1. 

   Kurt C. Decker
   August 19th, 2010 - 13:58

   Summary:
   
   I just used this kit to replace the battery on my iPhone 3G. It took less than 30 minutes, and was pretty easy.

   Pros:
   
   The included battery appears to be the exact same model as the one you remove from the phone.
   
   Includes (almost) everything you need to replace the battery and put the phone back together.
   
   The suction cup made removing the screen very easy.

   Cons:
   
   No instructions (although they’re easily found online)
   
   More tools than you actually need
   
   3M Adhesive doesn’t get used
   
   Doesn’t include anything small enough to get the SIM card out (use a paper clip)
   
   Could have used a pair of tweezers instead of the extra tools

   Review:
   
   I would rate myself fairly comfortable around electronics in terms of taking apart stuff like this. The procedure is pretty straight forward and isn’t overly complicated. That being said, you need to have a good set of eyes and good dexterity in order to get the tiny screws out and align the connector cables. I suggest reading through the instructions online and seeing if this is something you feel comfortable doing since you’re going to be operating on your $400 phone.

   Taking the phone apart doesn’t require all the tools that are provided. I only used the small phillips screw driver, the suction cup, and the smaller green pry tool. The other tools included (but not used) were a purple guitar pick, a thicker green guitar pick, a larger green pry tool and a small flat head screw driver. Maybe in other versions of the phone these tools are necessary, but mine didn’t even have a flat head screw and the screw driver was too large to fit the small phillips head screws. In addition to the tools provided, I needed a paper clip in order to remove the SIM card. When reconnecting the cables, it probably would have saved me a minute or so if I had a pair of tweezers to use on connector #3. Even without the tweezers, i was able to push it in with the paperclip though.

   I have no idea what the die cut 3M adhesive is for and didn’t end up using it. Perhaps it’s for the 3GS model. The battery provided has double sided tape already applied to it, so I know it wasn’t for that. It looks like it should be used to hold the screen into the case, but I found my screen was a tight enough fit that I didn’t feel the tape would offer any additional benefit. The suction cup was a key component in removing the screen.

   I would definitely buy this kit again, even though going forward I’ll only need a battery and not all the tools. It’s cheaper and faster to do it yourself than to pay for a service. Apple charges $79 and has your phone for 3 days, online places take 2 weeks but are half price. If you’re in NYC like I am, you can get same day turn around at some electronic shops, but the going rate was $129.

   This kit shipped to me from Coney Island in Brooklyn via USPS. They provided a tracking number, but the USPS tracking is basically useless since it doesn’t provide an expected arrival date. I ordered it on Monday and it arrived Wednesday, but that’s going from Brooklyn to Manhattan which isn’t very far.
   Rating: 4 / 5
2. 

   Fall guy
   August 19th, 2010 - 14:31

   Parts missing, only received battery, no tools or screen protector. Installation went ok, battery life was worse than original battery it replaced and phone became very hot when used. I put original battery back in phone and have confirmed that replacement battery made phone hotter and last shorter
   Rating: 1 / 5
3. 

   B. F. Ebert
   August 19th, 2010 - 16:25

   Problem with supplier. Kit not shipped with battery. Finally shipped after I contacted supplier. Ordered three batteries with kits, received batteries but only one kit. No instructions provided. Have to search for instructions on the Internet. Too early to determine the quality of the batteries.
   Rating: 3 / 5
4. 

   wrongwy
   August 19th, 2010 - 17:07

   My husband’s iPhone 3G battery needed replacing and since he’d done surgery on a Blackberry trackball, felt up to the task of replacing the iPhone battery. We bought a kit with tools and shipment time was quick – ordered Thursday eve, arrived Monday USPS. Tools helped – but screwdriver was too large and he used a tweezer and a tiny screwdriver we had in inventory. There were NO instructions. We did a search online and found several. Like other reviewers, there was no need for the 3M adhesive. Took a half hour to finish the project. Phone works fine.
   Rating: 4 / 5
5. 

   o_town_racer
   August 19th, 2010 - 19:27

   Excellent battery replacement kit and a great value. All instructions on replacing the iPhone 3G battery can be found on the internet, both step by step text documents and videos on YouTube. I reviewed those prior to attempting the install myself. Also, this battery has the contacts in place, so it simply pops into place very easily. The only issue I had was that the precision phillips head screwdriver was too big to remove the iPhone 3G screws. I had a nice precision screwdriver set though, so that was not an issue. The hardest part was opening the case. I used the suction cup on the screen, and also had to use the case opener tool to pop the display free. After that it was really not difficult, just follow the instructions you find on the internet. There were 2 different videos I found…one has you disconnect the cable to the camera and the other has you remove the camera from the rear shell. I chose to remove the camera from the rear shell instead of disconnecting the cable (it’s just a pressure fit into the hole in the plastic rear shell). Take your time removing the old battery as the tape holding it in place is strong. I used the tools and worked my way around the battery, finally loosening it enough to pull it off. Reassembly was not a problem. Cable 3 is a little tricky, but not that bad. I used reading glasses and a bright desk lamp over my work area to help out. Also, the screws are VERY tiny. Make sure to have a good area to organize them as you remove them. If you drop one on the carpeting it is virtually impossible to find (it happened to me and I had to use a magnet to find it!). After all was done the iPhone 3G worked 100% and the battery was significantly better, lasted longer, etc than the 2 yr old OEM battery.
   Rating: 5 / 5

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