So I got around to getting a new digitizer (screen) and replacement battery for an ancient iPhone and got them installed.

Question for those who've replaced digitizers...

Any ideas as to why the screen will behave as if its being touched in a bunch of places without actually being touched?

Its not all the time, maybe 2 or 3 times in a day. All I have to do is turn off the screen and wait a few seconds.

This is the second digitizer I've replaced but the first time I've had this issue. Mostly just curious if there someone more technically inclined/experienced with an answer other than guessing.

  • abc [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    1 year ago

    Any ideas as to why the screen will behave as if its being touched in a bunch of places without actually being touched?

    It's been a few years since I did mobile phone repair (and honestly I chucked most of that shit out of my mind as soon as I left that job) but cheap digitizers will do this. If a reboot/turning the screen off fixes it, that'd be my best guess. I also used to see that though with phones that'd been repaired elsewhere and someone didn't properly screw the LCD shielding plate back in.

    • D61 [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      1 year ago

      didn't properly screw the LCD shielding plate back in.

      Would that be something visibly noticeable from outside (screen not seating against the body or bulging) or only noticeable when inside the case?

      • abc [he/him, comrade/them]
        ·
        1 year ago

        Ehh it could definitely be noticeable if it wasn't done properly. Same thing with like, the flex cable shielding for the battery - if that isn't screwed in properly it can cause the screen to bulge noticeably. Usually you can both feel and see this though - it'll feel like you're pressing down on something when you touch and there'll be like light leaking from the sides of the screen/it won't be flush with the sides. This goes for a number of parts on the older iPhone displays - like the home button, front facing camera/mic, and the shielding for both the screen & the battery flex cables. If any of those are seated awkwardly or not screwed in properly, it can cause issues.

        • D61 [any]
          hexagon
          ·
          1 year ago

          well... no bulges anything, so I guess I'll just ride it out for a few months and see if it stays intermittent. If it gets worse I'll go back in and poke around some.

          Thanks for info. comrade-fly