Broken earpiece replaced after battle with schmutz in threaded hole

Mi Problema

When we made calls, people could hear us, but we couldn't hear them. Had to use headset. Big pain.

Mi Solución

Great adventure! Learned all about iPhone guts and tiny connector technology. The main problem we encountered was during reassembly. Had some loose bits (small nut, rubber strain relief bumper) and had to figure out where they went. The biggest problem was schmutz in the 4.8 mm threaded hole at the top of the wifi antenna/logic board. The screw would not engage. Thought that problem might be related to rogue nut (it was not). Eventually found a piece of plastic schmutz in the hole. The whole process took about 3 or 4 hours. A lot of time, but also a lot of fun! After reassembly, powered on the phone, and it worked perfectly.

Mi Consejo

What do you have to lose? Your phone is broken, so even if your repair doesn't work, you are no worse off then when you started. Go for it.

Also, it's a good idea to tape down and label the tiny screws as you remove them. It's hard to tell the difference between the various-length screws since they are so tiny.