Kobo H2O replacement screen.

[cfgr]

Hi, as so many Kobo owners apparently 'drop' their eReader, causing the screen to break (as stated by the Kobo Help Team) i found a replacement screen for the DIY among us. Beware however: on opening your device the warranty is voided AND waterproofing is no longer guaranteed !!! But at the price it is far cheaper than a new eReader. And the "drop" story from the help team (?) doesn't hold: mine just broke due to the high temperatures on the beach where the eReader in his (original BLACK Kobo) magnetic cover got VERY hot indeed. A glass specialist said this could very well be the cause of the broken screen glass. Either thru tension or due to bad design. Whatever: my H²O is as new now. Why the Rakuten Corp doesn't provide the replacement as a (paid) service is either a mystery or a well defined business model to sell more eReaders. Kind of 'build-in planned obsolescence'. :-(
The link to the replacement screen: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/LCD-D...08.4.15.NPRaHK

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by cfgr

Hi, as so many Kobo owners apparently 'drop' their eReader, causing the screen to break (as stated by the Kobo Help Team) i found a replacement screen for the DIY among us. Beware however: on opening your device the warranty is voided AND waterproofing is no longer guaranteed !!! But at the price it is far cheaper than a new eReader. And the "drop" story from the help team (?) doesn't hold: mine just broke due to the high temperatures on the beach where the eReader in his (original BLACK Kobo) magnetic cover got VERY hot indeed. A glass specialist said this could very well be the cause of the broken screen glass. Either thru tension or due to bad design. Whatever: my H²O is as new now. Why the Rakuten Corp doesn't provide the replacement as a (paid) service is either a mystery or a well defined business model to sell more eReaders. Kind of 'build-in planned obsolescence'. :-(
The link to the replacement screen: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/LCD-D...08.4.15.NPRaHK

Sorry, but it is not apparently so many Kobo owners dropping their Readers and breaking the screen. Please don't make it sound like there are many Kobo users who are clumsy.

Also, the screen breaking is NOT tension due to a bad design. It's because you used it in conditions that were unsuitable for the device.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by cfgr

And the "drop" story from the help team (?) doesn't hold: mine just broke due to the high temperatures on the beach where the eReader in his (original BLACK Kobo) magnetic cover got VERY hot indeed. A glass specialist said this could very well be the cause of the broken screen glass.

That's user abuse just as much as dropping it is. Or probably even more so, since it's not really accidental as such, but foreseeable and avoidable.

[MGlitch]

this post smells of spam

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by cfgr

Why the Rakuten Corp doesn't provide the replacement as a (paid) service is either a mystery

The screen is the most expensive part of the reader. It's also the hardest to reach part, requires the device to be taken apart completely. It's also the most sensitive part so there is risk of breaking the replacement too.

Then with the H2O there is the additional difficulty of restoreing the water seal. Even if Kobo did it for free (cost price including shipping & handling), it would not be much cheaper than just going for an entirely new device in the store, especially when its on sale...

The link to the replacement screen:

Have you tried it yourself, how much did it cost [including shipping, tax, ...], was it packaged properly so there is zero risk of breakage during shipping, how is the screen quality compared to original, did you make any pictures/video of the replacement process, ...?

On the beach it might get hot but it might also get stepped/sat on. My H2O stays at home, to minimize danger... but even then there are risks (I was sleepy when reading yesterday and the reader just slipped through my fingers and rolled away... lucky it didn't fall off the bed)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

(I was sleepy when reading yesterday and the reader just slipped through my fingers and rolled away... lucky it didn't fall off the bed)

When I am reading in bed and I feel like I might be getting tired, I stop reading and put the H2O on the night table. I will not risk it falling on the floor because I nodded off.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

When I am reading in bed and I feel like I might be getting tired, I stop reading and put the H2O on the night table. I will not risk it falling on the floor because I nodded off.

I have had it fall on my face more than once. It's rather a rude awakening.

[Ksquared]

I have had my Aura fall on on the floor and on my face while reading in bed; I am more careful now, but I have been lucky.

I worked with glass for many years in the lighting industry. For glass to fail, there always has to be a flaw and a stress. Flawless glass (etched to remove any scratches) can be used to hammer a nail, as long as you don't introduce scratches with hammering. Likewise, glass with scratches will not break if it is not stressed.

Many of us have seen this in auto windshields - you get a small nick in the glass, and it will not propagate into a crack until you have a cold day and turn on the heat. The thermal stress will then cause the glass to crack.

"Prince Rupert's Drop" is an example of highly stressed glass - you melt and drop a "teardrop" of glass into water. It is highly stressed - When you snip the end it explodes! There is a cool demonstration of this in this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13B5K_lAabw - and an explanation of glass improvements for cell phones.

My guess is that Gorilla Glass is not being used in e-readers. The very minor flaws that remain in the glass substrate, combined with the stress of a drop or a thermal shock are what make these wonderful little devices prone to cracking

[cfgr]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

...

Have you tried it yourself, how much did it cost [including shipping, tax, ...], was it packaged properly so there is zero risk of breakage during shipping, how is the screen quality compared to original, did you make any pictures/video of the replacement process, ...?

Pricetag of the (brandnew) replacement screen 50€ + free delivery AND return policy if broken during transport. I took me 34 minutes to replace the screen, but i must admit i'm quite experienced in opening/repairing devices of all kind for many many years....

[On the beach it might get hot] Then it should read in the manual: do not use the eReader in hot places like beaches because that could break the screen... :-) I didn't sit on it! I'm very aware of the 'dangers of breaking all kinds of screens, got lots of them laying/carrying around.

[My H2O stays at home, to minimize danger... ]
Yeah, right! What's the point of leaving stuff at home when you are on holidays and don't want to carry a load of heavy books? The reason i bought the eReader in the first place!

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by cfgr

[On the beach it might get hot] Then it should read in the manual: do not use the eReader in hot places like beaches because that could break the screen... :-) I didn't sit on it! I'm very aware of the 'dangers of breaking all kinds of screens, got lots of them laying/carrying around.

Well, it does say in the manual:

8. Avoid storing your device in temperatures lower than -10° and higher than 60° C (14° to 140° F). Operation of the device should occur in temperatures between 0° and 45° C (32° to 113° F). Dramatic changes in temperature or humidity may affect the functioning of the device due to the formation of condensation.

[haydnfan]

Rapid temperature changes create thermal shocks that crack screens in any electronics. It's been known to happen in monitors, tvs, tablets, ereaders you name it. I had a friend that broke a kindle and a pc monitor by bringing them in from the cold to his heated house. This is just basic physics and not bad design on Kobo's side.

[morpa]

Originally Posted by cfgr

Hi, as so many Kobo owners apparently 'drop' their eReader, causing the screen to break (as stated by the Kobo Help Team) i found a replacement screen for the DIY among us. Beware however: on opening your device the warranty is voided AND waterproofing is no longer guaranteed !!! But at the price it is far cheaper than a new eReader. And the "drop" story from the help team (?) doesn't hold: mine just broke due to the high temperatures on the beach where the eReader in his (original BLACK Kobo) magnetic cover got VERY hot indeed. A glass specialist said this could very well be the cause of the broken screen glass. Either thru tension or due to bad design. Whatever: my H²O is as new now. Why the Rakuten Corp doesn't provide the replacement as a (paid) service is either a mystery or a well defined business model to sell more eReaders. Kind of 'build-in planned obsolescence'. :-(
The link to the replacement screen: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/LCD-D...08.4.15.NPRaHK

Thanks a lot for your story, my screen broke too the other day, and I was looking for a replacement. Will order it today.
I agree - of course Rakuten should offer a replacement service, and of course they don't, as they rather see us buy new devices. The same procedure with many companys today, be it phone or computers. .

I've only been browsing this forum earlier, and I see some users are very quick to defend the Kobo readers. Hey - I love my Kobo too - that doesn't mean I dont think there should be replacement parts, that it's quite slow, (even more for certain filetypes like pdf), and that the firmware is pretty basic. They can only get better. I'm looking forward too the Aura One, and will give the H20 to my father.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by morpa

Thanks a lot for your story, my screen broke too the other day, and I was looking for a replacement. Will order it today.
I agree - of course Rakuten should offer a replacement service, and of course they don't, as they rather see us buy new devices. The same procedure with many companys today, be it phone or computers. .

The reason they don't is that it isn't worthwhile. With the cost of the screen plus the cost of the labour, the reaction would be, "to expensive, I might as well buy a new one".

[Omnigeek]

Mine "broke" according to the Kobo team just as with the OP. Unlike the OP, I didn't have mine at the beach or in the hot sun. It was kept in a sleep cover, not dropped, even on my face while falling asleep as some others have apparently done. I had read in the morning and at lunch and later in the afternoon picked it up only to find the screen looked shattered (but without a mark on the screen or cover).

I have nothing to lose by trying this replacement screen so thanks for the link. As far as the Kobo Corporation goes ... I'm certainly not buying any books from them after this and I will probably dissuade friends and family from buying their hardware.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by Omnigeek

Mine "broke" according to the Kobo team just as with the OP. Unlike the OP, I didn't have mine at the beach or in the hot sun. It was kept in a sleep cover, not dropped, even on my face while falling asleep as some others have apparently done. I had read in the morning and at lunch and later in the afternoon picked it up only to find the screen looked shattered (but without a mark on the screen or cover).

I have nothing to lose by trying this replacement screen so thanks for the link. As far as the Kobo Corporation goes ... I'm certainly not buying any books from them after this and I will probably dissuade friends and family from buying their hardware.

Not "broke" -- broke. (Assuming your description of the screen is accurate.)

When you change the screen out, you will be able to see that it is physically shattered by looking at the rear of the screen. There is a layer on the front of the display which means there will not be palpable cracks at the front even with a thoroughly shattered substrate.

Virtually all current eink screens have that same very thin glass substrate. Kobo's not the only one. They are particularly susceptible to bending/twisting forces, for example by inadvertently leaning on the device.

I'm really not a fan of the "magical spontaneous shattering" hypothesis. However, it is perhaps possible that earlier screen damage may show up later under the influence of much smaller forces, as the cracks extend and the entire screen falls apart.