-
Well I tried this just for giggles. The vacuuming did help somewhat but of coarse I couldn't get all. Maybe I got out about 25% of the dust. Didn't seal the sides however. Just a note about taking apart the storm: The camera cover does not actually snap in or out, it is just straight up stuck with some adhesive so if you do take this apart more that once, then you might consider the cover not sticking so well or staying in place.I think the best solution to preventing dust from getting under the screen is to actually seal up the gap between the layers of the screen (see pic below). I, and a couple other crackheads, have done this and it's worked great. Even though my phone is a newer build that didn't have dust problems, applying the seal gives me a lot more confidence.
Of course, no one should have to do this to prevent dust from getting into their phones, but that said...here's how to do it if you're so inclined...
CAUTION - If you aren't comfortable taking apart your phone and handling small electronics, DO NOT ATTEMPT this! Also, keep in mind this technically voids your warranty though 1) you can avoid detection by carefully removing the warranty sticker and 2) you can always remove the seal if needed - this is completely reversible.
1) Get the right tools and materials. You need a T6 screwdriver, a phone prying tool, an x-acto knife and thin electrical tape (compare the thickness of various tapes on the packaging). An alternative to the phone prying tool is any other hard, thin plastic (NO METAL) edge - those plastic keyrings from Borders, grocery stores, etc. seem to work.
2) Take out your battery, micro SD card and SIM card. Very carefully remove the warranty sticker covering one of the back screws and stick it on a non-stick surface - like the backing stamps come on. You can gently pry off the sticker using a small safety pin or needle. I recommend leaving the sticker on a non-stick surface and placing it aside for safe keeping.
3) Take the phone apart following this video -
4) Take the screen out and clean the sides between the two layers of the screen. If you already have dust in the screen, try using a vacuum to get it out. DO NOT try to blow it out with compressed air - this will only force it further in. If you can't get it out you can consider getting a new replacement from Verizon.
5) Cut a strip of electrical tape to cover one side of the screen. I found the easiest way to cut the strips is to use the x-acto knife to cut it directly from the roll of tape. Just place the blade at the beginning of the tape near the edge (the strip should be as wide as the thickness of the screen) and slowly turn the roll. I recommend cutting each strip a little longer than the length of the side you're covering. Make sure each piece you're cutting has one side from the edge of the tape - this will ensure one side of the tape is perfectly straight.
6) Apply the tape to the side of the screen, sealing up the gap between the top 3 layers (see pic below) . Line up the straight edge of the tape with the top of the screen. Once it's all lined up, take some time applying pressure on the tape to ensure it's all sealed tight. Carefully cut off any excess tape from each end.
7) Repeat step 5 and 6 for each side.
8) Once complete, your screen is probably a little dirty. Now's a good time to clean it off.
9) Before putting your phone back together, give each side of tape another press for good measure.
10) Put your phone back together. Make sure the 2 top and 2 bottom screws are nice and tight. Also, I wouldn't put the camera cover and bottom cover on until you've powered the phone back up and tested the screen - just want to make sure everything is working properly.
I know a video or pics would have been better. But, my phone's back together and working great, and I'm not willing to take it apart again - sorry.
(photo credit to TBacker)
01-11-09 05:55 PM - Sigh...When I called to get a replacement for what I called "excessive dust under the screen" I was told this was a surprise and that I should take it to a Verizon store to have the Tech clean it for me- no replacement. I did not take that as the final answer and had to press them for about 15 minutes before a replacement was ordered- but not before they told me I'd be charged full retail for the handset I sent back if was not determined "defective". I mean, they are really getting tough on this issue. Getting bent out of shape is needed.
Back in 2005 RIM sent replacements to people with 8700's that got dust in them. The reason was they learned assembly was being done incorrectly and they took steps to fix it.
If anyone thinks they don't have dust, they are not looking. Get a bright LED flashlight and shine it on an angle at the display when its off. You'll see the dust.
I'll post them here again, but here are my dust pictures. Taken with a 180mm Canon macro lens and with an open aperture so I could focus on the back side of the screen (i.e. inside the unit). Multiply this by 34 times to get the full 24 month accumulation over the life of the contract:
That's exactly what my Storm has started to look like... Some folks wonder what the big deal is if you can only see it when the screen is off... Actually, it is worst on a white background, or when watching a bright video. Those lovely little stars look more like big black boulders...
Called Verizon to get a replacement -- tech support told me she hadn't heard about the dust problem. I told her to wait, it'll be a bigger deal soon. Luckily, I also have started to have a screen click problem that I've rigged using the business card trick. She was more than familiar with that and ordered me a replacement without my even asking...01-30-09 02:36 PM - I thought my storm was perfect until I noticed dust also. This past Mon I called VZW and less than 20 minutes I had a replacement ordered. It got here yesterday and all is well so far. It came in a brown box so it did not have a build date on it
So far the device seems to have a firmer click than my original which I like. Everything else is working fine. I dont think this one was sealed like it should have been cause it has the same light bleed as my original. Just does not have any dust yet.
I just dont see how hard it is to seal something like it should be sealed. I am sure if the exec at RIM had dust in their screen they would not care as they have a desk full of backups with their names on it. Makes me wonder why they cant extend that a little further and just make the device without cutting corners. Whatever happened to making quality?01-30-09 03:03 PM - the build date is on the upc of the brown box. Can't remember what the field is, its like the third one down. The last few digits will be something like 01172009 (Jan 17 2009) -- which is the date on my recently delivered brown box.
Oh, and in case you haven't seen the posts, brown box FRUs are not refurbs. You didn't say it was, this is more of a public service announcement.
Last edited by Revolutionary; 02-05-09 at 12:02 PM.
02-05-09 11:51 AM - This is crazy! I've had my phone since the end of November and I've been okay with the dust issue, but it's getting annoying now.
I took off my InvisibleShield today to see if dust was truly under the middle of my screen and it was!
What should I do?! I'm debating if I should take it apart and clean it (via youtube tutorial video) or call CS and ask for a replacement (which I don't really want to do because I IS'ed the rest of my phone and just don't want to deal with CS..).
ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thx! I would post pictures, but I'm not at my 10 post limit..02-07-09 01:46 AM
