Chosen Solution
I was working out at the gym and accidentally dropped a 50 lbs dumbbell on my phone. My screen cracked (left upper corner) and bottom 3/4 of the screen was not visible. I went to the local repair shop (not Apple) and got my screen fixed for $130. The touch screen works now and I have no problem with using my iPhone. However, my wifi is grayed out and bluetooth doesn’t work. I have an apple watch and since bluetooth doesn’t work, it’s useless now. In addition, camera doesn’t work. The repair guy said the chips that control wifi/bluetooth must have been damaged. But what about the camera?? (when I launch camera app, I only see black screen) The rear camera doesn’t seem to be damaged. I want to save money and try to fix this myself. What parts should I buy and will this fix my problem?
The image above shows where the dumbbell hit my phone ( red rectangle). p.s. flashlight doesn’t work as well.
Ben is correct. That upper right hand corner where you dropped the dumbbell is where the RCAM and WLAN/BT IC reside. Considering that everything else works, this phone is most likely repairable. The question; is it worth repairing? Your camera was rocked pretty heavily; if your lucky the connector was not damaged. This probably requires either a new camera or micro soldering repair to the connector (or both). You also need to repair the WLAN IC. This also requires a micro soldering repair. Look for a repair shop that offers 6 months warranty. This is not a DIY repair. Repairing your phone will probably cost less than having it replaced by Apple. If you have a relatively new phone and the housing is in generally great condition, it sucks to get a refurbished/replacement phone, with unknown history and age, as a replacement. There are many reports of refurbished iPhone 6+ suffering from Touch Disease and Apple only warranties replacement phones for 90 days. If your housing is banged up and scratched, it may make sense to just have it replaced by Apple. There is no perfect solution here, only compromise.
