Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

28

Time Required

                          1 - 3 hours

Sections

8

  • Rear Case
  • 2 steps
  • MicroSD Card
  • 1 step
  • Battery
  • 1 step
  • SIM Card
  • 1 step
  • Midframe
  • 6 steps
  • Motherboard Assembly
  • 4 steps
  • Headphone Jack
  • 2 steps
  • Display Assembly
  • 11 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Video Overview

Step 1

              Rear Case
  • Pry with a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, in the divot to the left of the rear-facing camera, near the power button.

Pry with a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, in the divot to the left of the rear-facing camera, near the power button.

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Step 2

  • Lift the rear case by the corner nearest the divot and remove it from the phone.

Lift the rear case by the corner nearest the divot and remove it from the phone.

Step 3

              MicroSD Card
  • Use the flat end of a spudger, or your fingernail, to press the microSD card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.
  • After the click, release the card and it will pop out of its slot.
  • Remove the microSD card.
  • For reassembly, push the microSD card into the slot until it clicks in place.

Use the flat end of a spudger, or your fingernail, to press the microSD card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.

After the click, release the card and it will pop out of its slot.

Remove the microSD card.

For reassembly, push the microSD card into the slot until it clicks in place.

Step 4

              Battery
  • Insert a plastic opening tool, or your finger, into the notch of the battery compartment and lift the battery upward.
  • Remove the battery from your phone.

Insert a plastic opening tool, or your finger, into the notch of the battery compartment and lift the battery upward.

Remove the battery from your phone.

Step 5

              SIM Card
  • Use a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, to press the SIM card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.
  • After the click, release the card and it will pop out of its slot.
  • Remove the SIM card.
  • During reassembly, push the SIM card into the slot until it clicks in place.

Use a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, to press the SIM card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.

Remove the SIM card.

During reassembly, push the SIM card into the slot until it clicks in place.

Step 6

              Midframe
  • Remove the nine 4.0 mm Phillips #00 screws securing the midframe to the display assembly.

Remove the nine 4.0 mm Phillips #00 screws securing the midframe to the display assembly.

Step 7

  • The midframe is secured to the display assembly by several plastic clips behind the chrome bezel of the midframe. The next few steps will guide you through separating the clips to free the midframe.
  • Starting on the volume button side of the phone, insert your plastic opening tool between the chrome bezel around the display glass and the larger chrome border piece. Look for the seam between the two.
  • Slide the opening tool along the seam, separating the plastic clips as you go.
  • Be very gentle whilst prying, and pry only enough to separate the plastic clips—there are several thin points in the midframe bezel that may crack if you bend them too much.

The midframe is secured to the display assembly by several plastic clips behind the chrome bezel of the midframe. The next few steps will guide you through separating the clips to free the midframe.

Starting on the volume button side of the phone, insert your plastic opening tool between the chrome bezel around the display glass and the larger chrome border piece. Look for the seam between the two.

Slide the opening tool along the seam, separating the plastic clips as you go.

Be very gentle whilst prying, and pry only enough to separate the plastic clips—there are several thin points in the midframe bezel that may crack if you bend them too much.

Step 8

  • Continue prying around the corner of the phone.
  • Slide your opening tool along the seam between the midframe and display along the bottom of the device, releasing more of the plastic clips.

Continue prying around the corner of the phone.

Slide your opening tool along the seam between the midframe and display along the bottom of the device, releasing more of the plastic clips.

Step 9

  • Again, pry around the corner, to the power button side.
  • Slide the opening tool along the seam.

Again, pry around the corner, to the power button side.

Slide the opening tool along the seam.

Step 10

  • Continue sliding the opening tool around the top of the phone, releasing the last of the clips and freeing the midframe from the display assembly.
  • At this point, you may want to run your plastic opening tool along the entire perimeter of the device again, to make sure you’ve released all of the plastic clips.

Continue sliding the opening tool around the top of the phone, releasing the last of the clips and freeing the midframe from the display assembly.

At this point, you may want to run your plastic opening tool along the entire perimeter of the device again, to make sure you’ve released all of the plastic clips.

Step 11

  • Remove the midframe from the display assembly.

Remove the midframe from the display assembly.

Step 12

              Motherboard Assembly
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the USB board connector.
  • Disconnect the front-facing camera cable connector.
  • Disconnect the earpiece speaker assembly cable connector.

Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the USB board connector.

Disconnect the front-facing camera cable connector.

Disconnect the earpiece speaker assembly cable connector.

Step 13

  • Disconnect the headphone jack assembly cable connector.
  • Disconnect the display/digitizer cable connector.
  • Disconnect the antenna cable connector.

Disconnect the headphone jack assembly cable connector.

Disconnect the display/digitizer cable connector.

Disconnect the antenna cable connector.

Step 14

  • Remove the single 2.4 mm Phillips #00 screw from the motherboard assembly.

Remove the single 2.4 mm Phillips #00 screw from the motherboard assembly.

Step 15

  • Gently remove the motherboard.
  • Hold the motherboard by its edges to prevent ESD damage. Be careful not to snag it on any cables as you extract it from the display assembly.

Gently remove the motherboard.

Hold the motherboard by its edges to prevent ESD damage. Be careful not to snag it on any cables as you extract it from the display assembly.

Step 16

              Headphone Jack
  • Remove the single 2.4 mm Phillips #00 screw securing the headphone jack assembly to the display assembly.

Remove the single 2.4 mm Phillips #00 screw securing the headphone jack assembly to the display assembly.

Step 17

  • Remove the headphone jack assembly.

Remove the headphone jack assembly.

Step 18

              Display Assembly
  • If present, remove the 2.4 mm PH #00 screw securing the upper display assembly bracket.
  • Remove the upper display assembly bracket from the display.

If present, remove the 2.4 mm PH #00 screw securing the upper display assembly bracket.

Remove the upper display assembly bracket from the display.

Step 19

  • Remove the front-facing camera from the display assembly.

Remove the front-facing camera from the display assembly.

Step 20

  • Remove the earpiece speaker assembly from the display assembly.

Remove the earpiece speaker assembly from the display assembly.

Step 21

  • Insert the tip of a spudger under the vibrator to free it from the adhesive holding it to the display assembly.
  • Be careful not to immediately remove the vibrator, as its cable is also adhered to the rear of the display assembly.
  • Use the tip of a spudger to pry the vibrator cable up from the display assembly.
  • Heat works as a great “persuader” here to soften the adhesive. Liberal application of heat from a heat gun will soften the adhesive. If you pry carefully, you can save and re-use the adhesive.

Insert the tip of a spudger under the vibrator to free it from the adhesive holding it to the display assembly.

Be careful not to immediately remove the vibrator, as its cable is also adhered to the rear of the display assembly.

Use the tip of a spudger to pry the vibrator cable up from the display assembly.

Heat works as a great “persuader” here to soften the adhesive. Liberal application of heat from a heat gun will soften the adhesive. If you pry carefully, you can save and re-use the adhesive.

Step 22

  • Remove the vibrator from the rear of the display assembly.

Remove the vibrator from the rear of the display assembly.

Step 23

  • Gently insert the point of a spudger between the USB port and the USB port bracket to pry one side of the bracket off of its post.

Gently insert the point of a spudger between the USB port and the USB port bracket to pry one side of the bracket off of its post.

Step 24

  • Remove the USB port bracket from the USB port.
  • The bracket is slightly springy and should pop back into place on the two screw posts during reassembly.

Remove the USB port bracket from the USB port.

The bracket is slightly springy and should pop back into place on the two screw posts during reassembly.

Step 25

  • Disconnect the soft button cable from the USB board cable. Be extra careful here, once you have removed the cable, carefully peel it away from the USB board
  • Disconnect the antenna connector cable from the USB board.

Disconnect the soft button cable from the USB board cable. Be extra careful here, once you have removed the cable, carefully peel it away from the USB board

Disconnect the antenna connector cable from the USB board.

Step 26

  • The USB board is secured to the display assembly with light adhesive.
  • Gently insert the flat end of a spudger beneath the USB board to free it from the adhesive holding it in place.
  • Go slow and be careful not to bend the board.

The USB board is secured to the display assembly with light adhesive.

Gently insert the flat end of a spudger beneath the USB board to free it from the adhesive holding it in place.

Go slow and be careful not to bend the board.

Step 27

  • Remove the USB board from the display assembly.

Remove the USB board from the display assembly.

Step 28

  • Peel up and remove the antenna connector cable from its channel in the rear of the display assembly.
  • Other carrier models may have an additional antenna cable on the opposite side of the phone. Remove this antenna from the display assembly as well.
  • On reassembly, it will be helpful to reinstall the USB board first, and reconnect the antenna connector cable before routing it back into its channel.

Peel up and remove the antenna connector cable from its channel in the rear of the display assembly.

Other carrier models may have an additional antenna cable on the opposite side of the phone. Remove this antenna from the display assembly as well.

On reassembly, it will be helpful to reinstall the USB board first, and reconnect the antenna connector cable before routing it back into its channel.

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

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                    Sam Goldheart

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Tom - Feb 10, 2014

Reply

HELP! step 28 just ends how do I insert the new one, how do I resemble the parts that used adhesives to stick?

Dave Davidson - Mar 26, 2014

Nearly all the guides end like this, you just need to work backwards through the steps using the new hardware.

Sturgis Baxter - Feb 18, 2019

Just work backwards like Nick stated. I usually reverse assemble the parts I take off so I know the order in which I need to put them back in.

Fausto Lebron - Feb 11, 2014

Reply

Just run it along its track. Use a plastic spudger to push it down. Use 3m double sided adhesive tape to re-attach parts that require adhesive.

Martin - Feb 11, 2014

Reply

What is the difference between an AT&T digitizer and a Verizon digitizer? How interchangeable are they?