Is there a way to get a replacement screen?

Hi everyone,

I'm enjoying the device a lot so far, but unfortunately I put a tiny chip in my screen and then tried to polish it out which ended up making the situation worse.

Is there any way I can order a replacement screen or perhaps find a watch to use for parts?

Thank you!

More specifically I need the glass digitizer over the display. I've only had it for a few days and really want to be able to fix it since it's practically brand new still besides the scratched glass. Does anyone have a broken one with the glass still in good condition that they would be willing to part with?

Hi,

Sorry to hear that - I think you send us an email too? I'll just reply here though.

Right now, we don't have any spare parts, and removing the LCD itself requires very carefully heating the watch to soften the glue. Having done that and put it back, it's going to be very hard to ensure waterproofing.

However, I've just asked to see if I can get hold of some replacement screens, and if I can do that (and they come with the glue on them) then I could imagine it shouldn't be too hard and as long as you clean around where the display was before, it should be fine.

I'll keep you updated on what I hear back

Awesome! Thank you so much for looking into this. It would be really cool to have a new one to slap on if it ever broke or the digitizer stops working.

In this case it was entirely my own fault and it's purely cosmetic. I was actually able to use a rotary tool with a soft cloth attachment and baking soda/water mixture to hide the scratches a little bit.

I've got a bip screen protector on the way and that should hide them almost entirely while protecting from future scratches and dings. I'm thinking of trying some LOCA under the protector to help fill in any imperfections.

Once again, thank you! It's very impressive what you've been able to build with this bangle/espruino ecosystem. You're definitely onto something here.

Great!

Just to add, you asked for the digitizer, but the whole front glass + touchscreen + LCD come as one module - but if I can get spares that would make the repair process a lot easier

Oh okay, that's good to know. I was assuming the LCD was separate from the other two.

Quick update - it seems the manufacturer does have stock of the screens. It could still take me a few weeks to get them, but at least they will be available as an option soon.

Ok, well there's good news and bad news.

• I just received 100 Bangle.js 2 screen assemblies, with the front glass, touchscreen and LCD
  
• They didn't come with a backlight on them, or anything sticky to get them to stick back to the watch body
  
  

So I'm just trying to figure out if there's a way to get the other bits, however for some people I guess just a working LCD is better than no LCD, and it may be possible to swap the old backlight over, but I haven't looked into that yet.

Is there room for some narrow 3mm double sided adhesive tape like they use on phone screens? If there's a flat area around the outside edge on the back side (facing into the internals) it should be enough to hold it in place.

Well, it's more like a 1mm ledge where you could apply tape, but if you had 1mm tape you could apply that around the edge fine.

Although It might be hard to get it so there's no join that water could come in via. The other option is some kind of silicone sealant I guess.

If it's only 1 mm of contact the sealant sounds like the way to go.

I've had good success for smart phone displays with something called B-7000. Did not yet try it but it should get soft with some heat if you need to open the watch again. I suspect silicon sealant would be pretty final :)

Is it still possible to obtain a replacement screen for Bangle.js 2? Mine got some problems (I suspect due to humidity). The backlight wouldn't be that important, I could reuse the old one.

Yes, sorry for the delay - I've just listed them in the shop: https://shop.espruino.com/banglejs2-lcd

I should add that it might be tricky to swap the backlight over - the LCD that comes on the Bangle has tape over the back that makes it a bit tricky to get it off, but you might be ok.

Lifesaver Gordon! I just dropped my Q3 and smashed the screen. Hunted everywhere for matching/compatible/spare screens but finally found this. Fingers crossed.

Just a note that I've just managed to get backlights - they may take a week or two to arrive but it should mean I'll soon be able to send out complete screen assemblies!

Thanks a lot! I have already placed the order.

Great! Would you like me to hold off sending the order (maybe 1-2 weeks?) until I get the backlights and can send you the complete assembly? Right now the screens will work fine but don't have a backlight.

... @Ivor wanted his right away so hopefully soon he might be able to tell us how swapping his backlight assembly worked!

Thanks for the offer, yes, then let's wait 1 or 2 weeks until you can send it with the backlight assembly.

Indeed, will take some pics and describe how it goes (assuming it's not an abject failure) 😁 also hoping the watch is still ok, it took quite a drop. 😬

So.... this will be "half a guide" reasons at the end. ☹
Disassembly was relatively straightforward if a little tricky, if I was more organised and had the setup I should have made a video, so I will try to describe. Can't see how to re-order pictures so attached show (pic 3) the black tape peeled away, (pic 4) the screen with the tape removed, (pic 5). all the backlight parts.
I used a soldering hot-air gun to soften the glue, but I expect a hair-dryer could be used instead just as effectively, firstly on the screen itself and then used a suction cup to pull the screen away.
The back of the screen is covered in a black plastic tape, this is very sticky and needs patience to remove, again - used the hot-air to soften the glue and peeled away from the top holding the screen back as it peeled, this tore where it joined the LCD cables at the base, I was assuming I'd just cut a strip of tape to replace it with, but it you're careful you could probably re-use this.
Next I used tweezers to pull the black plastic cover away, this seemed to be clipped around the edges.
Next (more warming) and the thin white plastic sheet is glued around the edges and needs pulling away again from the top, this should come away with the solid clear diffuser.
Now all the parts ready to fit to the new screen in reverse, place the white sheet into the black frame with the black edging upwards, LED's down (pic 2), then clip the frame onto the back of the LCD (pic 1), finally clip the diffuser into the back of the frame and connect the ribbon cable into the screen socket.
And now the failure. Connecting up the new screen discover that the watch was indeed destroyed in the accident and is completely dead, so I can't add a guide to finishing the reassembly and confirming that the backlight works.

5 Attachments

Just to add, we now have backlights! So any future orders via the shop at https://shop.espruino.com/banglejs2-lcd will have the backlight attached

Hi. Thanks for providing replacement lcds. I dropped my Bangle this weekend and smashed the front :(
I've ordered a replacement - I'm hoping I can fit it myself, but do you have any recommendations for adhesives to seal it back? I'm not that bothered if it's not completely watertight but am reluctant to use superglue in case I need to replace again in the future!

I would definitely avoid:

• Normal (brown) Gorilla Glue (it foams and expands)
  
• Superglue (it can leave a white deposit)
  
• Acetoxy/Acetic Acid Silicone (the acid it gives off when curing could corrode components inside)
  
  

I'd suggest "Neutral Cure Silicone", probably in black. Something like this looks pretty good:

https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/chip-quik-inc/NCS10B-20G/10059560

But even a bathroom sealant you can get from a DIY store (you may even have one in a shed) should do it - the main thing is ensuring it's not Acetoxy (if you smell it there's a harsh vinegary smell).

Araldite/Epoxy would work fine too but I feel like you'd probably never get the display off again with that!

Thanks! I'll give that a try!