hardwareiphonescreen
I'm trying to replace my iPhone 5 battery, but first I have to take my screen off. My screen appears to be glued shut on the right side, but from what I can see of the inside of it, it looks very different than the tutorials. So I'm starting to think I'm not taking off the whole screen. In the picture below, should I continue to pry #1 out, or should I pop #2 out along with #1?
This is a hardware problem. This comes up when the ribbon connector from the camera to the main circuit board comes loose or gets disconnected altogether. If you have the right tools and enough DIY skills to open up your iPhone, it's a very simple fix that should be fairly obvious to see. Otherwise, the Apple Store should be able to repair it for you (I would think free of charge, but who knows).
If you do want to take apart your iPhone and attempt the repair yourself, PowerBook Medic has some really nice instructions for taking apart all versions of iPhones from 3GS and above. They also sell replacement parts and will repair it for you as well if you want. (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation nor prior experience with this company, so use at your own risk.)
This is what the front camera of an iPhone 4 looks like:
That little white/silver part is what's probably come loose; just pushing down on it gently should allow it to snap right back in.
If possible, try using a second display (through Mini-DisplayPort or Thunderbolt).
The objective is to find if the issue is the LCD panel (Screen) or the GPU (Video Chip/"Card").
If the issue persists on a secondary/external display, the issue is the GPU. If the issue is limited to the built in display, you've narrowed down the source of the issue to your LCD.
Have you noticed any other patterns, such as use of Safari or other apps? Some apps, upon opening, switch from basic "integrated" graphics, to the more powerful "discrete" graphics chip, and its possible that this change is causing the distortion.
EDIT: I should also note that service providers' diagnostics are unable to detect connection issues with the LCD panel (unless completely disconnected), so any tests they run will be inconclusive if its the LCD. LCD issues simply require visual inspection, and your photo should be sufficient proof. Source: Apple Employee/tech for 8+ years
Best Answer
The glass sits in the plastic guide underneath, you should focus on lifting the plastic guide first. Once propped slightly up, focus on the sides of the guide because there are metal clips connecting to the enclosure of the device. If too much pressure is applied, the plastic will break!
In other words, #2 should be your focal point.