When Emma’s iPhone 11 stopped turning on, she feared her precious photos, videos, and texts were lost forever. Determined to recover her data, she decided to take it to Gadget Kings, a reputable repair shop known for its expertise in data recovery and
intricate board repairs.
Emma walked into Gadget Kings with her lifeless iPhone. The technician, Mike, greeted her warmly. "Let’s see what we can do," he said, taking the phone and heading to his workbench.
Mike connected the iPhone to a USB meter. It showed a draw of 0.7 amps but no signs of life. He explained, "The next step is to open the phone, disconnect everything, and isolate the motherboard to find the issue."
He carefully removed the screen, unplugging various components to ensure nothing external was causing the problem. With the motherboard isolated, Mike noted it looked clean, with no
obvious signs of damage. "Now we need the DC power supply," he said, setting it to 4.2 volts and 3 amps. He connected it directly to the battery connector, ready to push the power button.
The moment he pressed it, the power supply drew 3 amps before prompting to boot. "This means we have a short somewhere," Mike explained. "It’s like pouring gas into a car that consumes it without even starting."
He suspected the issue could be with three potential lines:
tips tricks VDD Main, VDD Boost, or Bat VCC. Using a multimeter in diode mode, he started checking these lines. He quickly found a short on the VDD Main line. "We have a main short here," he noted.
Mike then utilized ZXW, a board view software, to examine the motherboard’s layout. This particular iPhone 11 had a sandwich board design, two motherboards layered together. He carefully traced the VDD Main line to identify potential culprits, noting it could be a capacitor or an inductor.
Next, Mike used a thermal camera to detect heat spots on the board. "Thermal cameras are great for pinpointing shorts," he said, adjusting his custom stand and macro lens. He pressed the power button and observed the heat pattern. "Something around here is heating up," he said, indicating a spot near a cluster of capacitors.
To further inspect, Mike decided to split the sandwich boards. He heated the board to 200 degrees Celsius and gently pried the layers apart. "Everything looks good so far," he said, examining the solder balls and chips. He repeated the thermal camera test on the now separated board, but the short still seemed to be on the other side.
After removing a shield covering some components, he found the exact spot. "There it is," he said, pointing to a glowing capacitor. Using a hook tool, he carefully removed the shield, exposing the faulty component. "This capacitor is shorted."
Mike explained to Emma that capacitors should not show continuity across their legs. When he tested the removed capacitor, it indeed showed a short. With the faulty component identified, he quickly replaced it. "Now let’s reassemble and see if it works," he said.
After resoldering the sandwich board and letting it cool, Mike connected it back to the power supply. "No short," he confirmed, seeing the power supply holding steady. He reassembled the phone, reconnecting all the components.
He plugged the phone into charge. The USB meter showed a healthy draw, and soon the Apple logo appeared on the screen. "We’re back in business," Mike said with a smile.
Emma’s phone booted up, and all her data was intact. "Your photos, videos, and texts are safe," Mike told her. He quickly backed up her data to ensure it was secure.
As Emma thanked him, Mike reminded her of Gadget Kings’ services. "If you need any further help, just visit our website at [Gadget Kings](
https://gadgetkingsprs.com.au/). We offer mail-in services worldwide for data recovery and board repairs."
Relieved and grateful, Emma left Gadget Kings with her precious memories restored. For Mike, it was another successful repair, a testament to the skill and dedication of the Gadget Kings team.
**The End**