Do you guys think it would be possible to remove the trackball from the front of the phone by removing the BB and escape cover plate on the keyboard?
If the keyboard is assembled like any other keyboard, i assume the buttons can be popped off and popped back in? I'm no expert on this, but i really don't want to exchange my phone again.
yeah, i've seen the disassembly vs other bb trackball removals, but, just wondering if its possible to just pop off that plastic piece, or if anybody knows why this might not be possible
The instructional video made me cry for about 15 mins. The guy literally had to disassemble the device, bezel, T8 screws, unplugging the screen, main board, trackball sensor and then the front assembly.
Pretty sure this isn't possible. From what I can tell, the keyboard (including the send, BB Menu, Back/Esc, and End keys) is a single piece that attaches to the phone from the inside.
I remembered someone mentioned that they took it to a spring store and they replaced it with a curve trackball.
I have a feeling a sprint employee wouldn't have the time more the precision to do a full disassembly to replace the trackball. Maybe there is another method?
I just did it. But beware, after swapping with my perfectly working BB8830, it still went only up and down not right and left. So if it's a hardeware issue, it's with the contacts between the trackball and the motherboard, not the ball touching the rollers.
To take off the Tour from the front, there are two tabs above the right/left buttons and one tab center bottom. The challenge is that there is silicon glue holding down the buttons that you have to cut with a razor or the tip of a fine precision screwdriver. I'd suggest you need to small precision flatblades to lift the top tabs out of their locks (turn the backlight on, it lets you see the tabs. Then lift it just enough to start cutting away the silicon.
Be careful, that plastic right below the top and bottom of the ball is microns thick and the think will break in two if you are not careful.
So, the answer is yes -- but since swapping with my 8830 didnt do anything, not I am on to problem 2 -- because swapping with my 8830 trackball did nothing.
Other than cglenn's suggestion I was thinking there must be an easier way too.
I know someone that brought their Tour back to Sprint for the trackball problem and they replaced it in about 10 minutes for him at least they said they did. The trackball was black not white.
All I know is what he told me and that he wasn't in the store for more than 15 minutes becasue I was at the mall with him.
Maybe they just did the press and roll thing along with cleaning it. I had heard that had worked for some people but not all.
bell mobility here in canada does, ive called them and confirmed it, they said itll take no longer than 30min and of course doesnt void your warranty or anything because they r the ones doing it, will cost me 30 bucks, not bad at all in my opinion, beats sending it out and waiting for a replacement, esp a refurb.
It's not possible to get the trackball from the front, speaking as someone who has taken a Tour apart. The trackball is behind the keyboard and pokes out through the whole. The whole is only large enough for the "poking" part. The rest of it is blocked. Whomever switches out this trackball will have to take the whole phone apart. It DOES NOT require detaching the screen from the motherboard (that was only to show full disassembly; not a trackball disassembly.)
