Ipod Touch 7th Gen parts question

[BlayneRTFM]

What I need to do: I received an iPod Touch 7th gen from a customer for repair. I don't think Apple even calls it 7th gen, I think they just call it the iPod Touch 2019. Model # is MVHW2VC/A (A217B). I need to replace the entire front assembly, LCD+Digitizer+Glass as well as the frame that snaps the top half of the screen into the iPod. I also need the front camera, the back camera and the Power/Volume button ribbon cable as the LED flash is not working and in older models, usually replacing the power/volume button ribbon cable to logic board fixes the flash.

The problem: As far as the

http://WWW is

concerned for parts, this device does not exist. I have contacted every supplier I have ever dealt with over the past 20+ years as an owner of a repair shop and none of them have ever had parts for this device and don't seem to know where to get them. I've even resorted to eBay and Amazon and nothing. I then contacted other repair shops and pretty much everyone of them said they don't fix iPods or have never had an iPod 7th gen come into their shop. Nobody anywhere has parts for this device which I find extremely odd because that would make it the only Apple device in recent memory that has no source for parts whatsoever. I also cannot take the device apart until I have at least a replacement screen as I have to give the iPod back to the customer in the same shape I received it or better but this glass is so shattered, once it's off it's not going back on. And the difficulty range for dismantling this device by technicians is considered "Very High..."

One possible solution is that one person told me that iPod Touch 5th Gen and 6th Gen parts are pretty much all the same as far as the screen and cameras are concerned and fit the 7th gen model. I checked the specs of the iPod Touch 6 vs. the iPod Touch 7 and the screen dimensions and resolution are the same. The camera specs are also the same. However, that doesn't mean the parts will fit and 6th gen parts are just as rare as 7th gen parts so I would have to resort to 5th gen parts and I just can't see parts from a device made in 2012 fitting a device made in 2019 after 2 revisions.

I guess what I am asking is 2 questions; does anybody know anyone who carries parts for this model of iPod or has anyone successfully used previous 5th/6th gen parts in this 7th gen model? Any help would be appreciated and will save me the little hair I have left on my head.

Thanks.

 

[DrB0b]

Since you have been doing this for as long as you stated, I doubt this site is new to you but just in case here is the overall specs of the 7th gen:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPod_Touch_7th_Generation

So it does have a question about the 7th-5th gens and touchscreen/digitizers working but like I said above, you probably already read this:

https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View...gen+replacement+screen+same+as+6th+generation

Usually when I cant find parts I look for As Is items on ebay that seem to have the parts I need. Kind of a crapshoot though as Im sure you are aware.

Hopefully those links are helpful as I haven't had to fix a 7th gen yet. Best of luck with your Google-foo sir.

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

 

[BlayneRTFM]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, in my endless quest for parts, I already came across those two links. That was one of the few things I came across that made me wonder if the 7th Gen is just the 5th/6th gen with updated processor and RAM. The fact that there is absolutely no distributor anywhere who has the parts makes me wonder if it's because they are in fact the same as previous gen. The problem is, none of my parts suppliers or anyone else can give me a definitive answer. You would think someone somewhere must have taken one of these devices apart but, other than ifixit saying they are somewhat similar to disassemble, nobody seems to know. Heck, not even the eBay sellers from China have parts for it and you would think if the 6th gen parts fit the 7th gen, they would be listing them as 7th gen parts as well. But they're not.

Normally I would just do a tear down and see for myself but, as I said, I don't want to disassemble the device without at least having a new screen to replace the broken screen because it will definitely fall apart when being removed. I've also tried looking for As Is 7th gens in the usual places but so far, I haven't had any luck. The cost of the ones I've found with shipping, once you add labor, would be far too expensive of a repair and thus not worth it to the customer. I guess I will just have to keep looking. Maybe once this model has been out for more than a year and thus will start to have more out-of-warranty repairs, parts will start showing up. But that won't be for another 6-8 months or so. But that's no help to the customer I have now. That's why I was hoping someone could give me a definitive answer on here as to whether or not previous gen parts fit or if its a case of it not being worth manufacturing parts for it until it's been out longer and more do-it-yourself types start looking for parts. I can't recall another Apple product that you could not get parts for. Even brand new models only weeks on the shelf you could always at least get a new screen for, albeit very expensive screens. But they are at least available. I've no idea what's up with this particular device.

Thanks.

 

[DrB0b]

Just a thought, are you an authorized Apple support shop? The last place I worked for was and we had direct access to all of Apple's internal parts. We could order whatever, regardless if it was a warranty job or not. Might be worth looking into if you do a ton of Apple repair. I unfortunately do not know the cost of being authorized.

Learning - A never ending quest for knowledge usually attained by being thrown in a situation and told to fix it NOW.

 

[BlayneRTFM]

I was going to look into becoming Apple authorized a while back because the one shop in my city that was authorized no longer does it. But then I asked myself why the one company that is still in business no longer does it and figured the most likely reason was financial in that it was no longer worth it to them. I did look into getting this device fixed out of warranty through Apple as a last resort. They gave me a price just for screen replacement which would be $170 + $20 two-way shipping + taxes. As far as the cost to repair the cameras and flash is concerned, they said they would have to have the device in hand to give a price. But the screen repair alone was about 70% of the price of a new iPod so that wasn't really an option. We don't really get a whole lot of Apple repair other than iPhone screens so I'm not sure if it would be worth while becoming an authorized repair shop. If we were getting in a lot of MacBooks and such in for repair then it might be worth it. All I can go by is how many out-of-warranty repairs we get and we don't get many other than iPhone/iPad screens and the rare MacBook data recovery or screen repair. I honestly can't remember the last time we worked on any Apple product other than phones.

Thanks.