Samsung Galaxy S III Front Panel Assembly Replacement

Step 1 Rear Case



• The following four steps can be accomplished without a plastic opening tool. However, it's recommended to use a tool to best avoid breaking any clips along the perimeter of the rear case.
• Insert a plastic opening tool or fingernail into the notch in the gap between the rear case and the rest of the phone, located at the top of the device.
• Gently twist the opening tool to disconnect the clips securing the top of the rear case.
Step 2



• Slide the plastic opening tool left along the top edge and repeat the twisting motion to widen the gap between the rear case and the phone.
Step 3
• Continue to move the plastic opening tool around the perimeter of the top left corner, gently prying up along the rear case.
Step 4
• Pry along the top right side, and continue prying down the right side of the rear case.
Step 5
• Lift up and remove the rear case from the phone.
• You may need to peel the case up to separate it from any clips still holding it to the bottom of the phone.
Step 6 Battery
• This step can be accomplished without the need of a plastic opening tool. Just use your finger if you want to.
• Wedge a plastic opening tool into the small notch above the battery.
• Pry the battery up out of its recess.
Step 7
• Remove the battery.
Step 8 SIM Card
• Using your fingernail, push 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.
• For reassembly, push the SIM card into the slot until it clicks in place.
Step 9
• Use your thumb to slide enough of the SIM card out of its slot to grab ahold of it.
• Grasp and remove the SIM card away from the phone.
Step 10 microSD Card
• Using your fingernail, push 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.
• For reassembly, push the microSD card into the slot until it clicks in place.
Step 11
• Use your thumb to slide the microSD card out of the slot.
• Remove the microSD card from the phone.
Step 12 Plastic Midframe
• Remove the ten 4.0 mm Phillips screws securing the midframe to the front panel assembly.
Step 13
• Grasp the left side of the plastic midframe with your thumb and forefinger and lift it away from the phone.
• The midframe lightly snaps in place, and can be removed with very little force.
Step 14 Headphone Jack/Speaker Assembly
• Use a plastic opening tool to pry the rear-facing camera connector up from its socket on the motherboard.
• Make sure you are prying on the connector and not the socket, or you may damage the motherboard.
Step 15
• Insert a plastic opening tool outboard of the speaker portion of the headphone jack/speaker assembly.
• Gently pry the headphone jack/speaker assembly up from the front assembly.
Step 16
• Lift the headphone jack/speaker assembly out of the Galaxy S III.
Step 17 Motherboard Assembly
• Use a plastic opening tool to pry the front-facing camera connector from its socket on the motherboard.
• Do not try to remove the front-facing camera just yet. Its cable is still routed beneath the motherboard assembly to the ambient light sensor.
Step 18
• Disconnect the digitizer cable by gently prying its connector up from its socket on the motherboard.
Step 19
• Disconnect the display data cable from the motherboard.
Step 20
• Pry the Wi-Fi antenna cable connector up from its socket on the motherboard.
• Gently move the cable out of the way of the motherboard.
Step 21
• Remove the single 3.0 mm Phillips screw securing the motherboard to the front panel assembly.
Step 22
• Carefully lift the bottom of the motherboard assembly away from the front panel assembly.
• Remove the motherboard assembly from the front panel assembly, minding any cables that may snag on it.
Step 23 Front-Facing Camera
• Remove the single 2.0 mm Phillips screw securing the front-facing camera bracket to the front panel.
Step 24
• Use a pair of tweezers to lift the front-facing camera/ambient light sensor/rear microphone assembly out from its socket in the front panel assembly.
Step 25 Front Panel Assembly
• Peel the antenna cable up from its channel in the front panel assembly.
• Do not completely remove the antenna cable, it is still connected to the antenna board.
Step 26
• Wedge the tip of a spudger underneath the earpiece speaker and pry the earpiece speaker out of its recess in the front panel assembly.
Step 27
• Use the flat edge of a spudger to peel the top portion of the earpiece/volume buttons/ambient light sensor ribbon cable from the front panel assembly.
Step 28
• Carefully wedge the flat edge of a spudger underneath the ambient light sensor.
• Continue peeling the earpiece/volume buttons/ambient light sensor ribbon cable up off the front panel assembly.
Step 29
• Insert the flat edge of a spudger underneath the earpiece/volume buttons/ambient light sensor ribbon cable connector.
• Gently run the spudger across to continue peeling the the earpiece/volume buttons/ambient light sensor ribbon cable from the front panel assembly.
Step 30
• Insert a plastic opening tool in between the the buttons ribbon cable and the volume button.
• Push the volume out of its recess in the front panel assembly.
• Lift and remove the volume button out of the phone.
Step 31
• Wedge the flat edge of a plastic opening tool in between the the earpiece/buttons/ambient light sensor ribbon cable and run it down to loosen the adhesive securing the ribbon cable.
Step 32
• Grasp and remove the earpiece/buttons/ambient light sensor ribbon cable out of the phone.
Step 33
• Use a metal spudger to carefully peel the antenna board off the front panel assembly.
• Lift and remove the antenna board out of the phone.
Step 34
• Push the power button out of its recess in the front panel assembly.
• Remove the power button from the front panel assembly.
Step 35
• Use the tip of a spudger to pry the vibrator out of its recess in the front panel assembly.
Step 36
• Use the tip of a spudger to peel the vibrator assembly off the front panel assembly.
Step 37
• Lift and remove the vibrator out of the front panel assembly.
Step 38
• Front panel assembly remains.
• If you are replacing the front panel assembly with a new one, don't forget to transfer all the parts you removed to your new front panel assembly.

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Walter Galan

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