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Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the rear camera module in your Fairphone 3.

What you need

  1. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement, Back Cover: step 1, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement, Back Cover: step 1, image 2 of 2

    • Power off your phone before beginning disassembly.

    • Insert a thumbnail, or a prying tool like a spudger, into the notch at the bottom right of the back cover.

    • Pry the back cover up to start separating its plastic clips.

    Edit

  2. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 2, image 1 of 3 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 2, image 2 of 3 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 2, image 3 of 3

    • Slide around the bottom right corner of the back cover to loosen the lower plastic clips.

    • Lift the back cover to release the rest of the plastic clips and remove it.

    • To reinstall the back cover press it firmly into place until you hear a snap from the plastic clips to form a seamless connection with the rear side of the phone.

    Edit

  3. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement, Battery: step 3, image 2 of 2

    • Use a fingernail or a prying tool at the marked notch to lever the battery out of its recess.

    • Lever the battery up until you can get a good grip.

    Edit

  4. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 4, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 4, image 2 of 2

    • Lift the battery out of its recess and remove it.

    Edit

  5. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement, Display Assembly: step 5, image 1 of 1

    • Whenever a Phillips #00 screw is mentioned you can also unfasten it with a size #0 bit/screwdriver.

    • Remove the thirteen Phillips #00 screws (4 mm length).

    Edit

    vis M 1.4/4 mm

    Felice Suglia - Reply

    Attention : pour dévisser les deux vis du haut il est nécessaire d’avoir un tournevis assez fin, certains tournevis #0 seront trop gros et risquent de marquer les bords du trou, voire la caméra.

    pichel - Reply

    I used the knife edge (on my suiss knife) and it worked fine. Of course, be very very carful not to damage the screws. In one hole I had to "sacrifice" a little bit plastic since the hole was a little bit too narrow for the knife.

    Evaf70 - Reply

  7. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 6, image 1 of 3 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 6, image 2 of 3 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 6, image 3 of 3

    • Make sure to insert the opening pick between the midframe and the display module and not into the small gap next to the screen. Otherwise you're going to pry up the screen instead of the whole display module.

    • Insert an opening pick between the midframe and the display module on the right edge of the phone.

    • Slide the opening pick down to the bottom right corner to pry open the plastic clamps of the display module.

    Edit

    Hello. I do not have an opening pick; one was not provided with the telephone or the camera module. How am I supposed to install the item if I have not been either provided with, or informed of the requirement for, a necessary tool? This makes it extremely difficult for a customer to make their own installations or repairs. Also, I do not have a spudger, and I had to look up what a spudger is. These are not everyday items found in most people’s toolboxes, so I feel that they should be provided, or a warning should be given when buying items (such as the camera module) which will require additional tools to install.

    Helen Pearson - Reply

    Hi, you are right, there should be a hint to buy those tools. Maybe you have a guitar pick or a very thin spatula or putty knife. It is better to not use metal, to not damage the frame, but if you have no other tool this may help.

    Fabian Gugger -

    Attention de bien insérer sur la rainure la plus à l'extérieur, vous allez sinon decoller le joint fixant l'écran à proprement parler au reste du module.

    Si ça vous arrive, vous le saurez en voyant que la partie décollée est toujours reliée par une nappe à la partie inférieure de l'écran. Pas de panique, appliquez quelques points de colle par dessus le joint d'origine et recommencez la procédure, cette fois dans la bonne rainure (et la procédure devrait vous paraître beaucoup plus simple ;) )

    Geoffrey Fernandez - Reply

    Punaise, moi cette partie de mon écran se décolle toute seule. Juste un tout petit peu, par le haut. Vous me conseillez de le décoller plus pour pouvoir y mettre de la colle ?? Quelle colle serait le mieux ? (pas envie d’acheter un écran vu que le mien fonctionne très bien quand même)

    Lucy sann -

    Hello, I got frustrated when I didn’t find any opening pick. I’m not a guitarr player either ;-) , so I took a old credit card instead. It worked fine! I got a spudger when I bought the FP3.

    Anyway, these tools are not common in most households, so they should be provided or at least they should be hinted that they are needed.

    Mattias Ahlstedt - Reply

    Hey, I cut the edge off a stiff plastic packaging and inserted it. It was itself too wobbly, but widened the gap enough so I could insert the edge of a credit card which worked just fine.

    Corinna Fischer - Reply

    Ich hatte kein Plektrum habe es mit einer Chip-Karte probiert, das ging auch.

    Britta Hammer - Reply

  8. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 7, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 7, image 2 of 2

    • Slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner and use it to disengage the plastic clamps at the bottom of the display module.

    Edit

    Hallo

    nachdem mein Handy ausversehen runtergefallen ist, war das Display dunkel; ein/aus half nichts, akku raus/rein auch nicht. Es gab Brumgeräusche wie beim Starten wenn ich Start gedrückt habe, das Display blieb dunkel. Ich konnte das Display mit etwas mühe(ungeübt) ausbauen und wieder einbauen. Danach ging es wieder; Danke euch hier für die Anleitung. So ein Plektrum habe ich leider nicht mehr, ich glaub es war eines dabei. Ich habe mir mit einem kleinen Plastiklöffel geholfen, der ist jetzt mein Star :-)

    Timo Strauß - Reply

    Sehr gut! Viel Spaß mit deinem Fairphone!

    Fabian Neidhardt -

  9. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 8, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 8, image 2 of 2

    • Slide the opening pick along the left side to pry the display module up.

    • The display module should pop out of the midframe during this process. In case it doesn’t, check for remaining clamps you might have missed.

    Edit

  10. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 9, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 9, image 2 of 2

    • Remove the display assembly.

    • To reinstall the display-module press it into place on all sides until you can hear a snap from the plastic clamps to make sure it sits flush with the frame.

    • If you install a new display: The new display module comes with a white plastic cover held by 2 screws over the processor and the connectors. This needs to be taken off.

    Edit

    The new display module comes with a white plastic cover held by 2 screws over the processor and the connectors. This needs to be taken off!

    Joe - Reply

    ATTENTION !l’écran neuf comprend un cache plastique qui tient avec 2 vis ! pour monter le nouvel écran il faut dévisser les vis et enlever le cache plastique

    Félix Béranger - Reply

    Die weiße Plastikabdeckung an dem neuen Modul muss vor dem Einbau noch gelöst werden (2 Schrauben).

    Christian Schmidt - Reply

    Vielen Dank für die kleinschrittige Anleitung, dir mir als Reparaturmuffel geholfen hat, mein Handy wieder zu aktivieren. Hintergrund: nach einem Sturz war das Display total verpixelt. Durch aus- und Einbau des Displays wurden die durch den Sturz gelockerten Kontakte wieder neu verbunden und - siehe da - es funktioniert wieder alles wie am ersten Tag! Da bin ich froh, daß ich mich für ein fairphone entschieden habe.

    Technikmuffel - Reply

    Sehr gut! Weiter viel Spaß mit deinem Fairphone!

    Fabian Neidhardt -

  11. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement, Rear Camera Module: step 10, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the two 4.1mm-long Phillips #00 screws.

    Edit

  12. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 11, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 11, image 2 of 2

    • Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the camera connecting cable.

    Edit

  13. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 12, image 1 of 2 Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 12, image 2 of 2

    • Use a spudger to pry up the rear camera module.

    Edit

  14. Fairphone 3 Rear Camera Module Replacement: step 13, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the rear camera module.

    Edit

    An dieser Stelle nicht vergessen, die blaue Abdeckfolie zu entfernen beim Einsetzen eines neuen Moduls!

    Matthias Freese - Reply

Conclusion

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

Information on what to do with the old module can be found on the FairPhone support page and in the FairPhone forum.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

17 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 4 other contributors

Adriana Zwink

Member since: 12/18/19

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3 Comments

How NOT to remove the display!

I just destroyed my display module a bit and had to fix it with glue. :(

This works better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGTYZNzg...

caroline - Reply

I think this guide should mention that the camera connecting cable can become disconnected accidentally on its other end (under the metallic cover) which is easy to miss. This forum post helped me: https://forum.fairphone.com/t/be-careful...

The metallic cover can be removed easily after screwing off two Torx screws. Couple of people on the forum experienced this and it helped me solve my problem.

cmur2 - Reply

Pas de problème pour changer le module. Les explications données par ifixit sont claires et aisées à suivre.

Eric Beaucarne - Reply

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