Broken Screen - Samsung Galaxy SII

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone.

Does anyone know how I might best fix my problem?

I stupidly dropped my phone and the screen is now not working. the glass is still intact, but the inner screen is broken.

The phone still turns on, makes a noise and the menu and back buttons either side of the home button still glow.

I can't afford a new phone, so have been looking at buying a new screen, which costs in excess of £60 and most of the ones I have seen on ebay are not original Samsung.

The other option is buy a second hand phone and then swap the motherboards over so my data goes in the new phone. Has anyone had any experience of this?

One question is, if I buy a secondhand phone that is locked to another provider, does putting my motherboard into the other phone unlock it? Is the 'lock' applied to the motherboard, or is it more complicated than this? The reason for this question is that phones locked to '3' or T-Mobile seem to sell for a lot less than the O2 locked ones.

Hope someone can help/advise?

Thanks very much

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Have you checked your home insurance or bank account T&C first to see if your covered for accidental damage.

Or ask the manufacturer for a quote, your local CPW or 02 repairs for quotes.

Or a high-street repair shop.

I think you may have issues switching motherboards.

More damage than good can be further done.

[MI5]

If you are just effectively swapping outer cases it would still be your phone in a new case so it will be exactly as it is now.
The S2 is quite easy to take apart and there are guides on youtube to help.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for replies.

I will check household insurance compulsory excess - thanks for the suggestion, I hadn't considered that.

When you say the phone would be just as it is now, do you mean that swapping the motherboards over will make my phone work as it did before I dropped it - in a new skin with a working screen? That what I want, so that would be good.

I have seen some youtube vids and it looks reasonablly straightforward to change the motherboards, or change the screens. I just want to do it in the most cost effective way, so if I get a T-Mobile locked 2nd hand phone, will it still be locked to T-mobile if I put my motherboard in it?

Thanks again.

[MI5]

Your phone is the motherboard, that's all there is basically a motherboard in a case with a screen. Changing the case on your phone would give you a working phone again the same as yours was before the screen broke.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

You're welcome regarding the insurance suggestion.

I cannot comment on what you want to do regarding merging two phones components, as i've never carried out the process personally.

If your putting in the guts of your phone into another housing then it should be ok.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all, I will give it a go.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thanks all, I will give it a go.

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You're welcome.

Good luck and remember any remaining manufacturers warranty will be voided.