Replacing Kindle 3 screen. Ebay vs OEM

Kindle#Reader · 05-31-2018, 11:35 PM

I'm looking to replace a broken screen on an otherwise functioning Kindle 3, and have been looking up Ebay / Aliexpress for replacement screens, which are priced around the $30 ~ $40 mark.

I haven't seen anything about "genuine" Amazon screens, so I've no idea as to their cost or if they even exist still. My question really is whether anyone has done this, and whether the resolution on these Ebay/Aliexpress screens was okay?

There's plenty of Youtube advice on the process so I'm not concerned about doing it, but any useful tips greatly appreciated.

SKK · 06-01-2018, 10:20 AM

It is not worth replacing the screen. You can buy another one at that price.

Kindle#Reader · 06-01-2018, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKK

It is not worth replacing the screen. You can buy another one at that price.

My searching is that I can't buy another Kindle 3 at that price, hence my interest in repairing it.

montalex · 06-03-2018, 07:36 PM

I have replaced Kindle 3 screens several times. It is quite easy to do, and well worth it, I think. The Kindles I have repaired were given to me for free, so the $20 to replace a screen is a bargain. You want to match the serial number of your damaged screen to your new purchase. The number you are looking for is the one on the upper left of the ribbon cable of your screen -- something beginning with EDO.
One tip -- don't bother taking the battery out when changing the screen. You don't have to.

Do it! The guide on powerbookmedic.com is a good one.

Kindle#Reader · 06-08-2018, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montalex

I have replaced Kindle 3 screens several times. It is quite easy to do, and well worth it, I think. The Kindles I have repaired were given to me for free, so the $20 to replace a screen is a bargain. You want to match the serial number of your damaged screen to your new purchase. The number you are looking for is the one on the upper left of the ribbon cable of your screen -- something beginning with EDO.
One tip -- don't bother taking the battery out when changing the screen. You don't have to.

Do it! The guide on powerbookmedic.com is a good one.

Thanks for your response - very encouraging after getting the usual naysayers 2 cents worth.

i haven't taken the old screen out yet, as I was waiting until the new screen arrives in a week or two. I did a lot of hunting and ordered a screen clearly labelled as being for the Kindle3 and which looked the same as all the others selling the same thing, and all expressing the same serial code number for it, so I guess I took a bit of punt when I bought it. I feel confident though.

One guy above said it was easy to buy another K3, but it just isn't, and additionally my wife's K3 has a pile of books already set up in various folders so fitting a new screen avoids a lot of buggerance of setting it all up again, and that has got to be worth something.
I'll check out the link you suggest - thanks!

Nausicaa · 06-09-2018, 06:17 AM

must you get a k3? i think it's well worth it to replace it. i've gotten 2x pw for $40 with magnetic cases (pw1 and pw2) in a bundle. you can put up an ad on craigslist that you're looking for a kindle. i'm sure you'll be able to get a cheap one.

for $20 you might be able to get a new touchscreen kindle that's used, personally i don't like them but they're a bit faster. if not you might be able to find a k3 for that price, although i'd wait a bit a few days? maybe a new kindle is coming out.

SKK · 06-09-2018, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kindle#Reader

Thanks for your response - very encouraging after getting the usual naysayers 2 cents worth.

i haven't taken the old screen out yet, as I was waiting until the new screen arrives in a week or two. I did a lot of hunting and ordered a screen clearly labelled as being for the Kindle3 and which looked the same as all the others selling the same thing, and all expressing the same serial code number for it, so I guess I took a bit of punt when I bought it. I feel confident though.

One guy above said it was easy to buy another K3, but it just isn't, and additionally my wife's K3 has a pile of books already set up in various folders so fitting a new screen avoids a lot of buggerance of setting it all up again, and that has got to be worth something.
I'll check out the link you suggest - thanks!

My bad. I thought it was easy to buy a K3 for cheap. Maybe it isn't anymore. I haven't checked in a while. I have replaced screens before, and it is not hard. I just thought that it might be cheaper to buy another K3.

montalex · 06-09-2018, 11:03 AM

The K3 still has an open browser, meaning you can check gmail, etc. You can't do this on new models. The physical keyboard is very useful for emailing and for taking notes. I love my Kindle keyboards. With a little clip-on light, they are just fine for reading in bed, too.

Tarana · 06-09-2018, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nausicaa

must you get a k3? i think it's well worth it to replace it. i've gotten 2x pw for $40 with magnetic cases (pw1 and pw2) in a bundle. you can put up an ad on craigslist that you're looking for a kindle. i'm sure you'll be able to get a cheap one.

for $20 you might be able to get a new touchscreen kindle that's used, personally i don't like them but they're a bit faster. if not you might be able to find a k3 for that price, although i'd wait a bit a few days? maybe a new kindle is coming out.

The organization of books is completely different on a K3 compared to other models. I have 5 K3s with one that has a failing power button. When the button eventually fails, at least I know I can offer the parts instead of just throwing it.

Woot.com offers K3s for about $15, but they haven't offered any in about 5 months now (just after Christmas), so they may have finally run out of them from the trade-up programs.

montalex · 06-09-2018, 03:58 PM

That on/off button is just a tiny piece of plastic that comes with the faceplate, very cheap and easy to find and replace. It's also pretty easy to find replacement motherboards for K3. I've changed a couple with no problems.

krazy4katz · 06-11-2018, 08:38 PM

I loved my K3! The only K that convinced me to replace it was the Voyage because it didn't have to be a touch screen — and I waited until the storage capacity was as high as the K3. The K3 keyboard was very nice — a lot easier to use than the screen keyboard. The things I like better about the Voyage are the quality of the screen and the built-in light.

Kindle#Reader · 06-15-2018, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nausicaa

must you get a k3? .

Yes, for two reasons.
- the manual keyboard is nice to use and obviously there all the time.

- Not a touch screen. They way I read it in bed laying on my side holding the kindle one handed means I can easily click the page button with minimal movement, as opposed to the touch screen types that require some finger movement. I've tried them and prefer the manual button any day.

Hopefully collecting the new screen from the post office in the morning. Was A$30 on Ebay or Aliexpress, cant' remember which off hand.

montalex · 06-19-2018, 03:52 PM

You might want to read this thread:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...le+screen+chip
If your new screen has a different chip from the original screen, you can still use it. First, don't remove the battery when replacing the screen. If you do have to restart and the new screen won't show images, etc. You can plug in the old broken screen and restart the Kindle, then unplug and replug the new screen. You can do this without removing the screen. I have one like that, and I haven't had to restart it in a couple of years, but I still keep the broken screen for the inevitable time I need to restart. The thread will expalin it better than I have.

Kindle#Reader · 06-24-2018, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montalex

You might want to read this thread:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...le+screen+chip
If your new screen has a different chip from the original screen, you can still use it. First, don't remove the battery when replacing the screen......

Perhaps it is just as well I didn't read it, as I replaced the screen following a Youtube clip, and it just worked without any problems at all. Maybe later screens are better able to deal with this.
In case you are interested, this is where I got it:-
http://https://www.aliexpress.com/it...4c024c4d7s9fRJ

All in all, the exercise was simple to do, and definitely worth doing.

montalex · 06-24-2018, 10:49 AM

Good news! It is also good to see the Aliexpress has plenty of replacement screens for Kindle 3, which means there still must be many users -- which means that Amazon may continue to support us in the form of continued 3G browser connection! I'm tempted to order a couple of screens and batteries for my collection of K3s (4 or 5 depending on who's using them).

05-31-2018, 11:35 PM	#1
Kindle#Reader Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2018 Device: Kindle 3	Replacing Kindle 3 screen. Ebay vs OEM I'm looking to replace a broken screen on an otherwise functioning Kindle 3, and have been looking up Ebay / Aliexpress for replacement screens, which are priced around the $30 ~ $40 mark. I haven't seen anything about "genuine" Amazon screens, so I've no idea as to their cost or if they even exist still. My question really is whether anyone has done this, and whether the resolution on these Ebay/Aliexpress screens was okay? There's plenty of Youtube advice on the process so I'm not concerned about doing it, but any useful tips greatly appreciated.

06-03-2018, 07:36 PM	#4
montalex Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1283268 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: KindleDX,Kindle 4, Kindle Keyboard 3G	I have replaced Kindle 3 screens several times. It is quite easy to do, and well worth it, I think. The Kindles I have repaired were given to me for free, so the $20 to replace a screen is a bargain. You want to match the serial number of your damaged screen to your new purchase. The number you are looking for is the one on the upper left of the ribbon cable of your screen -- something beginning with EDO. One tip -- don't bother taking the battery out when changing the screen. You don't have to. Do it! The guide on powerbookmedic.com is a good one. Last edited by montalex; 06-03-2018 at 07:41 PM.

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06-01-2018, 10:20 AM	#2
SKK Addict Posts: 217 Karma: 55570 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: N/A Device: N/A	It is not worth replacing the screen. You can buy another one at that price.

06-09-2018, 06:17 AM	#6
Nausicaa Connoisseur Posts: 92 Karma: 2222222 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kindle	must you get a k3? i think it's well worth it to replace it. i've gotten 2x pw for $40 with magnetic cases (pw1 and pw2) in a bundle. you can put up an ad on craigslist that you're looking for a kindle. i'm sure you'll be able to get a cheap one. for $20 you might be able to get a new touchscreen kindle that's used, personally i don't like them but they're a bit faster. if not you might be able to find a k3 for that price, although i'd wait a bit a few days? maybe a new kindle is coming out.

06-09-2018, 11:03 AM	#8
montalex Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1283268 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: KindleDX,Kindle 4, Kindle Keyboard 3G	The K3 still has an open browser, meaning you can check gmail, etc. You can't do this on new models. The physical keyboard is very useful for emailing and for taking notes. I love my Kindle keyboards. With a little clip-on light, they are just fine for reading in bed, too.

06-09-2018, 03:58 PM	#10
montalex Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1283268 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: KindleDX,Kindle 4, Kindle Keyboard 3G	That on/off button is just a tiny piece of plastic that comes with the faceplate, very cheap and easy to find and replace. It's also pretty easy to find replacement motherboards for K3. I've changed a couple with no problems.

06-11-2018, 08:38 PM	#11
krazy4katz Addict Posts: 367 Karma: 1552656 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: [Kindle 1, Kindle 3 (KK)], Kindle Voyage, iPad Pro	I loved my K3! The only K that convinced me to replace it was the Voyage because it didn't have to be a touch screen — and I waited until the storage capacity was as high as the K3. The K3 keyboard was very nice — a lot easier to use than the screen keyboard. The things I like better about the Voyage are the quality of the screen and the built-in light.

06-19-2018, 03:52 PM	#13
montalex Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1283268 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: KindleDX,Kindle 4, Kindle Keyboard 3G	You might want to read this thread: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...le+screen+chip If your new screen has a different chip from the original screen, you can still use it. First, don't remove the battery when replacing the screen. If you do have to restart and the new screen won't show images, etc. You can plug in the old broken screen and restart the Kindle, then unplug and replug the new screen. You can do this without removing the screen. I have one like that, and I haven't had to restart it in a couple of years, but I still keep the broken screen for the inevitable time I need to restart. The thread will expalin it better than I have.

06-24-2018, 10:49 AM	#15
montalex Fanatic Posts: 556 Karma: 1283268 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: KindleDX,Kindle 4, Kindle Keyboard 3G	Good news! It is also good to see the Aliexpress has plenty of replacement screens for Kindle 3, which means there still must be many users -- which means that Amazon may continue to support us in the form of continued 3G browser connection! I'm tempted to order a couple of screens and batteries for my collection of K3s (4 or 5 depending on who's using them).

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