Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Motherboard Replacement

Unplug and power off your phone before starting.

• Apply an iOpener to the back cover for at least three minutes to loosen adhesive.
• A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate can also be used; however, be careful not to overheat as the display and internal battery are susceptible to damage.

Secure a suction handle to the back cover's bottom edge, as close to the edge as possible.

If the back cover is badly cracked, apply clear packing tape for better suction or use strong tape instead. As a last resort, superglue the suction cup directly.

• Lift the back cover with the suction handle to create a small gap between the back cover and frame.
• If necessary, apply more heat to soften the adhesive further. Follow iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.

Insert an opening pick into the created gap.

• Slide the opening pick to the bottom left corner to slice the adhesive.
• Leave the opening pick in place to prevent resealing of the adhesive.

• Insert another opening pick at the bottom edge.
• Move it down to the bottom right corner, slicing the adhesive.

Leave them in place to avoid resealed adhesive.

Reheat the iOpener for two to three minutes and apply it again if the adhesive becomes hard to cut.

• Insert a new opening pick at the bottom right corner of your phone.
• Slide the opening pick along the right edge to slice the adhesive, then leave it in place.

When slicing near the camera assembly, insert only the tip of the opening pick (~ 4-5 mm) to avoid damage or smearing.

• Insert a fourth opening pick underneath the top right corner of your phone.
• Slide the opening pick along the top edge to slice the adhesive.
• Leave the opening pick in the top left corner to prevent resealing.

Insert a fifth opening pick under the top left corner.

• Slide the opening pick along the left edge of the back cover to slice remaining adhesive.
• When slicing near the power button, insert only the tip of the opening pick (~ 3-4 mm) to avoid damaging the power and volume button flex cable.

• Back cover: Remove it completely.

• Before reassembly, power on your phone to test all functions and ensure everything is working correctly; then, make sure to power it back down completely before continuing work.

• Remove any loose adhesive chunks using a pair of tweezers or your fingers.

• Use high concentration (over 90%) isopropyl alcohol to clean away any remaining adhesive residue carefully.

• If custom-cut adhesives are being used, refer to the guide for instructions.
• For double-sided tape, consult the guide mentioned above as well.

Insert an opening pick at the left bottom end of the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly.

• Slide the opening pick along the bottom left edge of the assembly towards the battery, being careful to separate it.

Insert the opening pick under the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly's bottom edge.

• Slide the opening pick along the bottom of the assembly to separate it from the loudspeaker.

• Disconnect the charging coil using a spudger.
• Pry the connector straight up from its socket.

Disconnect the NFC antenna by gently prying the connector straight up using a spudger.

Remove the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly using a Phillips screwdriver.

• There are five screws, each measuring 3.9 mm in length.
• Make sure to remove all screws before proceeding.

Remove the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly using a pair of tweezers or your fingers.

Disconnect the battery cable with a spudger by prying the connector straight up from its socket.

Remove the loudspeaker assembly by unscrewing its four Phillips screws, each measuring 3.9 mm in length.

Insert spudger into gap between loudspeaker assembly and midframe.

• Tilt loudspeaker assembly down with spudger.

Remove the loudspeaker assembly.

• Reassemble using new adhesive where needed.
• Clean area with isopropyl alcohol (>90%) before applying adhesive.

If no motherboard removal or battery replacement is intended, proceed directly.

• Disconnect the display flex cable using a spudger, prying the connector straight up from its socket.

Disconnect the main and interconnect flex cables from the motherboard using a spudger.

• Pry their upper connectors straight up from their sockets.

• Disconnect the interconnect flex cable's bottom connector using a spudger and pry it straight up from its socket.
• Remove the interconnect flex cable with your fingers or a pair of tweezers, taking care to avoid damaging it.

Disconnect the main flex cable from the daughterboard by prying its bottom connector straight up with a spudger.

• Remove the main flex cable carefully using your fingers or a pair of tweezers.

Remove the earpiece speaker and laser AF module by unscrewing the four 3.9 mm screws using a Phillips screwdriver.

• Disconnect the laser AF module cable using a spudger. Pry the connector straight up.
• Remove the earpiece speaker flex cable by prying its connector straight up from its socket.

Hold the earpiece speaker and laser AF module assembly firmly with a pair of blunt nose tweezers.

• Lift it gently upwards to remove.
• The assembly should now be free from its previous position.

Bending cables sharply may cause damage.

• Disconnect in-display fingerprint and antenna flex cables using a spudger, prying connectors straight up from their socket.
• Bend both connectors gently to the side to free the motherboard.

Use a spudger to pry the front-facing camera cable connector straight up out of its socket.

Disconnect the power button flex cable using a spudger.

• Pry the connector straight up from its socket.
• Bend the connector to one side to release it from the motherboard.

Remove the camera module's retaining screw using a Phillips screwdriver.

• The screw is approximately 3.9mm in length.

Do not damage the flex cables surrounding the motherboard during this process.

• Pry up the motherboard using a spudger, inserted underneath its top edge, next to the vibration motor.
• Tilt and twist the motherboard simultaneously, moving it downwards and to one side.

Tearing flex cables can cause permanent damage.

• Remove the motherboard with gentle, smooth motions.
• Carefully inspect and prevent any flex cables from becoming tangled or pinched.

Disconnect the ultra-wide camera flex cable using a spudger. Gently pry the connector straight up from its socket.

Disconnect the telephoto camera flex cable from the motherboard. Use a spudger to pry the connector straight up from its socket on the rear side of the motherboard.

• Disconnect the wide camera flex cable using a spudger.
• Pry the second telephoto camera flex cable connector straight up.

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully separate the motherboard from the rear camera assembly.

• During reassembly, apply new adhesive as needed after cleaning relevant areas with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).