Replacement housing or trim part for iPod 3G. Use it to restore fit, finish, color, case alignment, or visible damage rather than to fix an internal electronics fault.
Product Overview
Choose this backplate listing to restore the visible fit, finish, or mounting hardware on the iPod 3rd Generation.
Use the Compatible Variants table below to confirm capacity, color, case, or order-number fitment.
This is a fit-and-finish part, so choose it by physical damage, color, case thickness, and missing hardware rather than by an electrical symptom.
Choose Your Option
This part comes in multiple variants. Confirm your iPod's capacity, case depth, and order number before ordering.
Choose this backplate by the capacity engraved on the rear case. This listing is for 15GB White thin rear-housing work; confirm case depth before ordering.
You're viewing this optionWhat Is Included
Quick Buying Check
Buy this when
- Use this Replacement Rear Panel (15GB — White) check for damaged, missing, mismatched, or physically worn; diagnose internal symptoms separately.
- The original rear panel is scratched, dented, bent, broken, missing, loose, or cosmetically worn.
- The model, rear engraving, capacity, and order number match this listing.
Diagnose first when
- Choose this backplate by the capacity engraved on the rear case. This listing is for 15GB White thin rear-housing work; confirm case depth before ordering.
- Confirm the capacity match before ordering: 15GB.
Do not buy for
- Do not use this part for: Different capacity engraving when you want a stock-looking 10GB backplate.
- Do not use this part for: Thick iPod 3rd Generation backs; choose the matching thin or thick backplate..
- Confirm the case thickness before ordering: thin.
Cracks or broken plastic
Cracked, brittle, or broken exterior pieces are good reasons to replace the cosmetic or structural part.
Specifications & Fitment
Part Details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Model Number | A1040 |
| EMC | EMC 1961 |
| Condition | Used — factory original Apple part. Normal cosmetic wear expected. |
| Material | Chrome stainless steel |
Compatible Variants
| Order Number | Capacity | Color | Case | Compatible | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M8976LL/A | 10GB | White | thin | Yes— capacity engraving mismatch | Physically fits the same case depth; rear capacity engraving will not match the original. |
| M8946LL/A | 15GB | White | thin | Yes— stock match | Stock match |
| M9460LL/A | 15GB | White | thin | Yes— stock match | Stock match |
| M9244LL/A | 20GB | White | thin | Yes— capacity engraving mismatch | Physically fits the same case depth; rear capacity engraving will not match the original. |
| M8948LL/A | 30GB | White | thick | No— wrong case depth | Wrong case depth — choose the matching thin or thick iPod 3rd Generation backplate. Use Replacement Rear Panel (30GB — White) instead. |
| M9245LL/A | 40GB | White | thick | No— wrong case depth | Wrong case depth — choose the matching thin or thick iPod 3rd Generation backplate. Use Replacement Rear Panel (40GB — White) instead. |
Cosmetic Failure Signs — When to Replace
This rear panel is a cosmetic part — it does not change how the iPod plays, charges, or syncs. Replace it when the damage is physical:
Not every buyer here is fixing damage: matching the original white finish after another repair, restoring a gift or keepsake iPod to clean condition, and finishing a refreshed shell while the case is already open are just as common.
Do Not Buy This Rear Panel Yet If...
| Situation | Start here instead |
|---|---|
| Variant or capacity does not match this listing | Match your capacity or case depth to the correct listing: Replacement Rear Panel (30GB — White), Replacement Rear Panel (40GB — White). |
| Liquid, corrosion, or board-side damage changes the diagnosis | Use this rear panel only when the visible fit, finish, or physical damage matches. |
| You see a folder icon, clicking noise, or restore failure | Confirm restore behavior, storage fit, and setup state before ordering this part. |
| A symptom points to a different part | Different capacity engraving when you want a stock-looking 10GB backplate. |
Install Overview
Before You Start
Set Hold to locked (orange bar visible) before opening. Confirm the model and variant before opening the iPod.
Treat case opening as the highest handling risk. Work around the seams gently and stop if the shell, clips, or internal stack resist.
Do not pull the halves apart or side-load board sockets. Reseat nearby ribbons and connectors before blaming a replacement rear panel.
Confirm thickness, color, screw points, and nearby hardware alignment before pressing the case fully closed.
Repair Guide
Repair guide summary: iPod 3rd Generation Rear Panel Replacement.
Show all 8 installation steps
Before you open the iPod, confirm that the hold switch is in the locked setting. The orange bar should be showing, indicating hold is active.
Move an opening pick as far as possible into the gap between the plastic front and the metal back panel, on the right edge of the iPod. You may have to rock the pick back and forth to move it in farther. With the opening pick, lever up against the plastic front panel and release 5 retaining tabs. Slide the pick along the iPod edge and keep levering gently until the remaining retaining tabs release. In this step, after all five tabs along the right edge are free, the case should open easily.
The iPod case is now open, but do not separate the two halves yet. An orange ribbon cable still connects the headphone jack to the logic board. With the dock connector at the top, open the case like a book and set the rear panel beside the iPod front half.
With a plastic tool or your fingernails, carefully detach the orange headphone jack cable. Make sure to draw straight up on the connector, not the cable itself. The headphone jack connector is unusually tall. When levering, keep the lower plastic connector body attached to the ribbon cable. Lever between the connector and socket, not between the connector halves.
Take out the 3 silver Philips screws securing the headphone jack to the back panel.
Guide a spudger beneath the orange headphone jack cable, then lever the cable up from the rear panel.
Grasp the headphone jack board and raise it out of the iPod. During reassembly, confirm that the plastic hold switch mechanism lines up with the logic board hold switch. The board switch is a small black nub that fits into the slot on the hold switch mechanism.
Only the rear panel remains.
After This Repair
| Check | What to do |
|---|---|
| Check rear fit | Confirm the rear housing sits flush, matches the intended capacity and case depth, and does not pinch transferred hardware. |
| Watch nearby parts | Reopen if the case bows, rattles, or puts pressure on the battery, storage, display, or control stack. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know this backplate is the right one?
Match capacity 15GB and color White, then confirm case depth and order number in the fitment table before ordering.
Will this fix charging, audio, storage, or screen problems?
No. A backplate is passive rear housing. Use it for dented, scratched, bent, missing, or custom rear-case work, not as an electronics diagnosis.
Should I choose by capacity or by thin/thick case?
Choose by the rear capacity engraving first, then use thin/thick case depth as the safety check so the housing and adjacent parts line up.
How do I confirm this is the right exterior part?
Match the exact iPod 3rd Generation model, visible part shape, color or finish goal, and any capacity or case-depth note before ordering Replacement Rear Panel (15GB — White).
Worth Knowing
- Thin rear panel fits 10GB, 15GB, and 20GB models only.
- Chrome finish — prone to scratching. Common cosmetic replacement.
Why people land on this part
Also searched as: iPod 3rd generation 15GB white backplate replacement, iPod 3rd Generation 15GB white rear case, iPod 3rd Generation 15GB white back cover, iPod 3rd Generation 15GB white rear housing, backplate 15GB replacement, iPod 3rd Generation Rear Panel.
Symptoms people describe
- charging indicator
- white screen
- won't charge after replacing the battery
- won't restore
- won't sync
- won't charge
- works only plugged
- x clicking drive
Fitment wording people compare
- flash mod
- headphone jack
- hold switch
- Physical Damage
