Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

18

Time Required

Suggest a time??

Sections

3

  • Rear Cover
  • 2 steps
  • Motherboard
  • 7 steps
  • Display
  • 9 steps

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Introduction

This guide applies to the Kobo Glo HD (model N437).

This guide does not apply to the Kobo Touch 2.0, and regular Kobo Glo and Touch models.

You will need to perform the display replacement in a room with little to no dust, as dust and/or scratches on the back of the EPD panel can result in artefacting and/or dead pixels.

As the display assembly and EPD panel are held on using adhesive, removing the display assembly from the bezel may result in a cracked bezel if you’re not careful, and removing the EPD panel from the display assembly may damage it.

Please exercise caution to not bend and/or puncture the battery in the process.

For best results when aligning the display, ensure that it’s displaying an image with a white background or border.

What you need

Step 1

              Rear Cover
  • If you haven’t done so already, power off your eReader by holding down the power button for 3 seconds until the display refreshes to indicate that it has powered off.
  • Opening picks are required for this step as opening tools can be too wide to get into the gap between the rear cover and the side/front.
  • Start by inserting the pick into the area around the power button or Micro USB port.
  • Don’t insert it too far, as that could result in damage to the power button, status indicator, and/or Micro USB port.
  • Then, slide the pick around to undo these clips.

If you haven’t done so already, power off your eReader by holding down the power button for 3 seconds until the display refreshes to indicate that it has powered off.

Opening picks are required for this step as opening tools can be too wide to get into the gap between the rear cover and the side/front.

Start by inserting the pick into the area around the power button or Micro USB port.

Don’t insert it too far, as that could result in damage to the power button, status indicator, and/or Micro USB port.

Then, slide the pick around to undo these clips.

1024

Step 2

  • The rear cover should then pop off.

The rear cover should then pop off.

Step 3

              Mainboard - Disconnect the battery
  • Using the pointed end of your spudger, while holding your eReader using your other hand or a weight, disconnect the battery.

Using the pointed end of your spudger, while holding your eReader using your other hand or a weight, disconnect the battery.

Step 4

              Remove the internal memory card
  • If your eReader has a memory card instead of a storage chip, remove the memory card.
  • Don’t lose, misplace, or damage this memory card, as it not only contains any books and any other data you downloaded or copied over, but it also contains the firmware, as well as the serial number and important files required for your eReader to be able to start up.
  • Image needed in position 1: innards after disconnecting the battery

If your eReader has a memory card instead of a storage chip, remove the memory card.

Don’t lose, misplace, or damage this memory card, as it not only contains any books and any other data you downloaded or copied over, but it also contains the firmware, as well as the serial number and important files required for your eReader to be able to start up.

Image needed in position 1: innards after disconnecting the battery

Step 5

              Disconnect the display
  • Using the flat end of your spudger and a pair of flat-bladed tweezers, disconnect the display.
  • Image needed: innards after disconnecting the battery and removing the start-up memory card

Using the flat end of your spudger and a pair of flat-bladed tweezers, disconnect the display.

Image needed: innards after disconnecting the battery and removing the start-up memory card

Step 6

              Disconnect the frontlight
  • Using the pointed end of your spudger, disconnect the frontlight.
  • Image needed: innards after disconnecting the battery, removing the start-up memory card, and disconnecting the display

Using the pointed end of your spudger, disconnect the frontlight.

Image needed: innards after disconnecting the battery, removing the start-up memory card, and disconnecting the display

Step 7

              Remove the mainboard
  • Using your screwdriver with a PH00 tip, remove these screws and set them aside.

Using your screwdriver with a PH00 tip, remove these screws and set them aside.

Step 8

  • Use the flat end of your spudger to lift the top of the mainboard, and your fingers to slowly pull out the bottom.
  • Image needed: me pulling out the mainboard

Use the flat end of your spudger to lift the top of the mainboard, and your fingers to slowly pull out the bottom.

Image needed: me pulling out the mainboard

Step 9

  • The mainboard has been removed.

The mainboard has been removed.

Step 10

              Front Bezel
  • Remove these screws, and keep them aside.
  • Image needed: me unscrewing the bezel screws

Remove these screws, and keep them aside.

Image needed: me unscrewing the bezel screws

Step 11

  • Now comes the start of the hard part.
  • Press down on the display to slowly free the display assembly from the bezel.
  • Don’t press down too hard, as doing so may result in damage to the bezel.
  • This may take 5-15 minutes.

Now comes the start of the hard part.

Press down on the display to slowly free the display assembly from the bezel.

Don’t press down too hard, as doing so may result in damage to the bezel.

This may take 5-15 minutes.

Step 12

  • Once you have freed the display assembly from the bezel, use the tweezers to reposition any bits of double-sided tape that may have come loose.
  • Image needed depicting this
  • Place the bezel off to the size, face up.
  • The front bezel has been removed.

Once you have freed the display assembly from the bezel, use the tweezers to reposition any bits of double-sided tape that may have come loose.

Image needed depicting this

Place the bezel off to the size, face up.

The front bezel has been removed.

Step 13

              Display assembly - Removing the infrared light guide
  • Press down on the display while using your fingernail in between the infrared light guide and mid-frame in order to separate the former from the latter and EPD panel that’s still attached to it.
  • Don’t press down too hard, as doing so may result in damage to the infrared light guide, which may result in erratic touch input and/or unresponsive areas on the display once reassembled.
  • The infrared light guide has been removed.

Press down on the display while using your fingernail in between the infrared light guide and mid-frame in order to separate the former from the latter and EPD panel that’s still attached to it.

Don’t press down too hard, as doing so may result in damage to the infrared light guide, which may result in erratic touch input and/or unresponsive areas on the display once reassembled.

The infrared light guide has been removed.

Step 14

  • Use your thumb and finger on the rear-facing side of the mid-frame to pry apart part of the mid-frame, enough for you to slip your plastic card into.
  • Don’t press on the battery, as doing so can puncture it, resulting in damage and serious injury.
  • Slip the card in between the EPD panel and mid-frame, and pull it around the perimeter and push it in and out, in order to break adhesive holding the former in place.
  • You may need to use your thumb and finger to bend the mid-frame and break some of the adhesive.

Use your thumb and finger on the rear-facing side of the mid-frame to pry apart part of the mid-frame, enough for you to slip your plastic card into.

Don’t press on the battery, as doing so can puncture it, resulting in damage and serious injury.

Slip the card in between the EPD panel and mid-frame, and pull it around the perimeter and push it in and out, in order to break adhesive holding the former in place.

You may need to use your thumb and finger to bend the mid-frame and break some of the adhesive.

Step 15

  • The EPD panel has been removed from the mid-frame.

The EPD panel has been removed from the mid-frame.

Step 16

              Installing the replacement EPD panel
  • (Placeholder for details on preparing the EPD panel, lightly cleaning the back of it, adding double-sided tape)
  • Without the tape, the back of the EPD panel may get scratched by the midframe, and the infrared light guide won’t sit flush with the bezel.
  • Do not press down on the display panel yet, in the event that the display may have to be removed again.

(Placeholder for details on preparing the EPD panel, lightly cleaning the back of it, adding double-sided tape)

Without the tape, the back of the EPD panel may get scratched by the midframe, and the infrared light guide won’t sit flush with the bezel.

Do not press down on the display panel yet, in the event that the display may have to be removed again.

Step 17

  • (Placeholder for details on aligning the display panel to the mid-frame)

(Placeholder for details on aligning the display panel to the mid-frame)

Step 18

              Testing the replacement EPD panel (optional)
  • Optionally, you can insert the memory card back onto the mainboard, and connect your eReader to an external power source in order to test the replacement EPD panel for any artefacts and/or dead pixels.
  • This process of testing EPD panels without connecting the battery, frontlight, touch, and/or pen input (depending on model) is basically the same process used by suppliers of new-old-stock EPD panels in China, when they sell them on online stores like AliExpress and/or eBay, which you would’ve most likely purchased your display panel from.
  • However, they would sometimes test displays on another device that uses the same display or used a display with similar specifications, in order to not have too many test devices around, for example, a Kobo Aura display tested using a Kindle Paperwhite 2, or a Likebook Mars display tested using a Dangdang Reader R7.
  • At this stage, you should not have the infrared light guide attached to the panel but not to the mid-frame, which is what the photo shows as I made mistakes while writing this guide, so that you don’t have to.
  • You should instead have the display panel loosely attached to the mid-frame, without the infrared light guide and front bezel attached at this stage.
  • Connect a USB cable from a USB power adaptor or external battery to your eReader, and it should automatically power on.
  • Without the infrared light guide, you will not be able to navigate menus on your eReader and open a book or Pocket article, but you will still be able to use the power button to take it in and out of sleep mode, and power off.
  • Don’t mind the weird selection of books in the middle row, but I had not removed the previous owner’s sideloaded e-books before carrying out this repair.

Optionally, you can insert the memory card back onto the mainboard, and connect your eReader to an external power source in order to test the replacement EPD panel for any artefacts and/or dead pixels.

This process of testing EPD panels without connecting the battery, frontlight, touch, and/or pen input (depending on model) is basically the same process used by suppliers of new-old-stock EPD panels in China, when they sell them on online stores like AliExpress and/or eBay, which you would’ve most likely purchased your display panel from.

However, they would sometimes test displays on another device that uses the same display or used a display with similar specifications, in order to not have too many test devices around, for example, a Kobo Aura display tested using a Kindle Paperwhite 2, or a Likebook Mars display tested using a Dangdang Reader R7.

At this stage, you should not have the infrared light guide attached to the panel but not to the mid-frame, which is what the photo shows as I made mistakes while writing this guide, so that you don’t have to.

You should instead have the display panel loosely attached to the mid-frame, without the infrared light guide and front bezel attached at this stage.

Connect a USB cable from a USB power adaptor or external battery to your eReader, and it should automatically power on.

Without the infrared light guide, you will not be able to navigate menus on your eReader and open a book or Pocket article, but you will still be able to use the power button to take it in and out of sleep mode, and power off.

Don’t mind the weird selection of books in the middle row, but I had not removed the previous owner’s sideloaded e-books before carrying out this repair.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Kevin Bhasi

Member since: 12/26/2014

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Soma Schicksal - Mar 18, 2022

Reply

Thank you for the detailed guide! I don’t know why this didn’t show up on glo hd’s page. Google found it for me.

Much much appreciated your work

One more point, is it reaaaally important to tape the display to the mid frame?

Kevin Bhasi - Mar 18, 2022

I’ll try to check the category settings. I remembered that the Glo HD page was messed up and I saw Kobo Aura tutorials listed under the Kobo Glo page.

Thanks! I’m actually busy working on other projects at the moment, and don’t have the time to continue working on iFixit and Wikipedia articles, but I hope to find the time to continue doing so.

Yes, I believe it is.

I actually didn’t tape the display to the mid-frame on mine, as I don’t actually have the tape I need, but as a result, the infrared light guide had sunken in after reassembly, and doesn’t sit flush with the bezel like it would do with the tape in place. Other than that, it works.

Mine does have a dead pixel near the bottom right corner of the screen, but that was just from me incorrectly installing the display the first time around while writing the guide.