke the front center button ribbon, and the right hand side front button pcb. The whole setup of supergluing every single part of the lcd is insane ARG.
So I need pretty much the entire upper lcd assembly, and with the market gone, does anyone know where to find one? Or just MT4GS parts in general?
I just tore one down, the LCD and digitizer in it was toast and so was the main part of the board but I should have the cable your talking about at home, I'll post a pic when I get home
Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using Tapatalk 2
chaostic_2k1 said:
Since the marketplace is closed, where is anyone finding replacement parts (aside from ripoffbay)? The digitizer in my mom's phone died, no response at all, and the stupid ass design of the phone won't even let you answer a incoming call without moving the ring. To make it worse, while I opened it to check for damage on the inside, I broke the front center button ribbon, and the right hand side front button pcb. The whole setup of supergluing every single part of the lcd is insane ARG.
So I need pretty much the entire upper lcd assembly, and with the market gone, does anyone know where to find one? Or just MT4GS parts in general?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
eBay isn't as bad as people make it out to be...
In fact it's the sellers that are at more of a disadvantage than the buyer. Paypal will almost always side with the buyer, even if they're telling blatant lies. Sold a fully working item to the buyer, and the buyer claimed it did not work. Paypal forced me to give him a refund and accept a return no matter what I said. And when I got the item back, "surprise, surprise" item worked fine.
As long as you do your homework and ask the appropriate questions before buying, you should be fine. Try some parts ebay lots. They have some great deals
-Experienced eBayer
I've had a fair bit of success on eBay with parts for a number of phones. I've replaced a whole frame for a MT3GS, a full back with buttons and battery for a iPhone 3G, a MT4GS speaker, and several digiziters for iPhones (3G / 3GS), MT3GS, MT4G and MT4GS.
I try to use US based shippers for quicker shipping times and better odds on communicating if there is an issue.
No, I know that, i've sold on ebay as well, its A) this phone is frustrating as hell, and B- the thing with private sellers, you get a bit better experience with as-is phones for parts, for a decent price. Like if someone on here had said, oh, I bricked the phone, no physical damage, I can expect to get a working lcd/digitizer/camera/etc. On ebay, it's a gamble on as-is and I've been burnt before on it.
Good part atleast, I found a old razor v3 that i had planned on unlocking almost 2 years ago, charged it and got the unlocking done in a few minutes. A working phone for now, makes replacement or parts a little less urgent.
chaostic_2k1 said:
No, I know that, i've sold on ebay as well, its A) this phone is frustrating as hell, and B- the thing with private sellers, you get a bit better experience with as-is phones for parts, for a decent price. Like if someone on here had said, oh, I bricked the phone, no physical damage, I can expect to get a working lcd/digitizer/camera/etc. On ebay, it's a gamble on as-is and I've been burnt before on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I totally understand that sentiment. I've been there as well. The MT3GS I have was an eBay pick that was advertised as a 4G Slide. It was my first HTC phone so I didn't notice the picture didn't match. The price was a STEAL for a 4G Slide but only decent for a 3G Slide. I ended up giving the seller a neutral feedback. Since then I've been a bit anal about calling sellers out when they list a 3G Slide or 4G as a 4G Slide. Most have fixed the listings.
Having said that, I've been on the other side of the coin too. I picked up a 4G for my daughter that supposedly was soft bricked with a bad digitizer and volume buttons. I found that the button issue was just a matter of cleaning everything. From there I was able to reflash the latest stock ROM and the phone was good.
I normally just search google with specific part names that I need. Yes a lot take you to ebay, but that's normally ok, good prices!
I don't really like ebay - been burnt a lot through there. Pretty much only use it for carebears for my lady. Great place for that.
No one suggested checking craigslist for local deals?
If I don't get it through the forums here - that's where i've bought my other phones from and it's worked out well.
I bought my spare parts here
http://www.etradesupply.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=mytouch+4g+slide
Although it's still shipping.
Has anyone received a replacement from MS in the mail - Does it come in original packaging (the customer service rep couldn't answer this ?). My Battery capacity dropped 25% in the past 2 months - ive only been getting like 5-6 hours vs. 8-10, and they agreed to replace the unit. That being said, I got used to the 5-6 hr battery life, and have been debating to bite the bullet and get Surface Pro - If im going to start new, may as well go pro. Either way, if it comes in original packaging, I can probably exchange at the MS store - does anyone know?
It does not come in any of the original packaging, no.
jhoff80 said:
It does not come in any of the original packaging, no.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks
I just sent mine back in the packaging they sent th new one out in, was advanced replacement tho.
For standard exchange: it doesn't come with the fancy retail package, instead a relatively smaller plain package "box" with only the replacement Surface RT (and a paper with the link myservice.surface.com) The replacement Surface is well protected by foamed plastic (not those small filler!)
Strangely, the replacement surface seems to have the same serial number than my defective one.
Hello,
I need to change my faulty z1c (D5503) screen (lcd + digitizer) for the 2d time in a few months (broken screen in the 1st time, water damage + alcohol isoprop ... in the 2d time) and choose the right seller.
I checked on the market + this forum and here are my findings :
1) Witrigs (100 US dollars, so quite expensive) http://www.witrigs.com/oem-lcd-with-digitizer-for-sony-xperia-z1-compact
2) Stellatech (quite expensive - 100 EUR) : http://stellatech.com/sony-xperia-z...lete-display-lcd-touchscreen,a,en,816110.html
3) Aliexpress : (24 us dollars ...) : http://www.aliexpress.com/item/For-..._73_74_75,searchweb201527_3,searchweb201560_9
Could anyone tell me if the 3) can be as good as the first 2 ?
Cheers to all
xabzzz said:
Hello,
I need to change my faulty z1c (D5503) screen (lcd + digitizer) for the 2d time in a few months (broken screen in the 1st time, water damage + alcohol isoprop ... in the 2d time) and choose the right seller.
I checked on the market + this forum and here are my findings :
1) Witrigs (100 US dollars, so quite expensive) http://www.witrigs.com/oem-lcd-with-digitizer-for-sony-xperia-z1-compact
2) Stellatech (quite expensive - 100 EUR) : http://stellatech.com/sony-xperia-z...lete-display-lcd-touchscreen,a,en,816110.html
3) Aliexpress : (24 us dollars ...) : http://www.aliexpress.com/item/For-..._73_74_75,searchweb201527_3,searchweb201560_9
Could anyone tell me if the 3) can be as good as the first 2 ?
Cheers to all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought exactly the 3rd, and it's really good!
Thanks,
This seller looks really trustful (the best seller around)
Have a nice day !
mateoo337 said:
I bought exactly the 3rd, and it's really good!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you share a pic of your Z1C with this screen pls?
i've got some through a dutch shop, costing me 77Eur, seems to me that it isn't exactly same as original sony as colors were quite different (too much saturated/red).
now it's only WITH a frame, not sure if that's easier to deal with for repair:
http://telecom2day.com/sony/sony-xp...ay-lcd-unit-met-frame-sony-xperia-z1-compact/
ps, aliepress is not fast in delivering stuff, so if you want it before the end of the year, better look somewhere else
I bought this one and mounted it myself, and i have'nt noticed any difference in quality from the original display. Just make sure to watch a video tutorial on how to change it.
Adhesive tape and correct tools was not included, but ordered from china.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221822457294?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Some how, I got unlucky and touch input broke down on me. Tried a lot,but phone is written off now. Went to nexus 5x and happy.
I bought a display from ebay for 30$, and it is working great. Not original though, but have'nt noticed any difference at all. Been using it for 3 months without a single problem.
It was this one: http://m.ebay.com/itm/UK-Touch-Disp...i-Compact-M51w-D5503-/221822457294?nav=SEARCH
To people who ordered from ebay: Which glue did you buy?
And what does it mean "no frame" ? Do you need to salvage this 'frame' from your broken screen?
I just broke my screen. Dropped it from 20cm at just the right angle I guess I've been doing some research, looks like you can't replace only the digitizer without special tools?
I've got mine from Ebay, it came with glue also. It has the same colors like the original one and it's working flawless for 5 months now.
Here is the link for the display I've bought.
Hello,
let me throw another hat in the ring: I bought my screen assembly from parts4repair, they sell them starting at 32 €. I bought the one for 42 €, as it is supposed to be the original replacement part. I did not realize any different colors. Delivery took about 6 weeks and packaging was really good (stable, well protected).
In another thread I already posted about this little project, here it is again:
I did completely disassemble my Z1compact recently and replaced back housing and the screen, using adhesive stickers (they were even said to be the original, real deal. I cleaned the contact areas with cleaning alcohol prior to reassembling the phone, so everything was just as intended). Everything worked fine, looked just as new - but after only 2 days, the adhesive did already start to loosen again in different areas!
I told a friend of mine about the problem (he fixes mobile phones the whole day long, as a profession), and he answered that they never use the stickers, but a special kind of silicone! The important part is, that it is a silicon which hardens without releasing acid (normally acetic acid is fumed out), so the electronic circuits do not become damaged. I bought one like this: Silicon Adhesive and everything worked fine It's been two months now and there are no problems, it's even water proof again.
Some comments: The silicone needs at least 24h to harden, I placed my phone under 4 heavy books in order to apply steady pressure during that time. That may have been a little bit too heavy, however, because the screen is a little bit lower than before and I can see small, somewhat "lighter" areas right where the contacts of the screen are, just the kind like pressing your finger on a lcd display too much. So better use only 2 books during hardening the silicone
Happy tinkering!
I got the same problem with my phone - I broke digitizer on my weekend trip... I don't know guys if it's an option for you, but in Poland you can replace screen much cheaper:
https://www.w-support.pl/klienci-indywidualni/koszt-naprawy.html (sorry, it's in polish... w-support is official Sony service - whole screen replacement costs 399 PLN (less than 100€)
If you want to do it yourself - you can look at our biding service - allegro:
http://allegro.pl/listing/listing.php?order=m&string=d5503+lcd&search_scope=category-19285&bmatch=base-relevance-w2-ele-1-3-0812
I bought LCD with digitizer, tools and glue for about 200PLN (less than 50€) and the seller claims it's an original one... Of course there may be some problems with foreign shipment but I think it shall work in EU for most of the sellers.
I let you know in a few day - I am waiting for delivery right now...
czarny1975 said:
I got the same problem with my phone - I broke digitizer on my weekend trip... I don't know guys if it's an option for you, but in Poland you can replace screen much cheaper:
https://www.w-support.pl/klienci-indywidualni/koszt-naprawy.html (sorry, it's in polish... w-support is official Sony service - whole screen replacement costs 399 PLN (less than 100€)
If you want to do it yourself - you can look at our biding service - allegro:
http://allegro.pl/listing/listing.php?order=m&string=d5503+lcd&search_scope=category-19285&bmatch=base-relevance-w2-ele-1-3-0812
I bought LCD with digitizer, tools and glue for about 200PLN (less than 50€) and the seller claims it's an original one... Of course there may be some problems with foreign shipment but I think it shall work in EU for most of the sellers.
I let you know in a few day - I am waiting for delivery right now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any news?
i need to buy a new screen and i need to find the best value for money @Morfarj @eEnzo0 are you still happy with your screens?
broky said:
any news?
i need to buy a new screen and i need to find the best value for money @Morfarj @eEnzo0 are you still happy with your screens?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is working flawless
I just bought a 30E sceen from ebay and it pretty bad because of the gamma levels...tried to adjust with white balance and it got a bit better..but still nowhere near as good as the original. For a 30euro screen i think i'll live with it..
czarny1975 said:
I got the same problem with my phone - I broke digitizer on my weekend trip... I don't know guys if it's an option for you, but in Poland you can replace screen much cheaper:
https://www.w-support.pl/klienci-indywidualni/koszt-naprawy.html (sorry, it's in polish... w-support is official Sony service - whole screen replacement costs 399 PLN (less than 100€)
If you want to do it yourself - you can look at our biding service - allegro:
http://allegro.pl/listing/listing.p...y-19285&bmatch=base-relevance-w2-ele-1-3-0812
I bought LCD with digitizer, tools and glue for about 200PLN (less than 50€) and the seller claims it's an original one... Of course there may be some problems with foreign shipment but I think it shall work in EU for most of the sellers.
I let you know in a few day - I am waiting for delivery right now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm too from Poland and price for LCD replacing is...funny. Trying to find cheapest LCD to make it working for 2 months.. Any suggestions?
Wysłane z mojego D5503 przy użyciu Tapatalka
Yeah, that's great!
I made a post HERE about a water damaged screen, long story short after buying two cheap screens online and sending them both back for a refund because I wasn't happy with either of them I bit the bullet and sent my phone to Sony for a genuine OEM replacement to be fitted. Neither of the cheap screens came with the ASF and didn't have the foam that was attached to the back of my original.
XperienceD said:
I made a post HERE about a water damaged screen, long story short after buying two cheap screens online and sending them both back for a refund because I wasn't happy with either of them I bit the bullet and sent my phone to Sony for a genuine OEM replacement to be fitted. Neither of the cheap screens came with the ASF and didn't have the foam that was attached to the back of my original.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you must really love your z1c to pay that money,hope you enjoy it!
so it s a big difference sony OEM screen vs the cheap ones?
i replaced mine with cheap one(two times) and both times found the colours <<washed>> and low brightness too in comparison with OEM.
broky said:
you must really love your z1c to pay that money,hope you enjoy it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A few People have said to me just buy a new one, but I do love it and want to keep it to use as my spare when I finally do, I want another Compact but the last few just haven't done it for me. It's killed me using my old Xperia Ray this last week and still have another week and a half to go. Going to flash GB to it this weekend and see if that makes it more bearable.
broky said:
so it s a big difference sony OEM screen vs the cheap ones?
i replaced mine with cheap one(two times) and both times found the colours <<washed>> and low brightness too in comparison with OEM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first screen had lifted a little so that made me question the adhesive too, from reading online I then thought it was because I hadn't cleaned the frame properly, so made sure I had before laying the second screen, but that eventually started to lift too. I found the same as you in regards to the screen, the colours just weren't right and had to use full brightness which then obviously chews through the battery. I even reflashed my phone to see if that made a difference, as we know there are two different panels used I thought maybe when the phone gets reflashed it may configure it for the display that's attached but it didn't.
If the X Compact had a better spec I would have bought it and a cheap screen for the Z1C as that would be going in the wardrobe along with the Arc S and Ray hopefully never to be seen again for another 50 years, but as it's going to be my daily for a little while longer I just want it perfect.
UPDATE:
Just heard back from Sony today and not good news. First of all they emailed me to say a quote was available to view in my support which basically said it was uneconomical to repair and offered an equivalent phone for a cost of £250+, baffled by their quote and comments I then got straight on the phone as all my Z1C needs to function is a screen , the operator told me to get the phone back to a guaranteed status the technician had wanted to replace more parts. To a degree I can see where they are coming from but having already had two screens on with no issues other than the poor quality of them it's quite annoying.
So as my hand has been forced a screenless Z1C will be going on ebay as soon as I get it back, and I'll be ordering a Z5C tonight.
Help for contents and box of "new" S4 Black Edition i9505. Is it new or refurbished?
Hi,
I've just bought online in UK a brand new Samsung S4 Black Edition i9505.
However in the box S/M/L sizes eargels are missing (but earbuds are ok and sealed) and the UK charger is a ETA0U70XBE with only 1A output instead of 2A and it's missing its film wrapping. I also noticed that the small seal was not well applied outside the box so it's not clear if the box was sealed or unsealed. I've also found finger prints on the front sticker/screen protector (but not on the screen) and on the camera lens. The metal-plastic terminal of the usb cable is also a little dirty (but comes with plastic wrapping).
OS installed is already 5.0.1 but I thought that S4 comes with 4.4 preinstalled. Or maybe it is due it was assembled recently? Battery was also completely empty.
And I also found this sticker that seal the outside of the box with strange letters: A, B ,C (see attachment). What do they mean?
I would like to know if someone else has similar experience or maybe they sent me a refurbished/open box?
It probably is a refurbished or returned phone.
The box should contain the phone, the USB charger and USB cable (black), in-ear headphones with replacement buds, a manual and I think that's it.
If the box has been tampered with, then I would worry more about the phone itself than the contents.
I also have a black edition (or so it says on the box).
Mine's got a leather-like back cover and the whole phone is pure dark black. The original model had a brighter black tone and it was spotted.
Hi,
thanks for the answer. The only thing missing are the replacement buds but also rest is suspicious as written above.
The charger for example had no plastic wrapping but most of all it's only a 1 amp model. How many amps has your charger? Which model? An EU model (long and slim) or a UK model (bulkier and short)? See attachments. Mine is a UK model but looks like an S3 charger which is slightly different from S4 charger and has only 1 amp output. Does anyone else got a 1 amp charger with its S4???
Mine's a 2.0 Amp EU model, black. It also had wrapping around it.
Did you get any warranty with the phone?
GDReaper said:
Mine's a 2.0 Amp EU model, black. It also had wrapping around it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While mine is a S3/S4-Mini charger at 1.0 Amp with no wrapping...
Did you get any warranty with the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The seller said it has 2 year UK/European warranty but it had to say this because he's selling them as new. Of course I had the invoice but it's just a piece of paper printed from internet.
I found a new strange thing: as you can see in the first picture there is a EAN code on the sticker. I searched that code on Google and the result was: Samsung S2 (TWO!).
Does the EAN on your box match with Samsung S4 on Google?
I can't check because my box was sealed on 3 sides, and one of those seals had the number on it and it is now torn apart.
But I don't have any reason to believe it would correspond to anything other than an S4.
The phone was bought from one of the biggest electronics store in my country.
GDReaper said:
I can't check because my box was sealed on 3 sides, and one of those seals had the number on it and it is now torn apart.
But I don't have any reason to believe it would correspond to anything other than an S4.
The phone was bought from one of the biggest electronics store in my country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I checked some pictures of S4 boxes that I found on Youtube, reviews, Google and all the EAN on them match the ones of a S4! So probably the second seal (the one in the attachment of my first message) is a FAKE seal!!!
I found another strange thing: the protective plastic on the front of the S4 was the colored one of S4 white and black mist (see attachment). But on unboxing video on Youtube the Black Edition always have a transparent one!
Which one did you find?
I think that A,B,C has some mean to it.
A- IMEI remains on the box
B- Seller(Vender) keeps it with them so that non can complain whether or not it was steal product,in short security reason
C- Buyer get it stocked on warranty card/ Billl to claim for warranty.
Now that phone is old, it usually stays as was. Nothing to worry about as long as device is fully functional.
dr.patron99 said:
I think that A,B,C has some mean to it.
A- IMEI remains on the box
B- Seller(Vender) keeps it with them so that non can complain whether or not it was steal product,in short security reason
C- Buyer get it stocked on warranty card/ Billl to claim for warranty.
Now that phone is old, it usually stays as was. Nothing to worry about as long as device is fully functional.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the answer. But another problem with the seal was that there was printed a EAN of a Samsung S2 (TWO!) instead of one of a S4. So it was clearly a fake seal. And I've never saw in any unboxing photo or video a seal like that for Samsung S4. I also contacted Samsung UK which confirmed me that the phone was not in proper condition. They also checked the serial number of the device and told me that it was invalid! So it was a refurbished unit.
However I sent the phone back to the seller and received a full refund. Last week I bought a new S4 Black Mist from another seller and this one is perfect. New, sealed (seal with a S4 EAN on it) and with all accessories and plastic wrappings. The OS installed is still Android 4 as expected and not already 5. And a 2A charger. It works very well. :good:
How much did you pay? If it was a good price then ignore the fact it's not new. My S4 was second hand, and I specifically chose it for that reason.
skezza said:
How much did you pay? If it was a good price then ignore the fact it's not new. My S4 was second hand, and I specifically chose it for that reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid it 267 euro with shipping. Too much for a used one with missing parts and the wrong charger (only 1A instead of 2A). So I sent it back to the seller.
For the one I bought last week I paid 275 euro with shipping but it's new and sealed (with all accessories and a 2A charger which 2 times faster than a 1A one).
Alfhw said:
I paid it 267 euro with shipping. Too much for a used one with missing parts and the wrong charger (only 1A instead of 2A). So I sent it back to the seller.
For the one I bought last week I paid 275 euro with shipping but it's new and sealed (with all accessories and a 2A charger which 2 times faster than a 1A one).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wow, yes that is a lot for a used one. I paid £120 for mine last February. It's in pretty good condition (only a few marks on the silver bezel, no scratches on the screen) but it came only with a single generic charger, and a crappy USB cable. No headset or anything, but I wasn't overly bothered because the phone itself is where the money goes and £120 for an S4 is a bargain, even today. 267 Euro's is over £205, which is absolutely top money, even for a brand new model, so to be told it was used, I would be sending it back tbh.
skezza said:
Oh wow, yes that is a lot for a used one. I paid £120 for mine last February. It's in pretty good condition (only a few marks on the silver bezel, no scratches on the screen) but it came only with a single generic charger, and a crappy USB cable. No headset or anything, but I wasn't overly bothered because the phone itself is where the money goes and £120 for an S4 is a bargain, even today. 267 Euro's is over £205, which is absolutely top money, even for a brand new model, so to be told it was used, I would be sending it back tbh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And most of all the seller was selling it as "new". I even emailed him before buying to be sure and he answered it was new and sealed... And the one he sent me had missing parts and a S3 charger (with only 1A output)!
Anyway 275 euro for the one I bought last week from a different seller is a good price for a really new and sealed S4. It is still a very good mid-range device. I was also considering a Samsung A3-310-2016 which came out in January this year for 240 euro with shipping but the S4 has still better specs and a huge XDA and custom rom support!
Alfhw said:
And most of all the seller was selling it as "new". I even emailed him before buying to be sure and he answered it was new and sealed... And the one he sent me had missing parts and a S3 charger (with only 1A output)!
Anyway 275 euro for the one I bought last week from a different seller is a good price for a really new and sealed S4. It is still a very good mid-range device. I was also considering a Samsung A3-310-2016 which came out in January this year for 240 euro with shipping but the S4 has still better specs and a huge XDA and custom rom support!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an extremely good mid-range device. The way I like to look at it, is like this:
You can see from my phone history (in my signature), that I go from an i9000 to an LG N4 to a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, which is quite a deviation. The i9000 was a premium device at the time and it felt like one. The N4 was a premium device and it really really felt like one (and still does to this day). The Xiaomi was a great phone, but you could tell it was manufactured for the Indian market. It wasn't that it was cheaply made. I actually think Xiaomi are quite nicely made, it was the fact there was never any commitment to updates. Getting Lollipop was a bit like playing a game of roulette. Are they going to get it? Who knows? Kind of thing..... eventually some devs ported it, but rather than the 100's that work on Samsung and the Nexus devices, there were a few kids in their bedrooms doing it. I simply didn't have time to get stuck into any ROM development at that point in time either. The Xiaomi was let down by the lack of devs, the poor camera and the general unreliability of updates and software fixes etc.
So here's the point I'm making. You can own a brand new Xiaomi, which for the money seems decent and performs okay and stuff and yeah, they're decent enough phones, if you're going for a new model....
OR, you can get yourself a second hand S4, which will blow away the majority of Xiaomi phones because here's the thing. It's not just about specs on paper. The camera destroys the Xiaomi camera's, the screen destroys the majority of Xiaomi screens and the fact there are 100's of devs knocking out great ROM's means this phone will last a lot longer than the Xiaomi ones ever will.
My modus operandi has now changed. I will never buy a new device again. Every 2 years, I will buy a last gen Samsung (or other brand) device when they become cheap and enjoy all the benefits of XDA devs and what not
skezza said:
It's an extremely good mid-range device. The way I like to look at it, is like this:
You can see from my phone history (in my signature), that I go from an i9000 to an LG N4 to a Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, which is quite a deviation. The i9000 was a premium device at the time and it felt like one. The N4 was a premium device and it really really felt like one (and still does to this day). The Xiaomi was a great phone, but you could tell it was manufactured for the Indian market. It wasn't that it was cheaply made. I actually think Xiaomi are quite nicely made, it was the fact there was never any commitment to updates. Getting Lollipop was a bit like playing a game of roulette. Are they going to get it? Who knows? Kind of thing..... eventually some devs ported it, but rather than the 100's that work on Samsung and the Nexus devices, there were a few kids in their bedrooms doing it. I simply didn't have time to get stuck into any ROM development at that point in time either. The Xiaomi was let down by the lack of devs, the poor camera and the general unreliability of updates and software fixes etc.
So here's the point I'm making. You can own a brand new Xiaomi, which for the money seems decent and performs okay and stuff and yeah, they're decent enough phones, if you're going for a new model....
OR, you can get yourself a second hand S4, which will blow away the majority of Xiaomi phones because here's the thing. It's not just about specs on paper. The camera destroys the Xiaomi camera's, the screen destroys the majority of Xiaomi screens and the fact there are 100's of devs knocking out great ROM's means this phone will last a lot longer than the Xiaomi ones ever will.
My modus operandi has now changed. I will never buy a new device again. Every 2 years, I will buy a last gen Samsung (or other brand) device when they become cheap and enjoy all the benefits of XDA devs and what not
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Agree! :good:
Dear reader,
I'm looking at buying a screen for an old S6 (G920F). I cracked the original AMOLED when attempting a charging port PCB replacement. A shame, but that is a common occurrence with this repair attempt. Mainboard still works and it charges the battery now that I have connected the new charging port PCB. I has previously run and functions fine, but could only wireless charge with 5W, which took forever. Hence my repair attempt.
This is not a daily driver, but it would be nice to have it as a backup phone. I am not going to spend $130 on a replacement screen though, so I am looking at several listings on Aliexpress ($30-40). This includes:
- used but burned-in screens (different classes, either white and blue only or also with red burn-in for cheaper ones)
- listed as original (but probably also used)
- listed as new replacement (likely knockoff screens)
All in the same price class.
All will include frame and digitizer + charging PCB, I'm not risking another cracked AMOLED.
Some are clear on their description on being used burned-in screens, but some are not.
I reckon I can't post direct URLs to their listings here, but in case you want to check it out, most are in the top 10 range when arranged by no. of sales.
Does anyone have any experience buying these type of screens off Aliexpress?
In my opinion, the burned-in listings seem most honest and have highest chance of actually being an original screen, instead of a knockoff. I'm cautious about listings that state 'new' or 'replacement' without any mention of burn-ins etc. for that last reason.
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards
Why don't you check your local market for defective phones?
Of course, most phones have cracked screens, but with a little patience you may find a bootlooping one or with FRP, no service...
That will surely beat the 30-40 $ of Aliexpress, not to mention possible inconvenience with delivery times (in China Corona-lockdowns are still very popular) and customs.
I have, but there are not that many listings. Most that are, do not state the reason for their defect.
Secondly, it would still be nice to get some answers on the primary question, as it could provide insight on this topic for future scenarios.
Regarding the Ali conditions and circumstances, I have yet to encounter any issues with recent shipments (be it customs or their lockdown protocol. Plus, they often include some kind of warranty (whatever little value it has, still better than none when bought directly second-hand).
Thank you for your reply!
I would look at Amazon for refurbished phones, never buy something at AliExpress
Amazon.com : refurbished phones