iPhone SE (1st Gen), 6S and 6S Plus Microsoldering Repair
The SE (1st gen) shares its board family with the 6S and 6S Plus, including one fault unique to the SE's smaller board: the SWI filter at the battery connector. Nearly all of what makes these phones unusable is repairable at the board.
We ship your device to our third-party repair partner, who performs the board-level work in their clean, dedicated microsoldering facility. Lake Forest Computer handles intake, logistics, insurance and communication end to end — you deal with us, not them. Current lead time is 4–6 weeks door to door. All parcels ship USPS with signature required.
| Repair | Price | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| No image / no display | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| No backlight / half backlight | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| Not charging (Tristar) | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| Audio issues | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| No power | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| No service / searching / unable to activate | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| Pry damage | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| SE SWI filter at the battery FPC — stuck at 1%, not charging, or bootlooping after a screen repair | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| No WiFi / Bluetooth | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| FPC connectors — LCD, digitizer, cameras, battery, charging port | $125 | 4–6 weeks1–3 days at the depot bench |
| Data recovery — water damage, no power, smashed, bent. Includes a full iTunes backup, or extraction of photos, video, contacts and messages. The higher figure applies when forensic extraction is required. | $500–$625 | 4–6 weeks1–2 weeks at the depot bench |
| Data recovery — CPU swap. For snapped or broken boards, botched repair attempts, long-screw damage and extreme water damage. Added to the data recovery price above. | +$315 | 4–6 weeks1–4 weeks at the depot bench |
| Data recovery — pin code bypass. Disabled devices may be doable on this model; we quote after inspection. | Contact us for a quote | 4–6 weeks2–12+ weeks, depends on the device |
Bench times are the board work itself. Door-to-door time, including shipping both ways, is 4–6 weeks.
- $25 to ship your device to the depot.
- $25 to ship it back to you.
- $50 round trip in total.
- All parcels ship USPS, signature required, both directions.
- Insurance is available and quoted at intake based on the declared value you request — tell us what the device is worth to you and we will price it before anything ships.
- Unsuccessful jobs: no repair fee in most cases — you pay return shipping only.
- Devices previously worked on by another shop carry a $60 bench fee if unsuccessful.
What these faults actually are
The SE's SWI filter — a fault the 6S doesn't share
The first-generation SE reuses the 6S board in a smaller case, and the tighter fit puts extra strain on a small filter at the battery FPC connector. When it cracks, the phone can get stuck at 1% battery, refuse to charge, or bootloop right after an otherwise normal screen replacement — which is why an independent shop sometimes assumes the replacement screen is bad when the real fault is underneath the battery connector.
Tristar and no-power faults
As on the 6, Tristar handles charging negotiation and is the most common reason a 6S stops charging with no other symptoms. A phone with no charging symbol and no boot at all is a separate, more serious power-rail fault that a board-level bench traces component by component.
How depot repair works
You contact us and describe the fault. We confirm the price from the table above, take payment for shipping, and send you the details to get the device to the depot. Our repair partner diagnoses it, performs the board-level work, and tests it. It ships back to you USPS with signature required. Door to door, budget 4–6 weeks.
Questions before you ship? Call or text (661) 903-9050 or email contact@lakeforestcomputer.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
My screen shop replaced the screen and now the phone won't charge — is that normal?
On the SE specifically, yes, it's a known pattern — the flex strain from opening the case can be the last straw for an already-weak SWI filter. It's a board fix, not a warranty issue with the screen.
Will I lose my data?
No, these repairs are non-destructive to your data. Only NAND and CPU-swap work wipes the device, and we always flag that before starting.
What if the repair fails?
No repair fee in most cases — you pay return shipping only. A device already opened by another shop carries a $60 bench fee if the attempt is unsuccessful.
Do you still support the original iPhone SE?
Yes — the 2016 SE shares this board family and every repair above applies to it.