[Android General] Paul*R:
Replace the Star N8000 Digitizer

Hi Majo T. I have purchased and last week replaced a digitiser screen for the Star N8000 phone, successfully!

I could find nothing at all to assist on the web and it took some time to work out what to do, you cannot proceed very far until you remove the digitiser and there are no screws, it is glued on... (but not the toughest glue). Here is what I did:

1) Remove Back cover. Remove the very little screws underneath around the edge of the case on the back (including one with a sticker over it)

2) Heat the old front screen a little (not sure how much this helps but it could stop the screen snapping when you prise it off - I guess if yours is cracked then who cares...). I gently heated one edge, probably start at the bottom, near the buttons. I did this over a gas ring on the hob... but be careful!, a hair dryer or other heater should work enough.

3) You need to start with the blade of your craft/utility knife (in UK called a stanley knife) coming from above at the very edge to get the blade underneath (don't go in horizontally from the side)...the digitiser is held in a recessed groove, like glass in a very narrow picture frame, very thin border. This took me a while to work out. Then being careful start levering it off, slowly, just lift a couple of mm at a time. I used spare utility knife blades to keep the gap open that I had created while I worked around the edge (be careful... they are sharp - perhaps just card or plastic would have been safer) - your screen will still work with blood over it but best not risk it ;)

4) with the screen off or loosened, it will still be attached with the ribbon (top right) - mine wasn't - I cut through it. Possibly that was a mistake if the screen has only stopped working due to a defective ribbon connection, but too late now....

5) Then you can finally unclick the surrounding case (Bezel?). Around the edges there is the band, with your fingernails (or a blade) run around the edge, it came off fairly easily. It clicked apart as you run your nail around the edges.

5) The old glue stuck to the old digitiser when it came off, if yours doesn't, I would peel off manually from the phone bit or perhaps re-use...

6) I didn't have glue. I used thin double sided sticky tape cut to fit the sides of the case and replaced as much as I could be bothered. Spend as long as you want here, it's not so critical as the digitiser is such a snug fit. You know this tape? It has two sides of white film and the sticky bit is in the middle... so leave the top 'film' in place until you are ready to stick the screen on and then remove.

7) Disconnect and reconnect the digitiser ribbon cable. It is very small and you will see from the old one how to do this. I used tweezers to help - push the ribbon end into the receiver block, It only seemed to push in a little way in, but it worked - I guess you could test while the screen is off

8) When ready... get the sticky tape ready (remove the film) and locate the digitiser and push home.

9) replace screws. Replace back and voila!

Note: The actual screen underneath is very easy to scratch and mark, only use a very soft cloth if you accidentally mark it.

I took a few pictures of my re-assembly stages - which I could email or post on here perhaps.

Hope this helps, people - took about an hour and a bit, and was a little tricky but satisfying - Good Luck!