I have a broken but usable screen on my Sony xperia compact. Could go down insurance route but excess is quite stiff. Getting the screen replaced is spendy and not that fair off buying a new handset (of different make / model)

Other option will be to buy a replacement kit and do it myself. Has anyone done this, how did it work out and do I need any sort of skillz?

Never done it on a Sony but have done iPhones and iPods before.

Get some decent tools to use to separate the screen from the bonding and some decent small screwdrivers and you should be fine. Takes a fair time to do as you have to be careful when separating connectors and bits.

I ended up breaking a tiny plastic clip using a DIY kit.
It meant the phone never quite clicked back together, which used to really bug me.
Just make sure you watch a lot of YouTube tutorials.

Actually thinking about it a bit more, we have broken screens on my Sony, my wifes iPhone, my iPad and my daughters iPod. Investing in tools seems like I could get good value out of them

Buy a complete screen assembly (ie. glass, digitizer, LCD panel, etc).

Don’t even think about cheaping out and buying the glass only – it’s a horrible job to try to separate everything (especially the tiny shards of old broken glass) then get everything back together perfectly.

I’m dubious. Paid I think £60 or £65 off a market stall for a new screen. Not that they actually do the work

Phone has a been a touch odd since. Hard to end a call and some times needs a reboot to pick up the sim

It makes me think that is easy to muck things up

I should have sold as is and bought again, even if used

Have you looked in to any repair shops,Edinburgh/Newcastle ?

simon_g – Member
Buy a complete screen assembly (ie. glass, digitizer, LCD panel, etc).

This is the route to go down. It’s a piece of piss. cheap eby screen are unlikely to be the same quality you got on your original phone, ime, but good enough, particularly if you’re just going to smash it in a few months again..

my brother did it on an iphone 5. Worked fine, only now you get slight discoloured blotches on the camera images. They’re pretty delicate things!

I tried and failed doing it on an iPhone. Very fiddly and wished I hadn’t wasted 2 hours of my life. Binned the phone and got a new one.

I did one on a Samsung galaxy using a genuine screen bought from a place in the Netherlands. Very fiddly and a bit nerve wracking, but it worked a treat. However, I dropped it the very next day and it then refused to charge again so I ended up having to get a new one in the end. Whether the charge issue was related to me having had it apart or was really simply a result of the drop I don’t know. But I don’t think I would bother doing it myself again!

Done two different windows phones in the past both with good results.
The Lumia 800 was a doddle quite surprised how easy it was.
Both times I used a full screen/digitiser as its much easier.

The glass or the digitizer? I replaced the back glass on my wife’s Z3 compact, easy 5 min job with hairdryer

Yes, twice – on my Xperia Z1 compact. Ordered this:

http://www.iparts-4u.co.uk/Sony-Xperia-Z1-Compact-LCD-Touch-Screen-Assembly-Black

with this:

http://www.iparts-4u.co.uk/Sony-Xperia-Z1-Compact-LCD-Bonding-Adhesive?search=z1%20compact%20adh

and some of the tools for a couple quid and followed a YouTube vid.

Getting the screen off takes a bit of effort, so take your time and work your way round, but no skill required. Once I had cleaned the old adhesive residue and had everything fitted, I warmed the area around the new screen (ie the new adhesive) with a hair dryer and weighted it all down with some heavy books for a few minutes.

Does the screen work as perfectly as before? Honestly, not quite, but not so much that it’s annoying. It otherwise is working well…

Get some decent tools to use to separate the screen from the bonding and some decent small screwdrivers and you should be fine.

https://eustore.ifixit.com/en/Tools/Toolkits/Essential-Electronics-Toolkit-V2.html

I’ve failed at least twice on ipod touches. I’m not the worlds’ most inept DIYer, but the glue was too strong to get everything apart without breakages. If there’s a next time I’d probably pay someone else to do it.

Alternatively, if the damage is not completely fatal, just stick a glass screen cover over it, I’ve done that with great success. 2 quid and 2 mins work, job done.