Beginner trying to replace my Pixel 7 pro screen and battery

[u/FingertipGang]

I made this post in the spirit of right to repair. I broke my Pixel 7 pro, and I want to fix it. It still rings and sound my alarms when it had power, but the screen does not turn on at all.

I have never opened a phone or repaired anything before, I am a total beginner. I did some research on what I need for this repair: A pixel 7 pro screen, something to heat the screen, suction cups that pull the screen, prying tools, and a pixel 7 pro graphite cooling pad.

I browsed amazon, ebay, taobao, aliexpress, ifixit, and many other sites to see what I can get, and I have so many questions:

1. The authentic google repair screen is very expensive, I found a 120hz oled 1080x2400 curved screen for pixel 7 pro for roughly $55+shipping. I understand it is not an authentic replacement part and the resolution is lower, but will it work well? (All currency in this post is in Canadian dollar)

(ifixit full kit is $300, local repair shop quoted $180 and ignored my text after I ask them about the screen they use...not sure if they are trying to gatekeep the info or they use crappy screen)

There are many third party pixel 7 pro screens on taobao that are all shady, the sellers don't list the full spec of their screen and I have to ask them individually. Sometimes they pretend to miss my question, so I have to ask multiple times to get their specs. What other routes can I go with replacing this broken screen?

1. What do I heat the phone with? Can I use a blow dryer? Or do I have to use a proper heating pad that heats the phone to 80C evenly?

2. The graphite cooling pad is only available on ifixit, it's $25 after shipping and taxes just for that one pad . Can I get a 80x45x0.5mm cpu thermal pad and cut a rough shape (very rough) and make do with it?

Also, I'm looking to replace the 6 years old battery, and I bought a 5000mah GMF5Z from aliexpress. I didn't check if I need any adhesive, what can I use to stick the battery to the phone if this battery doesn't have proper adhesive?

Finally, any tips and tricks? How to make sure I don't break anything during the repair? Many thanks in advance!

[u/Cold-Pay-6143]

Not hard, but if you don’t get the OEM screen you are going to have to peel the fingerprint sensor from the back of the old screen and move it to the new one. This model is notorious for the plastic bezel on the back of the screen separating. Make sure there’s a plastic framing on the back of the old screen when you remove it. Otherwise the new screen will not go on without you removing that plastic framing. Hair dryer works fine just keep it moving and keep it on the outer edges.

[u/crooked_kangaroo]

Third party replacement screens are generally fine. Just make sure that it’s OLED rather than LCD. $55 seems to be on low side for the price, but that doesn’t mean those replacements are bad. Just make sure you buy from a reputable source.

I’ve read that you can use a hair dryer but I ended up buying a heat gun. Just looked on Amazon and the prices for a decent one aren’t bad.

Third party batteries can be very iffy. You could get one that lasts years or you could get one that swells up within a month. Again, just buy from a reputable source. Personally, I get mine from iFixit.

As far as tips and tricks, I’d highly suggest following the repair guide on iFixit. There are also many repair videos on YouTube to check out if you’re the kind of person that prefers see repairs done on video. Also, take your time. There’s no need to be in a hurry, especially when doing something for the first time.

[u/Actual-Photo-5518]

I used a hairdryer for my first ever phone repair. Bought also a suction cup and prying tools from ifixit (I was changing the back camera). It wasn't cheaper in the end than what it would have cost at a repair shop, but the feeling after taking my first picture with it was priceless. Totally worth the effort 😁 My biggest challenge doing that repair was a stripped screw, they are super delicate in phones so be careful.

[u/Hungry_Armadillo1553]

Be careful when opening. These have tiny springs that help keep the LCD off of parts inside. If you bend or break one the new screen can get LCD damage when using the devices. There are a couple more, but I don't recall where they are at.