iPhone 4 - Replacing the dock connector

1. Depending on when your iPhone was manufactured, you’ll need either a Phillips screwdriver or a pentalobe screwdriver to open your phone.
2. Depending on when your iPhone was manufactured, you’ll need either a Phillips screwdriver or a pentalobe screwdriver to open your phone. They are located to the right and left of the dock connector. Put the screws in the same compartment of your organizer tray.
   2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe/Phillips screws

1. Use your thumbs or the palm of your hand to push the back cover of your iPhone about 4 mm away from the bottom of the phone where the dock connector is (see figure 1).
2. Then you can lift the back cover at the end that’s sticking out past the phone (see figure 2).

1. If your iPhone’s still on, turn it off now by holding down the standby button for about five seconds and following the prompt on the display.
2. Remove the screw on the battery connector using a Phillips screwdriver (see figure 1). Put the screw in a separate compartment of your organizer tray.
   1 x 2.6 mm Phillips screw
   The battery contact point on the logic board could come off. If the contact point breaks off but the soldering points are still intact, you can solder the contact point back on.
3. Now carefully lift off the battery connector by inserting the pointed ESD spudger slightly below the silver cover plate (see figure 2). If you don’t have a spudger, you can also try using your fingernail.
4. For the rest of the repair, you can also use the metal laboratory spatula instead of the spudger. This may make some steps easier for you. However, we explicitly recommend using the ESD spudger produced specifically for precision electronics.

1. The antenna cover is under the battery connector. NRemove the cover and put it in the same compartment of your organizer tray as the Phillips screw you removed before. (See figure 1).
2. Now remove the battery. It’s sometimes glued firmly in place. Insert the flat end of the spudger into the space (about 1 cm to the left of the volume down button) between the battery and the outer frame, and slowly lift the battery (see figure 2). If the battery’s really stuck on, use other leverage points to the right and left of the original spot to pry it off. If you still can’t detach the battery, you can use a heat gun to warm it slightly from the outside and soften the glue.
3. Now you can also disconnect the antenna connector by carefully pulling it off the plug head using the spudger (see figure 3).

1. Fold the plastic tab with the warning over and press it firmly onto the lower adhesive strip. This way, it won’t get in the way during your repair.
2. Of course, you can also remove the plastic tab.

1. Remove the two Phillips screws from the dock connection cable and remove the black (silver for newer models) cover (see figure 1).
   1 x 1.6 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.2 mm Phillips screw
2. Put the screws and cover in the same compartment of your organizer tray. It’s easy to tell them apart.
3. Now you can carefully detach the connector by using the flat end of the spudger to lift the connector again. Alternatively, you can also use your fingernail again (see figure 2).
4. Pull the flat cable that’s lightly glued in place off of the logic board and bend it carefully over the frame (see figure 3).

1. Unscrew the remaining Phillips screw on the speaker (see figure 1) and use the spudger to remove it (see figure 2). Put the screw in a separate compartment of your organizer tray.
1 x 2.4 mm Phillips screw

1. Remove the two Phillips screws on the dock connector cable set. You have to remove the orange sticker from the upper screw first. Put the screws in a separate compartment of your organizer tray.
   2 x 1.3 mm Phillips screws

1. Carefully flip over the little black rocker switch on the dock connector cable set using the spudger or laboratory spatula (see figure 1).
2. Then carefully pull off the Home button cable’s connector using tweezers or your fingers (see figure 2).

1. Carefully insert the laboratory spatula below the cable set to detach the parts that are glued on (see figure 1).
2. Push the nipple of the microphone’s rubber seal out of the little black groove (see figure 2).
3. Carefully pull out the entire cable set with your fingers (see figure 3).

1. Remove the microphone’s rubber seal from the old cable set using the spatula (see figure 1). It’s lightly glued in place.
2. Put the seal on the new dock connector (see figure 2).

1. Now put in the dock connector (see figure 1). Make sure the screw openings on the dock connector cable set are over the corresponding threads.
2. Now push the nipple of the microphone’s rubber seal into the little black groove.
3. Reconnect the Home button cable using a pair of tweezers (see figure 2) and flip the little rocker switch over again (see figure 3).
4. Fasten the dock connector with the two Phillips screws. You have to put the orange sticker back on the upper screw.
   2 x 1.3 mm Phillips screws

1. At first, only tighten the Phillips screw on the speaker a little bit (see figure 1).
   1 x 2.4 mm Phillips screw
   
2. The speaker’s clips have to be against the speaker behind the higher level of the middle cover (see figure 2). This is easiest if you only slightly screw in the speaker at first so it can still move around a little.
3. Once the clips are fitted properly, you can tighten the screw.

1. Connect the dock connection cable again and put the black/silver cover on it.
2. Fasten the two Phillips screws again.
   1 x 1.2 mm Phillips screw
   1 x 1.6 mm Phillips screw

1. Detach the plastic tab with the warning or stick it back in if you took it out.

1. First you have to attach the antenna connector again (see figure 1).
2. Now put the battery back in the iPhone.
3. Then install the antenna cover (see figure 2).
4. Now click the battery connector back into place and screw it in (see figure 3).
   1 x 2.6 mm Phillips screw

1. Put the back cover back on and carefully push it the last few millimeters toward the dock connector.

1. Now screw in the two screws at the bottom of the enclosure.
   2 x 3.6 mm pentalobe/Phillips screws
2. Then all you have to do is push in the SIM card tray.

When the battery is removed from the device, the iPhone loses the time and sets itself to 1:00 a.m. on 1/1/1970. You could have trouble connecting to the cellular network if the time isn’t set.

After a repair, complete the following steps:

1. Synchronize your iPhone with iTunes or connect to a WLAN network and wait until the time is set.
2. Remove the SIM tray with the SIM card and reinsert it.
3. Activate airplane mode on the device and then deactivate airplane mode.