Success-I did it!

Mijn probleem

In my pocket, my little mail box key on a key ring got somehow stuck in the Dock Connector of my iPhone 4S and damaged the connector contacts. I couldn't charge my phone and it wouldn't connect any more to iTunes in my PC. Apple would only offer an exchange for 199 EUR, no repair. So I found myself challenged to do it cheaper and to replace the battery as well.

Mijn oplossing

Ordering the parts was easy and well described. The little package arrived in Germany by FedEx within 3 days. I was only surprised to get a bill from customs after about a week via FedEx of about 25% of the total IFIXIT costs including shipping. I thought this was expensive, but certainly not the fault of IFIXIT.

The repair was very well described and took me about 2 hours. But I may have been overcautious with all the tiny little parts. With that first experience, I would be probably able to do it again in about half of the time.

Altogether, it was a thrilling, sometimes "heart pounding" experience, when detaching and installing the parts and when performing at the end the final test, whether everything is functioning again. Then the proud feeling: "I did it!"

Mijn advies

Congratulations to the guys, who have put together the guide "iPhone 4S Dock Connector Replacement", it is very well done. I only was a bit confused at Step 16. I couldn't find "...the retaining flap on the home button ribbon cable ZIF socket" to be flipped up. At the end, I ignored this step and it was no problem, at least to my iPhone!