Since there still aren't any tutorials on how to take this phone apart, and several people expressed interest in a guide, I decided to make one based on my experiences replacing the digitizer. It's still a work in progress, as I don't have the replacement parts yet, but I will update it as I go along. The pictures also unfortunately didn't come out that great, but I will be re-taking them during the re-assembly process in a better lighting scenario. And now for the obvious...
*DISCLAIMER*
I am not responsible for any damage to your device (or yourself
) caused by following these instructions. Make sure you are aware of everything involved, and do not attempt to disassemble your phone unless you are comfortable working with small electronics.
Now for the guide
Step 1: Remove the accessories
Remove the battery cover, battery, SIM card, MicroSD card, and stylus from the phone.
Step 2: Remove the torx screws
Remove the five screws from the back cover, which are circled in
Red. They are torx screws, and a T5 bit worked fine for me to remove them. After removal, the back cover should begin to lift up on the left side.
Step 3: Remove the back case
On the right side of the case, there are three remaining clips that are holding the back cover in. You will need to use a small flathead screwdriver to unhook them, starting with the top. The locations of the three clips are circled in
Yellow. After unhooking them, the case should lift off, there is nothing you need to unhook, as the antennae are all attached by contact points. You will have to swing it off, as the bottom of the back cover will still be attached somewhat by the USB and headphone jacks. Then remove the volume button rocker, simply by lifting it off.
Step 4: Unscrew the circuit board
You will need to unscrew the remaining two torx screws to remove the circuit board, which are circled in
Red. Then you will need to detach the front button cable, which is circled in
Blue.
Step 5:
Carefully flip the circuit board over, and remove the LCD and Digitizer connectors circled in
Blue. The main circuit board is now free from the case.
This is all I have for now, everything from this point on is glued directly to the faceplate. I would recommend buying a new LCD, Digitizer, and Faceplate if you need to replace any of the three, but it may be possible to save the faceplate and LCD if you are extremely careful in removing the digitizer. The digitizer is attached with very strong glue, and is impossible to remove without breaking it. The LCD is sandwiched in between the faceplate and the digitizer, so you will need to remove the digitizer to access the LCD. Be EXTREMELY careful removing the digitizer, as it is glass and will shatter easily.
I will be adding more information to the guide as time goes on, but feel free to ask me about anything I didn't include, or if something isn't clear. This is a work in progress, after all.