Samsung Display: Screen Digitizers Parts for Galaxy Tab 4

How to Keep Your Finger on Your Tablet Screen

When you lose the screen on your Galaxy Tab, you immediately have a huge problem. It's not just that you can see anything; you also lose your primary interface, so you can't do anything either.

How a Touchscreen Works

The idea behind capacitive touchscreens is brilliant. It combines the visibility of an LCD with the ease of touch control. The controls change to reflect your needs making it a great choice for packing an incredibly complex interface into a small space. Most such systems have two main parts:

• LCD: The LCD screen on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 features a 1280 by 800-pixel TFT LCD panel. This gives a crisp display with minimal pixel crosstalk.
• Digitizer: Usually fused to the LCD, the touchscreen digitizer is the component that detects exactly where your finger is touching the screen and translates that into a control input.

How Do You Replace a Touchscreen Digitizer?

The big issue is that once you shatter the glass on your Galaxy tab, you're basically out of luck until you can install a replacement touchscreen digitizer. Luckily, there parts are readily available so that you can replace the unit if necessary. Since the digitizer is generally fused to the panel, you normally have to replace both simultaneously. It's easy enough to do provided you take the time to do it carefully. There are two main steps to remember:

• Open the Case: Working in from the side behind the screen, you have to carefully separate the back of your Samsung from the front assembly. You need to use a plastic prying tool and go in behind the chrome frame to disconnect the clips that hold the back onto the device. Then put the back aside and move to the front.
• Replace the Glass: Touchscreen digitizer replacement starts by removing the LCD from the frame. Carefully heat the front of the unit to soften the adhesive and then run a prying tool on the other side of the chrome frame. Loosen the assembly all the way around and then carefully pull it off the frame, making sure the chip connector goes through the slot.

Using a Tablet

When compared to a cell phone, a tablet is much more of a consumption device. The large display panel is more than just an interface, it's also a view to the world. It's large enough to get a good look at everything from video, to ebooks, and web pages. That's one reason why a screen replacement is a practical solution. It brings the tablet back to full functionality without the loss of any of your data or settings. All you need are parts, tools, and patience.