i am out $600 (and am VERY angry) because what should have been obvious to point out here was not. had i read the comments in this section before proceeding this may not have happened. yes, of COURSE you need to wrap a zip tie around the phone to prevent it from opening too far. prying on the case and pulling hard with the suction cup will undoubtedly result in the cover snapping open and, given the laws of physics (momentum) will cause it to open too far and pull out the connector. i can't be certain that was why my phone did not work after replacing the battery (as it did before starting) but it's a good guess. thanks a lot!