I'm such a luddite - lived with a broken camera on my phone for 1 year

londonTiger · 29 July 2015 at 12:14PM

Dropped an iPad on to my phone. iPad's corner landed directly on the cameras front facing camera area. Smashing the whole screen in the process.

I replaced the screen, but the camera won't work. Neither the front camera or rear camera.

Then I replaced the front camera thinking it took the impact so it must be the culprit but that didn't fix it.

I thought it must be the camera chip in the motherboard since both cameras aren't working, but kept putting off motherboard replacement as I would have to set up the phone with apps on with the new motherboard. Plus I would have to wipe out all data on the current motherboard and sell it on ebay (as parts/spares.. or disabled camera motherboard for overprotective parents).

Then one year later I looked into this once more. the camera chip isn't on the motherboard. It's on a detachable ribbon cable on the cable to the camera. So the rear camera and camera chip is replaceable! I'm such a doofus.

It's pretty damn difficult to walk around these days without a camera, price checking apps require you to scan barcodes. car insurers expect you to have a camera phone to take a picture of damages. So if you're without a camera you could be in trouble.

So long story short, I thought I was too clever for my own good, assuming I know the fault when I didn't.

agrinnall · 29 July 2015 at 12:18PM

I don't think it's that difficult to walk around without a camera, I very rarely use the camera on my phone, preferring to use a real camera if I want to photograph something. Yes, it can be useful to scan QR codes, but not often essential.

VoucherMan · 30 July 2015 at 6:26AM

I'm with agrinnall on this. I've just check my phone. Last time I used the camera on it was in May- 2012, and to the best of my knowledge, not a single mental or physical scar as a result of it.