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following the directions, it appears that the sensor assembly should come out of the iPhone 13 mini attached to the screen. However, mine is stuck inside the phone, behind the bezel to which the phone is glued. Is this a slightly different phone model compared to the one in the instructions?
Is this a good question?
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Hi Zoe,
Sounds like a somewhat common mistake we see on iPhones where if you forget to take out the two Pentalobe screws next to the charging port but then try to remove the screen anyway, you end up separating the frame that's supposed to be mounted on the display from the display itself, leaving the screen frame attached to the phone's chassis.
Here's another case where that same thing happened to them.
SOLVED: Why does the inside of my iPhone x look different than everyone elses? - iPhone X - iFixit
iPhone XS replacement screen doesn't fit - iPhone XS - iFixit
All you need to do is first make sure you remove those Pentalobe screws then go back around the edge of the chassis and repeat the screen removal procedure on the frame this time. If you're not replacing the screen you'll need to reglue the frame back onto the display; otherwise just salvage the sensor array from the separated frame and toss the old frame and screen.
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I also have this issue - I am currently having trouble re-gluing and separating at the correct parting plane below the black plastic bezel on an iPhone 13 mini... what is my recourse? New screen? New phone?
Edit - looks like the upper sensor assembly is tied to the phone itself and buying a new screen might not help.
%#*@ I removed the screws and followed the ifixit guide and watched the video and this still happened to me. Looks like Apple might have designed it this way to create another failure point during a battery replacement
@i_had_a_stroke I have to say, we are seeing this happen a lot more on the newer iPhones, starting somewhere around the 12, than used to happen on the older models. It sounds to me that they've changed the way the support bezel is fastened to the screen, either a different mechanical arrangement or possibly a change in the adhesive used; perhaps a cheaper one that doesn't hold as well.
@dadibrokeit I have a new screen on the way, anything from the old screen that I'll need to take off to have the new one work without issue? I'm thinking it would just be the sensor assembly but need to look into a screen replacement guide.
I also find it funny that the prices go up every few years and they are still cutting costs in such places.
@i_had_a_stroke The sensor assembly is the only thing you'll need from the old screen. If you want True Tone to work again on an aftermarket screen like those sold by iFixit, you'll need a device programmer like the JC V1S or the QianLi iCopy. There's a piece of data called the MtSN that can be copied from either the phone or the old screen that would need to be programmed into the new screen to keep True Tone functioning. If you don't want to spend the $65 or so for a programmer, you might be able to find a local repair shop that can copy it from the old screen for you if you take them both in. Of course, you will see a non-genuine parts warning due to the use of a non-Apple phone, but that's the only other downside of an aftermarket display.
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