Samsung Pad - Slightly Damaged Screen (Replacement) - Uk?

[eek]

I have a Samsung pad that has a slight crack on the screen, but still functioning.

I enquired about fixing it here and as it is not a common part was quoted 5000 baht...eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

I will be visiting London for a short period soon and wondered if the screen part could be bought cheaply whilst there? (tottenham court road maybe??)
Long shot enquiring on here really, but thought id give it a try.

Thanks for any help on this

[KunMatt]

I have the same problem with my gf's Samsung Tab screen. Just the front glass is cracked but the LED screen is ok. I haven't had the chance to go to MBK/Panthip or the Samsung repair shop in Pratunam to get a quote yet but 5,000 baht is too much considering the whole device only cost like 12k when it was new.

I looked on eBay and I think the reason it is so expensive is because the LED and the front screen come as one kit. If you can find a repair shop who can just replace the front screen from an older broken unit then it must be much cheaper. I was hoping it would be in the 1k baht region.

If anyone knows, please let us know.

[eek]

Hi Matt, yes, that seems to be the problem.
The screen comes with the LED.
Apparently its pretty cheap to replace ipad screens, due to cheaper alternatives (not official Apple) being on the market to replace the screens, but with Samsung there is no cheaper alternative so there is import taxes to be paid (so im told).
Thats why i was hoping that it may be much cheaper to get hold of one in the UK.

If i do find out any alternative in Thailand, will be sure to let you know!

[KunMatt]

I'm going to MBK, Panthip and probably the Samsung service center tomorrow so will let you know what I can find out. I would imagine there will be some workshop that will have the parts as when my gf's iPhone4 packed in we traded it in as parts, for this now broken Samsung Tab as it happens. So places will have the parts from broken devices, I can just see them asking full new replacement prices for it as seems to be the norm in Thailand.

[473geo]

If the cracks are not obtrusive could you not just run with the protective film that can be bought? Apologies if you have this already, just trying to help.

[KunMatt]

If the cracks are not obtrusive could you not just run with the protective film that can be bought? Apologies if you have this already, just trying to help.

My gf's tab has been dropped so many times the screen almost looks like frosted glass!

[eek]

If the cracks are not obtrusive could you not just run with the protective film that can be bought? Apologies if you have this already, just trying to help.

Ive done just this thing 473geo, and yes, it did improve the appearance for sure.

Thanks for the suggestion in any case though!

It seems my situation is less drastic than Matt's girlfriends (lol at the frosted glass comment), as i just have a crack near the edge..however, i am really just being a bit of a perfectionist and wanting my screen to look as good as it did before the crack.

So, 5000 would be stupid to pay for a replacement for just a thin crack line, but id pay 1000 or maybe even 1500..just to have it perfect again. Otherwise, ill just live with it!

[KunMatt]

OK eek, I just got back from MBK with a fixed Samsung Tab screen. It was the usual chore of walking up and down getting run around by people but hopefully my legwork will save you some;

First I went to the Samsung service center at the far end of floor 4 (by far end I mean the furthest end from the BTS), I took a number and waited an hour to be served (I was number A18, the queue was at number A09 when I go t there so be prepared to wait!), and they quickly gave me a quote of 2,950 baht but it had to be sent away for 5 days. I knew i could find somewhere to fix it today so I passed.

I asked around a lot of the shops in this area (which for some reason most of them have Samsung banners on them) and the price ranged from 2500 to 3000 baht, but as usual they send it away to their friend's shop to have the work done so they obviously add on their commission and who knows what parts they will end up using or removing from your device (had this happen with the iPhone4 I mentioned earlier, went in with a broken screen came back completely bricked with different components!).

So finally, I found a real repair shop in zone D of floor four, i.e. the shop had the replacement part and they did the work themselves. Took an hour and cost 2,000 baht. More than I was expecting for a 10k Samsung Tab but I think the digitizer (touch panel) is part of the front screen. If you want to use this shop it is unit 4AC-02 and the name is EARTH SERVICE but I didn't see the name above the shop. When you get to zone D, do a right and it is near the far corner. Tel: 081-6542010 or 088-8866636, the guy spoke good English and can direct you if you call and want to go there.

Whilst walking around after that I saw a couple of more shops with just the front panels of iPads and Tabs in their window display so there are a few shops in this zone that can fix it for you. Just don't let someone say they can do it and then send it to their friend's shop for the work to be done.

Incidentally, my device is a Samsung Tab 1, 10.1".

Good luck!

[eek]

Thanks Matt!
I will take a look when in the UK, but if nothing compares to the price you quoted i will check out Earth Service on my return leg as i will be in Bangkok.
Glad you found someplace that didnt cost the earth.
HOpe your girlfriend has less butterfingers with it now..haha.

[KunMatt]

Just to try and avoid any confusion; in the MBK mall Zone A is on the BTS side of the mall, the shop I went to is in area D inside of this MBK Zone A. Confusing??

The Samsung Service Center is in MBK Zone D, i.e. the farthest end of the mall from the BTS.

[Guest StephenB]

On a Samsung tablet 10.1 (p7500) the LCD is separate from the digitizer. The digitizer is only about 300-600 baht on ebay and mails from somewhere in China/Hong Kong. Be sure to specify the correct model when finding a new digitizer, and pay extra for a tracking number. Then search youtube on replacement instructions. I just did mine, one of my kids thought it was the end of the world when it broke.lol If your is the 10.1 - be careful there are at least 2 screen variants. I had to order twice. IF yours is a Samsung note it might be more tricky.

[KunMatt]

There's an unfortunate epilogue to my little tale above; the screen looked perfect in the shop but when I got home and my gf started to use it the touch screen would randomly lock up or glitch and could only be reset by pressing the screen lock and then unlocking it with a swipe, then the fault would happen again more frequently. Now logically the fact that the digitizer had just been changed immediately before this problem ever appeared, it was obvious that this screen repair was the cause, but just to be sure it wasn't a driver problem with a newer type of touchscreen they gave me or anything software related I restored to factory settings and then upgraded from Android 3.2 to 4.0.4 but the fault remained.

I went back to the shop to show the fault and they said it had to be a software related problem, I disagreed. They opened the case and I could see that the digitizer they used to replace my broken one was not a genuine Samsung part as seen by the missing part number on the ribbon cable. They now said they don't carry any original Samsung replacement parts but offered to replace it with a different digitizer of a different copy type for free, which we did. My gf will give it a proper test on Candy Crush Saga later on!

The original Samsung digitizer has the part number with "03T" on the ribbon cable, and I believe the original replacement part has "125C3-1015M" on the connector that plugs into the main board. If I could do this again I would buy an original part on the internet like StephenB suggested above and take it to this shop to let them do the work cuz even though I am a tech, I would rather just pay someone who has done it many times before 200 or 300 baht to make sure I didn't scratch up the LCD screen or wreck a component when trying to cut the glue border with a putty or Stanley knife because watching YouTube vids of removing the old digitizer looks like a right pain in the ass.

Or just pay Samsung 3,000 baht to send it away for a week and have it done properly and I guess you get a warranty with a definite genuine part.

[eek]

Oh too bad Matt, sorry it didnt live up to expectations.
Appreciate the update.

Thank you StephenB for the recommendation.

[GooEng]

Tan Telecom, MBK 4th Floor.

084-721-5403

081-815-6559

They have done a number of repairs on apple screens for me. Good price and reliable.

Worth phoning them for a quote.