Samsung Galaxy S III Front Panel Assembly Replacement

Written By: Walter Galan

Comments: 41

Samsung Galaxy S III Front Panel Assembly Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the front panel assembly.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

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.

very easy to follow instructions clear and concise

Deric JONES - 26/12/16

Step 6

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 8

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

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.

Forgot about the step to remove the back casing...pretty simple though, just several screws then pop it off.

Courtney -

Step 12

Remove the ten 4.0 mm Phillips screws securing the midframe to the front panel assembly.

What would you use to remove the screws

Curt the heneke - 30/10/16

I used both P#000 and J#00 precision bits to good effect. I tend to prefer the Japanese Standard bits in place of Philips, as the JIS bits seem not to cam out and strip screws as easily.

E West - 01/03/17

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.

There's another piece of the frame that needs to be taken out, but it doens't come out as nicely... unless I did something wrong. It's the part that covers the speaker. I couldn't find a nice way of taking it out.

David -

I had to use a guitar-pick to pry that section off of the frame. Start at the front-facing camera edge and run the pick underneath the plastic cover. The catches should release.

Takashi Alekseev -

I used a pointed prying too to get it started, then the flat one. It took some fiddling but finally came off nicely.

Nick B -

READ ME!

For a guide that takes you step by step on how to remove the SIM and microSD, I'm surprised they didn't mention the top part of this midframe (still attached, in the pictures). This top part of the midframe also needs to be removed before you can take out the motherboard.

You need to disconnect a ribbon not listed in these directions first, then pry that midframe up with the help of a guitar pick. This ribbon is located by the back-camera, next to the digitizer ribbon. This ribbon is connected to the midframe so it is essential you disconnect this before lifting the frame up.

The frame is really snapped in there so don't be afraid to use a little force - for reference, you will use more force to pull this frame off than you did to pull off the back-cover of the phone. Once this piece is off, your phone should look like the picture in step 14.

Jess - 23/06/14

Step 14

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.

This is not a rear facing camera connector. This is the connector for the lHeadphone Jack/Speaker Assembly

Chasity Miller - 17/06/14

You're right I

Joel Muhong - 29/07/18

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.

Worked perfectly. Thanks!

brewclay - 12/04/17

Step 17

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 18 says the front digitizer connector, but later calls it the earpiece/buttons/ambient light sensor ribbon cable.

Is the Digitizer connector part of the display connector, or is it elsewhere?

Kyle Mattfield - 30/04/14

It's the volume and speaker

Joel Muhong - 29/07/18

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.

Be very careful,as it is very easy to break the connector off the motherboard.

vjmickelson - 30/05/14

Has anyone tried just folding the motherboard back to the left after removing all the screws WITHOUT disconnecting the wi-fi antenna? I'm just a little worried about this one step.

Cullen Johnson - 16/01/15

Folding the motherboard back without disconnecting the WiFi antenna worked for me! :)

Alec - 26/01/16

I broke the WiFi antenna connector bit off motherboard. How do I fix it?

rileygoldsmith - 18/04/15

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.

When reassembling your device, there can be a problem with connecting display data cable to the motherboard. I fixed display data cable on the motherboard before mounting motherboard: it gave me some freedom and simplified positioning of data cable on the motherboard

fomondik - 29/10/14

If I am not mistaking, there is a screw also on the motherboard needs to be removed before removing motherboard from the assembly

blingblingyourlink - 04/11/15

It's covered in Step 21

Amy Losh - 10/01/17

Step 23

Remove the single 2.0 mm Phillips screw securing the front-facing camera bracket to the front panel.

Will screw with b sometimes difficult but how do u still remove it?

kendrick -

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

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.

Replacing only the glass was a terrible idea...

I bought a new screen including the frame and front button.

On this fix i had to transfer the wifi-antenna module, led, the vibrating module, the cable connecting the front speaker and volume control and then the two side buttons. This was kinda hard, so i think this should be included in the guide.

Step 26: Remove the lock and volume control buttons by pushing them out from the inside.

Step 27: Carefully lift the front speaker with the cable glued to the frame. With the volume control button removed it's easier to access the volume control module at the end of this cable.

Step 28: Remove the vibrating module. Be carefull not to break the piece glued to the frame.

Step 29: Remove the flat wifi-antenna module. This is also glued to the frame wich makes it really tricky to lift.

Mysil -

THIS IS A QUESTION to anyone who is good with fixing phones. If i buy this Front Panel Replacement stuff, will this be the fix to a broken screen? i have an issue where i plug the phone into a computer and the phone will charge but the computer cannot see any data (pics, apps, a n y t h i n g) from the phone. will this issue be fixed if i use this method? will my data remain in reach when i use this method? .... thank you

Dre Marie - 25/09/14

Where do all the little soft rubber parts go? I found 2 but I have 3 left over!

Jack Gatewood - 03/12/15

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.

Be careful. My chip snapped in half! ( used a plastic spudger)

Lindsay - 07/11/14

Same thing happened to me!!! It snapped in half :(

gkskkgkskgk - 19/08/15

Mines too :( I thought i was carefull enough

Romano - 03/03/16

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.

Conclusion

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

Author

Walter Galan

697731 Reputation

14 comments

Hi,

I wonder if this is guide to actually replace broken digitizer - if we have full Digitizer/LCD assembly?

Thanks

Akki S -

I've just watched the video and... that was pure pleasure to watch repairer. She's professional and beautiful!

paczor -

Thanks. This is the second time I've used this guide.

William Geisweit -

And how Ill install thenew screen ?

Lea Efremov -

Brilliant Step-By-Step guide. My phone needed new digitizer as just a black screen was showing when turned on, must have happened from a drop. I bought the digitizer screen combo from ebay and used this guide to dress across the components. Worked first time! There are a couple of other spongy or supportive rubber pieces around certain components that were in the original phone so I transferred those also, I guess they are there just to ensure tight connections etc. Absolute lifesaver!

James Lainchbury - 26/06/14

On my Samsung galaxy s3, which I have only had for two months, has stopped working. The phone will come on but that is it. The touch screen has completely stopped working. help!

Bessie - 07/08/14

Used this guide to fit a replacement front screen assembly. Was a bit more difficult and time consuming than expected as some parts stuck fast, but i got there. And it all still worked at the end which is the main thing. New screen looks great too. Thanks.

Wayne - 10/01/15

Used this guide to replace my front panel, and was very easy to follow.

I even watched the video, it helped a lot!

The only problem I had with my fix, is that I didn't have the spudger and was unable to remove the vibrator without damaging it. So I am yet to order another to replace it, other than that, everything came out great!!

thanialorena - 25/07/15

One digitizer assembly, one protech toolkit, one magnetic mat and 30 minutes later my phone works perfectly! The only problem is one of those screws jumped off the mat and now I can't find it...oh well. Ifixit made this repair cheap and easy! #repairisnoble

keithd - 26/12/15

Lovely manual.It took me no time to replace the front screen/digitizer.Peter

boelens - 05/03/16

I'm having trouble finding a Screen Replacement of samsung SGHI747 its Canadian model of samsung s3 so giveme some idea how can i fixit

tayyabtair - 30/06/16

Wonderful thanks so much!! Working screen now yay!

fluffychick75 - 17/02/17

This phone was a dream to repair! Miss ya, buddy.

Ethan Rourke - 24/07/19

Hi I replaced the screen but now the phone is not booting. I also insert a new battery but didn’t turn on. How to troubleshoot the phone ?

Simple Developer - 04/11/19