Nexus 9 Speakers Replacement

Step 1

With your fingers, carefully pry off the back plastic casing. Starting at the corners is usually the easiest.
The rear-facing camera seems to fit a little too snugly in its compartment on the rear case; so make sure that it stays connected to the motherboard.

Just removed the cover. On mine, there is a piece of double sided tape, 2"x1", bottom middle, sticking the back cover to the battery. The battery pack's black skin ripped as I pulled the cover off. I was able to peel the skin from the tape and reposition on the batteries. Don't think this black skin is nothing more then a way to print branding and other texts onto the batteries.

Sccoaire - 15/02/16

Same here. Ridiculous!

rexograph143 - 21/02/18

I can confirm that the camera does fit very snugly into back cover.

Start by prying off the cover from the end opposite the camera. When you get near the camera lens, press the lens gently into the body as you continue to release the cover.

Graham Taylor - 04/12/17

Careful pressing that lens into the body, though, because the lens is actually attached to the back cover, not to the camera module (stupid, frankly). It is def a good idea to work from the other corner around, though.

Drew Rushmer - 16/01/20

Step 2

Carefully peel up the copper shielding with your fingers.
Before fully removing the copper shielding, make sure that the blue antenna cable is out of the way of the copper tab.

On mine, the copper shield is smaller then shown in this picture. It does not cover the battery connector, hence you don't need to remove the copper shield to remove the battery.

Sccoaire - 15/02/16

Ditto. My theory is that ours were later model Nexus 9s produced after this ifixit featured this product!

rexograph143 - 21/02/18

Sur certains modèles, la feuille de cuivre est sous la batterie et n'a pas besoin d'être enlevé.

Rohanec - 23/08/16

To reinstall the heat shield use E6000 adhesive. It's good up to about 185 Fahrenheit. Apply a very thin coating to the heat shield. Install and Put some weight on the heat shield and let cure for 16 hours.

M Gasque -

Step 3

Using the spudger tool, carefully remove the bottom of the battery from it's location below the logic boards.
The battery is attached to the motherboard with some adhesive, so you may need an iOpener to loosen up the adhesive. Check out the iOpener guide for info on how to do it.
Do not pull the battery from the tablet yet, as it is still connected to the motherboard.

On my tablet, it was not glue, but double stick tape along the both long sides. I used the iOpener, which I laid along the sides. (My iOpener had printed on it, “Wait 10 minutes before reheating again.”) I slowly peeled the tape off of the battery. The copper shielding was below the battery. I carefully peeled the tape up in hopes of reusing it.

Gregg Ferry - 27/12/17

On mine, the battery was held by two strips of double stick tape. My iOpener helped. (my iOpener had written on it, “Wait 10 minutes before reheating again. ) As I lifted the battery, I peeled the tape away from it. Then I peeled up the tape in hopes of reusing it.

Gregg Ferry - 27/12/17

Step 4

Now remove the metal clip covering the battery's connector cable located above the top left of the battery with the spudger.
After the metal clip is wiggled free, the battery's connector cable can be easily removed by just gently tugging it free.

Use spudger to apply light pressure to right (as seen in picture above) side of clip near the board. Right side of clip will spring left and up. Use tweezers to lift clip upwards and to the right. It will come right out.

Darryl Whitmore - 07/05/17

White battery connector lifts straight up to disconnect.

Darryl Whitmore - 07/05/17

Step 5

The battery should now lift free of the tablet.

Again, on my Nexus 9, were I trying to actually remove the battery, it is double side taped to the frame. The battery’s casing would be further torn to shreds, should I try to remove it.

Good thing I’m just trying out a XDA repair for the “white/pixellated screen-150 decibel scream issue” that seems to be plaguing N9s nowadays, which involves cleaning the battery contacts. I may just have to replace it now, should it’s performance get any worse.

(It’s almost as if HTC wants the battery to be seriously damaged if replacement is attempted.)

rexograph143 - 21/02/18

It isn't necessary to remove the battery from device to replace the mobo. Ensure you've disconnected the power cable from the MoBo and you will be fine.

Arcade -

Step 6

This step is not necessary if you have already removed the battery.
Carefully peel up the copper shielding with your fingers.
Before fully removing the copper shielding, make sure that the blue antenna cable is out of the way of the copper tab.

Step 7

Unscrew the three 3 mm Torx T5 screws on the antenna board.
This step and the next show the battery removed, but it is not necessary to remove it if you are only replacing the antenna board.

The antenna board is tricky to reinstall. The board must be jammed against the stop above the left most screw in the middle of the tablet, and then slipped under the holder toward the middle top of the board. This board drives the speaker beneath it and if it is above the stop the speaker might not work correctly and the back cover will not fit like it should.

M Gasque -

Step 8

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to disconnect the blue antenna cable from the motherboard.
When reinstalling the antenna, be sure to clean it with a degreaser such as windex or isopropyl alcohol. The oils on your fingers have the potential to create wireless interference.
The antenna board should now lift free of the motherboard.

If you happen to own a Nexus 9 LTE model, I strongly suggest that you take a photo of the exposed back (i.e. with the rear cover removed) and all wires still in place. You will later find that the LTE model differs in terms of daughter boards used, apparent connection points, number of wires used, and most importantly the way the wires even connect various components. At that point, you will also find that guides that cover the WiFi-only model are useless, for said reasons. You will additionally find that the only guides that are commonly accessible cover only that model. Lastly, before you replace any of the boards, I also strongly encourage you to compare the photo you will have taken to any replacements, to ascertain that they are compatible (to get you started: you will note a connection point on the daughter board that houses the micro-USB connector present in the LTE edition and absent (although the board does contain the solder points forming a circle) in the WiFi edition).

poser1999 - 16/10/19

These antenna connectors are very fragile and if crushed are toast. I go out of my way never to disconnect them unless absolutely necessary. I take the antenna board the cable and the main board out as one piece and keep it that way.

M Gasque -

Step 9

Use a spudger or your fingers to remove the first speaker. The speaker may be heavily glued in and require heat to lift. Be careful as you can pull the speaker apart.

My speaker was kind of glued in place and I hosed it pulling it out. Take something really pointy (tweezers?) to lift it out from the right side.

Gregg Ferry - 27/12/17

The speaker by the charging port is easier to take out. I'd skip the one by the main board until you see how to do it on the charging port speaker. I also ripped apart the CPU speaker and you will probably destroy it as well. Get a replacement set from parts4repair.com which costs about $9 with shipping. Or check eBay.

M Gasque -

Step 10

Disconnect the two ZIF connectors attached to the daughterboards.
Gently pull on the ribbon cable to remove it.

Mine had an additional 3rd ZIF cable and an antenna cable.

Gregg Ferry - 27/12/17

This is the USB charging board. There are three connectors on it. Remove all ribbon cables by rotating the white part of the connector up.

M Gasque -

Step 11

Remove the two 3mm T5 Torx screws securing the metal USB port bracket.
Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to remove the bracket.

Step 12

Unscrew the two 3mm T5 Torx screws securing the daughterboard to the device.
Use a pair of tweezers to disconnect the vibrator cable. It will lift straight up from the daughterboard connector.
Use your fingers to lift the daughterboard upward and out of the device.

On mine, the vibrator connector slide away from the daughter board

Gregg Ferry - 27/12/17

Mine had an additional antenna black cable.

Gregg Ferry - 27/12/17

The button battery looking thing is the vibrator. I pryed it out and left it connected to the daughter board. The ribbon cable connects to the orientation gyroscope, very gently pry it up.

M Gasque - 26/10/23