My first DIY smartphone repair project got off to an inauspicious start.
I had successfully removed the back of the HMD Skyline, but the next instruction called for a T3 screwdriver. I had a T4 bit, which worked well enough to turn the screw sticking out of the corner of the back panel of the phone. But a T4 was too big for the small screws holding the battery connector cover in place. I needed that T3.
The Skyline is one of HMD’s latest user-repairable phones. It’s a mid-range phone, one of the first Android phones with Qi2 wireless charging, plus a 6.55-inch OLED panel, three rear cameras, and a big 4,600mAh battery for $449. In my limited use, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 seems prone to lag, and the 1080p screen resolution really isn’t enough for that large panel.
But more importantly, the Skyline represents the continuation of a partnership with iFixit. You can purchase replacement parts for the Skyline on iFixit’s website, follow detailed repair instructions, and get the tools you need for the job. My review unit arrived from HMD with a basic iFixit toolkit, which has a decent set of starter tools – but not the T3 bit I needed.
Did you know you can walk into your local hardware store and buy something called a “smartphone repair kit?” I didn’t, but I’m glad you could. I bought the kit as a sort of insurance; I had been in contact with iFixit to get some replacement parts for the Skyline for testing and wasn’t sure if a T3 was coming in my shipment. It was, as it turned out, along with extra tools, a replacement battery, a replacement back cover, and some rad iFixit stickers. So thoughtful!
I spend a lot of time using phones, holding phones, being around phones, and considering phones, but I rarely look inside phones. That’s mainly because it’s generally considered rude to disassemble a $1,000 device that a company is lending you. Phone manufacturers would also prefer that you go through their official channels instead of repairing it yourself. But also, I’m kind of small. I’m not very handy and I’m nervous about breaking something – traits I’m slowly learning to overcome as a homeowner.
I’ll be honest, removing the battery from the HMD Skyline made me a little nervous, especially when the disposable tab I was pulling to free it from the adhesive snapped right off. But as with home projects, I’m learning that if you have the right tools, take your time, and consult with experts along the way, you can do a lot more than you think. The iFixit guide suggested that the adhesive might be strong enough to require constant, steady pressure. By carefully pulling the remaining two tabs, I finally freed the battery from the adhesive.
I had successfully followed the steps to remove the back cover of the phone, disconnect the battery and remove it from the phone. All I had to do before installing the new battery was remove a few bits of adhesive. I used a swab and tweezers to remove most of it, but the sticky residue needed to be removed as well. Working one drop at a time, I applied about 90 percent isopropyl alcohol and wiped off the residue with a microfiber towel. It was the most tiring and satisfying part of the job.
The most tiring and most satisfying part of the job
Coincidentally, I had to perform the same maneuver on a home project last week, only on a slightly larger scale. Apparently there is a small crack where the duct meets our external switch box that releases a small trickle of water on the wall when it rains. It’s something we’ve worked on a few times with a contractor, but their fix doesn’t seem to have stuck. They’re a big outfit and the “little crack where some rain falls in the drywall” is small potatoes to them anyway, so I took it on.
That’s how you end up on a step outside your house peeling all-weather tape off a metal box, a few millimeters at a time. But I did as the nice folks at the hardware store told me, removing the tape and residue underneath with some rubbing alcohol and a microfiber towel. The crack has been resealed and faced with a rain a few days later, and I plan to never shut up about how I fixed the leak in the wall myself.
Back to Skyline. I installed the new battery, replaced the new back cover and closed the whole thing up again. It takes some disturbing force and clicking to snap the cover back into place, but I did it. The phone turned on normally and is charging as I write this; iFixit recommends charging it to 100 percent and then leaving it plugged in for an additional two hours to calibrate.
The ease of this repair was not by accident
The whole process to replace the battery and cover took several hours – including 30 minutes spent running to the store for about 90 percent isopropyl alcohol. But after taking a look at iFixit’s other phone repair guides, I can appreciate that the ease of this repair was no fluke. If you want to replace a battery on the Google Pixel 8, you’ll need to complete 42 steps just to remove the original battery; on HMD Skyline, the entire procedure is just 21 steps.
To be fair, the Pixel 8 is IP68 rated for complete dust and water resistance, so it’s going to be harder to get into. The Skyline is IP54, which is honestly better than I thought considering its repairability status. And surprisingly, the Skyline doesn’t feel as well made as a less repairable Pixel or Samsung phone. Maybe you can’t have it all.
If nothing else, the exercise of opening the Skyline has made me an even bigger supporter of repairable phones. California’s repair law, which went into effect over the summer, has certainly helped phone makers make parts and documentation available to more consumers. But even those who are technically in compliance with the law don’t seem to be fully embracing its principles. Maybe those companies should trust their customers a little more. After fixing a wall leak and replacing a phone battery, my confidence in my self-repair skills is at an all-time high.