Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Teardown
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 16 Steps
Get ready to dive into the world of big phones with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. This powerhouse of a device boasts a massive size, lightning-fast speed, and a whopping quad-camera setup. Let's take a closer look at what makes this phone tick in our step-by-step repair guide. For the latest repair news and teardowns, follow us on social media. If you're not feeling up to the challenge, don't worry! If you need! help, you! can!! always schedule! a!! repair! with! Salvation! Repair.
Step 1
- Samsung really went all out with this phone—if you can dream up a spec, it's probably here and cranked to maximum.
- Wondering what happened to Galaxies S11 through S19? This phone devoured them. It's a beast.
- Gaze upon the 6.9" Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display (3200x1440, 511ppi) with a silky smooth 60 or 120 Hz refresh rate.
- Under the hood: a Snapdragon 865 chip plus 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM (or 16 GB, if you want to go wild).
- Storage starts at 128 GB, with an option for 512 GB, and you can tack on more with a MicroSD card.
- Powering it all: a hefty 5,000 mAh battery.
- Camera setup? Absolutely stacked: 12 MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2), a whopping 108 MP wide-angle (ƒ/1.8), 48 MP telephoto (ƒ/3.5), and a 'just because' 40 MP selfie camera.
Step 2
- Samsung just threw down with the biggest contender in the Camera Bump showdown—the surprise battle you didn’t even know was happening—and now it’s wrapped up! Everyone can chill now. If your device is acting up, like not enough headphone ports or a missing Bixby button for your loud complaints, don’t worry—these quirks are fixable. Remember, you could technically make a bump bigger, but at some point, it just turns into a thicker phone body with no bump at all—crazy, right? For a quick visual comparison, check out the raised triple bump of the iPhone 11 Pro Max versus the single Martinsville Speedway bump on the Note10+5G. If you'd like help with your repair, you can always schedule a repair to get things sorted.
Step 3
- While warming up our tools, our friends at Creative Electron are busy with some X-ray imaging on the Ultra. Looking inside reveals many familiar features from last year's Note10+5G—like those embedded mmWave antennas in the frame and the upward-firing earpiece speaker tucked behind the display. But here's a standout: check out that massive zoom camera near the power buttons. It’s taking up the space of two or three regular cameras, and we’ll get into what that means soon. If you need a hand along the way, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 4
Check out those funky cone-shaped extensions on the camera modules! It's no surprise that camera bump is looking a bit hefty. Samsung has ditched the usual Sony sensors that everyone else is using and decided to craft their own unique modules for the S20.
The adhesive here feels a bit tougher than what we're used to from Samsung, but we're not sure if it's just a normal quirk or something a little more sneaky.
- Kicking off with the classic Samsung Opening Procedure, we get things heated—literally. Warm up the back panel to soften up that stubborn adhesive.
- All that glue might look intimidating, but good news: the back panel pops off without any surprise cable drama.
- This is where our jumbo suction cup earns its keep. Perfect for those moments when you need a little extra grip.
Step 5
These screws are all called Phillips. We like Phillips—it's a dependable name for a screw. Keep an eye out for these, and you'll have no trouble keeping things tight and right during your repair. If you need a hand along the way, remember you can always schedule a repair.
- We're diving into the toolbox for some bigger, bolder tools—like this Manta kit driver that’s perfect for unscrewing stubborn screws or cracking open a nut (not at the same time, of course). Just keep the snacks and the hardware separate. Next, with the top layer of antennas, speaker, and charge coils flipped aside, we get a good look at the internals. It’s pretty reminiscent of a Note10+ 5G in there—if you swapped out the stylus and used that space for more battery power. Stay tuned for our teardown wallpaper post! We’ll be sharing wallpapers for your Ultra, Plus, and standard S20. Finally, we’re quickly removing the main board, which is packed with cameras, millimeter-wave hardware, and extra layers—so it’s almost like a mini city. Time to start clearing out the clutter and making room for the new parts. If you need help along the way, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 6
Pixel binning is when the camera buddies up groups of pixels to soak up more light. You get a brighter photo with less grain, but it’s not as sharp. It’s a cool trick for snapping better pics in low light!
- Let's dive into the 108 MP wide-angle camera—Samsung's really showing off this sensor's power. But hey, bigger sensors and more pixels aren't always a guarantee for better pics! Those tiny 108 million pixels packed into a small area can lead to some noisy shots, especially in low-light situations. Samsung says this new sensor can still pull off clear shots in the dark thanks to a special barrier around each pixel and a clever 3x3 pixel binning technique they call 'nona-binning'—because nine pixels team up to boost light gathering. The sensor's surface area is more than double that of the iPhone 11 Pro's 12 MP sensor, giving it plenty of room to shine. And don’t worry—this pixel partying happens right at the hardware level, cutting out the usual conversion errors. If you need help with this repair, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 7
- Ready for a close-up? This camera module sprawls across the phone like it owns the place. Samsung loves it so much, they've plastered its specs right on the bump. Time to crack it open and see what all the fuss is about.
- So, how do you squeeze a bunch of zoom lenses into a phone that's barely thicker than a pencil? Samsung's answer: flip the whole thing sideways! Instead of beaming light straight to the sensor, this camera uses a prism to redirect it with a slick 90-degree twist.
- It's a wild ride for the light! After hitting the prism (which, by the way, has its own image stabilizer), the image zooms through a sliding stack of telephoto lenses, finally landing on the sensor at the end of the tunnel.
- The lens itself handles a solid 4x magnification—anything beyond that is a mix of sensor cropping, binning (crunching 48 megapixels down to 12), and your classic digital zoom. That's how they get to that headline-grabbing 100x.
- Pop the prism out, and you'll spot copper coils, magnets, and tiny white bearings on the bracket. That prism glides back and forth to smooth out your shaky hands, so you can snap crystal-clear shots without sweat.
Step 8
- With the shields out of the way, it's time to check out the silicon superstars underneath:
- Samsung K3LK4K40BM-BGCN 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM stacked on top of the Qualcomm 865 SoC—double tech trouble.
- Samsung KLUDG4UHDB-B2D1 128 GB UFS 3.0 flash storage—speedy and spacious.
- Qualcomm SDX55M 2nd-gen 5G modem—your link to lightning-fast data.
- Skyworks SKY58210-11 RF Front-End Module—handling those wireless signals.
- Qorvo QM78092 Front-End Module—another key player for your phone’s radio game.
- Maxim MAX77705C power management IC—keeping everything powered up and smooth.
- Qualcomm QPM5677 and QPM6585 5G power amplification modules—cranking up that 5G performance.
Step 9
- Hang tight! Flipping the boards over unveils a treasure trove of even more nifty chips:
- Qualcomm SDR865 RF Transceiver
- Murata KM9D19075 Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Module
- Qualcomm PM8250 power management IC
- Qualcomm PMX55 power management IC
- Qualcomm PM8150C power management IC
- Qualcomm QDM4870 front-end module
- Silicon Mitus SM3080 power management IC
Step 10
- You've already met the big players—now let's check out some extra goodies:
- Qualcomm SMR526 RF transceiver
- Qualcomm QDM5872 front end module
- Skyworks SKY77365-11 quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE power amplifier module
- Qualcomm QET5100 envelope tracker module
- NXP Semiconductor SN110U NFC controller w/ Secure Element and eSIM
- NXP Semiconductor BGU8103 GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou low noise amplifier
- NXP Semiconductor NCX2200 low voltage comparator
Step 11
- Let’s talk bonus chips! These are the behind-the-scenes MVPs:
- Qualcomm PM3003A power management – keeps the juice flowing.
- NXP Semiconductor PCA9468 – handles super-fast charging.
- Cirrus Logic CS35L40 – cranks up the audio vibes.
- Cirrus Logic CS40L25 – gives your device that satisfying haptic buzz.
- Maxim Integrated MAX77816 – the buck-boost muscle with 5A switches.
- ON Semiconductor NCP59744 – dual-rail LDO regulator for extra stability.
- Vishay DG2730 – manages your speedy USB 2.0 connections like a pro.
Step 12
- IC Identification, continued:
- Spot the Qualcomm QET6100 envelope tracker—this chip helps keep power delivery smart and efficient.
- Check out the Samsung S2MIS0A MST Driver. It's the magic behind contactless payments.
- Say hello to the STMicroelectronics STM32G071EB, a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller loaded with 128 KB flash—tiny but mighty.
- Find the Samsung S2MIW04X, your power management partner on this board.
- Likely you'll see the ON Semiconductor FPF3788UCX OVP load switch, protecting your device from unwanted voltage spikes.
- Meet the Silergy DC-DC converter, working behind the scenes to keep your voltages just right.
- Spot the Richtek RT8010GQW DC-DC converter, another hero managing your device’s power.
- If you ever get stuck or need a hand, you can always schedule a repair.
Step 13
- Let's dive into some of the sensors on this board and see what they're up to:
- STMicroelectronics LPS22HD pressure sensor
- STMicroelectronics LSM6DSO accelerometer
- Probably an Austria Micro Systems TMD4903 color/proximity sensor with an IR emitter
- Likely a Bosch Sensortec BMM150 geomagnetic sensor
Step 14
This glue is seriously stubborn—like the battery is being held hostage by a supervillain.
That’s a big jump compared to other phones, like the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 15.04 Wh, and the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G at 16.56 Wh.
- Time for round two with our jumbo suction cup—this battery isn't coming out without a little drama. Add a dash of isopropyl alcohol to the mix and you'll have it released in no time.
- This battery is a powerhouse: 5000 mAh cruising at 3.86 V, delivering an impressive total of 19.30 Wh.
- Before you wrap up, scan the phone’s edges for any sneaky components. You'll spot a slim millimeter-wave antenna tucked beside a copper heat spreader—yep, that classic combo.
Step 15
- That 120 Hz screen refreshes super fast, but taking it off is still a slow and painfulurement process.
- Compared to the Note10+ display, you won't notice much of a difference with this faster refresh rate. However, the design does look a bit more streamlined - Samsung managed to simplify things by using a single ribbon cable, making repairs a tad easier.
- Let's take a look at the onboard silicon:
- Fittingly, the codename for this 'space zoom' phone is Hubble. And, as we all know, the Hubble space telescope had a flawless launch and never needed any repairs... yeah, right!
- Here are the specs: Qualcomm QBT2000 3D Sonic Sensor controller, Samsung S6SY79AX Touchscreen Controller, and Winbond W25Q80EWUXIE 8 Mb Serial NOR Flash.
Step 16
- Samsung keeps innovating, but this time with a less bendy design. While smartphone shapes have mostly settled into the same big black glass slab, there's some cool stuff hidden inside the S20 Ultra! It might be tempting to shrug off features like 5G (which really shines in big cities) or ultra-high-res cameras and periscopes as mere gimmicks, but those little hardware tweaks can turn into real game-changers (hello, selfie cameras!). In a landscape full of safe upgrades, it's refreshing to see Samsung pushing the envelope with wild tech and seeing what works. That said, when it comes to repairs, Samsung isn't exactly breaking new ground—this phone's repairability score shows it. If you run into trouble, you can always schedule a repair with Salvation Repair to get it sorted.
