Changing an iPhone screen.

I managed to shatter the screen on my phone. Has anyone had any luck changing them. I had insurance but there is a $200 deductible, so I was tempted to try changing it myself.

I have not done this myself, but I have seen several guys change them at the firehouse. If firemen can fix them, I'm sure that you should have no problem either.

My brother did his a year or two back. The biggest thing is to be ultra OCD to make sure there are no fingerprints and no dust under the glass. Other than having dust permanently behind his screen, he said it was pretty easy, if a bit tedious, and it worked fine until he sold it a while later.

Which generation of iPhone? The 3Gs were easier, the 4G is much tougher. My wife's 4G screen broke, and after doing a bunch of research, we just traded it in for a refurb for $150.

It's a 4g. Of course I had to get the one that's a pain to do.

I've done 4-5 for the iphone 4. It's pretty easy. I found a how-to video on the tube of yous, followed it step by step. Picked up the screens off fleabay for $20-30. First time took me about an hour, now it takes about 30 minutes. Just remember to keep the screws you remove with the parts you remove. There are several different lengths and thread sizes, so it's easy to get them mixed up.

In a major market like NYC, there should be tons of independent cell phone stores who can do this for you. If eBay sells the parts for $30, offer $60 and get it done by someone who has likely done it 100 times and will have you out in 30 minutes.
It's all negotiable.
Those stores may have used handsets but another option is to check out www.mobilekarma.com Look for an Iphone that is branded for your carrier. Keep your choice to "great" quality or better.

You may find that in the fine print of your insurance, if you spend the $200 deductible, that still does not get you a "new" handset but rather a refurb/used.

Or go on any Craigslist in the country, look for iPhone repair, and meet someone local who will probably swap out the screen while you watch for $50.

i'd second the CL... wife cracked the digitizer on hers, went up to west houston (portion where in a few blocks you can see 5 or more languages on the store signs) and had the digitizer replaced in the matter of an Hr or so... we went and has some awesome "Mediterranean" (Persian) food while we waited :)

I've never done a 4, but the 3GS took about 15 minutes and $20 for a preassembled replacement touch screen sourced from Amazon. It even came with a little tool kit with everything I needed, and free shipping.

My wife got hers done at a kiosk at the mall in 15 mins. No idea what it cost her.

We had to do her iP5 and my iP4S in the same weekend. The crackalaka hookah pawning cell store did them both for $85 ea iirc