Repairing Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7 0 3G Sim Socket Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          2 hours

Sections

SIM Socket
8 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Rear Case Removal

Open the device with a metal or plastic spudger around the edges as indicated.
Remember to work slowly and be careful, as to avoid leaving marks on the rear case or body.
Note that on the top and bottom of the device, the noses protrude from the display side into the back cover.
On the sides of the device, the noses protrude from the back cover into the display side. (Opposite from the top and bottom of the device)
In order to remove the case, you will have to push the back cover inwards on the top and bottom of the device. On the sides, you will have to pull the the cover out.
Marks made on the plastic can be partially removed by pressing the material back.

Open the device with a metal or plastic spudger around the edges as indicated.

Remember to work slowly and be careful, as to avoid leaving marks on the rear case or body.

Note that on the top and bottom of the device, the noses protrude from the display side into the back cover.

On the sides of the device, the noses protrude from the back cover into the display side. (Opposite from the top and bottom of the device)

In order to remove the case, you will have to push the back cover inwards on the top and bottom of the device. On the sides, you will have to pull the the cover out.

Marks made on the plastic can be partially removed by pressing the material back.

1024

Step 2

              Detach Battery

Using a non-metallic tool or your hand, detach the battery by lifting the black connector up carefully.

Using a non-metallic tool or your hand, detach the battery by lifting the black connector up carefully.

Step 3

              Unscrew and detach flat-ribbon cables

Using the screwdriver, remove the 11 screws from the main PCB board and the battery.
Lift and remove the battery as indicated in the second image.
Using the opening tool, detach all of the flex connectors as shown in the third image.
Do not tear the 8 cables when taking out the flex connectors.

Using the screwdriver, remove the 11 screws from the main PCB board and the battery.

Lift and remove the battery as indicated in the second image.

Using the opening tool, detach all of the flex connectors as shown in the third image.

Do not tear the 8 cables when taking out the flex connectors.

Step 4

              Remove main PCB

To remove the main PCB board, lift it carefully from the side opposite of the connector.
Make sure to not rip flex cables that are bending back.

To remove the main PCB board, lift it carefully from the side opposite of the connector.

Make sure to not rip flex cables that are bending back.

Step 5

              Remove damaged socket

On the flip side of the main PCB board is the micro-SD and the 3G SIM-socket. Use a soldering iron to remove the damaged socket. Using a lead-free solder will require more heat. You can use a traditional solder to decrease the temperature if necessary. (Add solder first, then remove with solder wick)
SIM Socket is indicated by the green circle in the 1st image.
Micro-SD Socket is indicated by the blue circle in the 1st image.
Since the old socket is damaged anyway, you do not need to remove it in one piece. Desolder each pad and carefully bend the holder upwards. Applying too much force could possibly damage one of the 8 pads on the PCB edge.
Clean the solder residue off of the 8 pads on the main PCB board.

On the flip side of the main PCB board is the micro-SD and the 3G SIM-socket. Use a soldering iron to remove the damaged socket. Using a lead-free solder will require more heat. You can use a traditional solder to decrease the temperature if necessary. (Add solder first, then remove with solder wick)

SIM Socket is indicated by the green circle in the 1st image.

Micro-SD Socket is indicated by the blue circle in the 1st image.

Since the old socket is damaged anyway, you do not need to remove it in one piece. Desolder each pad and carefully bend the holder upwards. Applying too much force could possibly damage one of the 8 pads on the PCB edge.

Clean the solder residue off of the 8 pads on the main PCB board.

Step 6

              Solder new socket

Add solder to the pins before installing the new SIM socket.
The socket will have 8 signal pins on the side where the card is inserted, several pads for shielding, and two pads at the rear to detect whether the SIM is inserted.
To make the socket more stable, place the new socket on the board and solder at one shield edge first.
Solder the eight signal pins at PCB board edge. If you accidentally bridge some of the pins, don’t panic. Use a solder wick to remove excess solder.
If necessary, use a magnifying glass or microscope to inspect the solder joints. Since the contact area of the signal pads is tiny, even if they look like they are touching the PCB board, they might not actually be touching.
Before soldering all shield pads, check if system is working! Otherwise you might have to re-solder the socket again.
You can test the device while it is open, but the PCB board and the battery have to be in place. You will be able to see if 3G works but WiFi may not work because the antenna is on the back cover that was removed.

Add solder to the pins before installing the new SIM socket.

The socket will have 8 signal pins on the side where the card is inserted, several pads for shielding, and two pads at the rear to detect whether the SIM is inserted.

To make the socket more stable, place the new socket on the board and solder at one shield edge first.

Solder the eight signal pins at PCB board edge. If you accidentally bridge some of the pins, don’t panic. Use a solder wick to remove excess solder.

If necessary, use a magnifying glass or microscope to inspect the solder joints. Since the contact area of the signal pads is tiny, even if they look like they are touching the PCB board, they might not actually be touching.

Before soldering all shield pads, check if system is working! Otherwise you might have to re-solder the socket again.

You can test the device while it is open, but the PCB board and the battery have to be in place. You will be able to see if 3G works but WiFi may not work because the antenna is on the back cover that was removed.

Step 7

              Test before closing

If everything works, put the PCB board back with the dock-connector in first.
Connect all 8 of the flex connectors.
Screw all 11 screws back into place.
Do not close the cover.
While the cover is open, test the 3G function several times to make sure it consistently works. Test again after the screws are tightened.
Loosen some of the screws if the 3G SIM is failing, as this could be the cause of the problem. If needed, insert spacers between the PCB board and case around the SIM slot.
If you do this, the spring contact between the PCB board and the 3G antenna should be widened a little.

If everything works, put the PCB board back with the dock-connector in first.

Connect all 8 of the flex connectors.

Screw all 11 screws back into place.

Do not close the cover.

While the cover is open, test the 3G function several times to make sure it consistently works. Test again after the screws are tightened.

Loosen some of the screws if the 3G SIM is failing, as this could be the cause of the problem. If needed, insert spacers between the PCB board and case around the SIM slot.

If you do this, the spring contact between the PCB board and the 3G antenna should be widened a little.

Step 8

              Close back cover

Close the back cover by putting device face-down on cloth and carefully applying pressure on it. You should hear audible clicks from the noses clicking back into place.
SIM and MicroSD must not be inserted while doing this.

Close the back cover by putting device face-down on cloth and carefully applying pressure on it. You should hear audible clicks from the noses clicking back into place.

SIM and MicroSD must not be inserted while doing this.

Hopefully everything worked out for you and you´re now a proud owner of a revived Tab

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                                                                                      15 other people completed this guide.

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                    Thomas Widmaier

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Emmanuel Wiredu - Sep 22, 2017

It goes on and off when charging what do I do

Akabuogu Blessing - Sep 23, 2020

Please how do I remove a micro SIM card stucked in my tab?

Thomas Widmaier - Sep 23, 2020

You can try using a shim on the side of the contacts. Try some thin stiff plastics from a binder or so and cut a stripe as wide as the sim. Try inserting it carefully between sim card and contacts. Maby this avoids the contacts getting stuck on Sim or the frame. Good luck.

Khaled Abdoul Karim - Dec 29, 2022

PLEASE and for the Samsung SCH-1705 Verizon 4G LTE

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