Fixing a cracked iPod touch

By Donald Bell
Jul 03, 2009

The iPod touch is one of the sleekest, most advanced portable media players on the planet. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most fragile. With one side covered entirely by a thin pane of glass, a single careless drop is enough to turn the iPod touch into nothing more than an expensive paperweight.

To protect your investment, Apple offers a one-year, limited warranty on its iPods, with the option to buy an extended Apple Care warranty. But on the day CNET Associate Editor Antuan Goodwin dropped his first-generation iPod touch face-down in a parking lot, he was out of warranty and out of luck.

A cracked iPod or iPhone screen is really a lose-lose proposition--you either pay someone upwards of S$248 (US$182.59) to repair it, or shell out for a new one. To Antuan's relief, I offered a third, less expensive option: DIY repair.

I had some experience replacing iPod batteries and messing with electronics, so I offered to do the iPod repair myself, so long as Antuan understood there was a good chance I would irreparably mangle his iPod. I found the replacement glass on iFixit.com for US$50, along with detailed, step-by-step instructions on the repair.

I won't lie to you--the repair wasn't easy. iFixit correctly cautions that the repair is "Very Difficult", involving lots of delicate parts, and, at one stage, requiring a hair dryer and an oven mitt to remove adhesive from the iPod's metal frame. What iFixit doesn't tell you is how fascinating it is to crack open this remarkable and densely packed little gadget, or the satisfaction of repairing your own stuff.

Tools for iPod surgery

If the screen cracks on an out-of-warranty iPod touch or iPhone, you either need to pay for it to be repaired, purchase a new one, or attempt to make the repair yourself. In this case, we chose the latter option and purchased replacement glass and some iPod opening tools from iFixit.

Editors' note:

This article is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. For more information, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published.

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, portable media player, CNET Networks Inc., Apple iPod Touch

The Steps »