A few weeks ago, while casually browsing eBay, a brightly colored iPhone caught my attention. Its eye-catching gold exterior, which is rarely seen in custom phones, made it stand out from the usual suspects. Intrigued by its bold appearance and curious to see how someone else might have customized an iPhone, I decided to take the plunge and purchase it. I’ve done my fair share of custom phone builds, but I was eager to see what kind of work someone else had done.
The seller’s description was over-the-top, promising that it was a reliable, stylish device. At just a few hundred Australian dollars, I thought it was worth a shot. But once the phone arrived, I quickly realized that I was about to dive into one of the most poorly executed DIY projects I’ve ever encountered.
The First Glance: Strange Packaging and a Cracked Screen
When the phone arrived, it was packed in one of the oddest packages I’ve seen—a Black Cat “spirit” box. While I hoped that the inside wasn’t as strange as the exterior, my excitement quickly faded as I unwrapped the device.
Right off the bat, I could tell the phone wasn’t as pristine as the listing had made it seem. There were cracks in the screen, missing screws, and the overall feel of the phone was flimsy. It didn’t inspire much confidence. Even the SIM tray was broken—how does someone even manage that?
When I plugged the device in, it began a boot loop. This wasn’t due to any hardware malfunction, but because the battery was so flat it wasn’t being recognized. iPhones require a certain level of charge to boot properly, and this one was so drained that it wouldn’t even be detected at first. It took a significant amount of time for the battery to charge enough just to display the flat battery icon. This confirmed that the phone had never been properly tested.
An Even Deeper Look: More Issues Begin to Surface
Once the phone finally powered up, it became clear that the problems were far from over. The home button didn’t work, and the phone was locked with a passcode. Even though the description promised a fully functioning device, it seemed like the seller hadn’t done any actual checks before listing it.
As I inspected the phone more closely, the extent of the botched DIY job became apparent. The “gold” back of the phone had a few large chips, exposing the white plastic beneath. It was clear that whoever had custom-painted the phone didn’t bother to protect it with a case, resulting in a scratched and damaged surface. The home button, which appeared to be from an iPhone 5S, didn’t match the iPhone 5C’s design, and there was no fingerprint capability.
But the real fun began when I took the phone apart.
Inside the Disaster: A Nightmare of Loose Screws and Poor Assembly
I started by removing the single screw that held the phone together, and what I found inside was jaw-dropping. The “gold” look continued with a fake gold battery, a few loose screws floating around, and multiple missing screws. But that was just the beginning.
There were two screws missing from critical spots, and I even found what appeared to be blood on the LCD bracket. One of the screws was far too long, and had it been tightened too much, it could have destroyed the entire logic board. Even worse, the home button wasn’t working because one of its interface pins had snapped off and was poorly glued back on. Glue doesn’t conduct electricity, so this half-hearted repair attempt was doomed from the start.
As I continued to dig deeper into the internals, I found even more issues:
- Several screws were loose or missing entirely.
- The back screen screw was gone.
- The earpiece speaker screw was the wrong size.
- The battery bracket was missing, as were the liquid indicators—likely due to water damage.
But the most comical part was the “high-capacity” battery. Promised to be a powerful 2680mAh, it was actually a 1560mAh battery with a fake gold sticker slapped on it. The sticker itself was crooked and came off easily, revealing the true capacity. No gold sticker could magically double the battery size.
iCloud Lock and Seller Ignorance
At this point, I decided to check the serial number on the logic board to see what I was dealing with. Sure enough, it was a 16GB model. But the biggest kicker? The phone was iCloud-locked. I contacted the seller, asking for them to remove the iCloud lock so I could reset the device and use it. I kept my message polite and didn’t mention the other issues, hoping they would unlock the phone.
Three days passed without a word from the seller. So, I filed a case with eBay, detailing all the issues. Suddenly, I got a response—within seconds, the seller claimed they would unlock the phone right away. They also offered to accept a return, but that seemed too easy. I wanted to see if I could fix this disaster myself.
Attempting a Repair: Salvaging a Broken Phone
I began my repair attempt by removing the display, which was damaged and would need to be replaced. Once the screen was off, I noticed yet more issues. An antenna cable that should have linked the logic board to the frame was missing, along with its screws. The clips that held the display in place were also absent.
To top it off, the LED flash bracket had been installed incorrectly. This seemingly minor mistake caused the logic board to bend slightly at the top, which led to further damage. Once I corrected that, I cleaned the camera lens and began sourcing replacement parts.
The parts I needed were found in a spare phone I had lying around. It was actually in better condition inside than the botched “gold” iPhone. I salvaged the battery, LCD brackets, and the missing antenna cable, and began the process of reassembling the phone. The logic board went back in, screws were replaced, and I even fashioned a makeshift pin to repair the broken home button.
I carefully reinstalled the battery, ensuring it was properly glued in place to prevent it from rattling around. The display was reattached, and I managed to find a replacement display clip and installed it correctly. Finally, I tightened the last few screws, and after a lot of work, the phone was back together.
Conclusion: The Dangers of DIY and Shoddy Sellers
After hours of work, I finally managed to get the phone into a more usable state. While it was never going to be the perfect device, it was now functional. But the real lesson here is that some people shouldn’t be attempting DIY repairs, especially when they lack the skills to execute a proper fix.
It’s one thing to try and repair something yourself—it’s another thing entirely to try and sell a failed DIY project to someone else. Unfortunately, this experience underscores why some people are against third-party repairs and DIY fixes. When done right, these repairs can be cost-effective and satisfying, but when handled poorly, they can turn into expensive disasters.
As for the seller of this ill-fated iPhone, I think they should stick to selling something other than their failed projects. And for the rest of us, it’s a reminder to be extra cautious when buying custom or refurbished phones online.
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