Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Rear Camera Replacement Guide
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 36 Steps
Hey there, it looks like we need to work on the SM-G998B/DS model. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get this device back in tip-top shape! Need assistance? Feel free to schedule a repair for expert help.
Get ready to swap out the rear camera on your Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra! This guide is tailored for the SM-G998B/DS (international) model, but if you’re rolling with a different version, keep in mind that there’s an extra antenna cable hanging out near the midframe. While it’s not crucial to disconnect the interconnect cables for a screen replacement, we recommend doing it anyway. It makes getting the motherboard out and putting everything back together a breeze! Just a heads up: if you skip replacing the adhesive seals during reassembly, your device will still work like a charm, but it might lose a bit of its water resistance. So, when you’re putting things back together, make sure to grab some replacement adhesive to keep everything snug as a bug!
Step 1
Before we get crackin’, make sure you unplug and power off your phone.
Want to get fancy? You can use a hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate, just keep it cool – we don’t want to fry the display or the battery!
– Grab your trusty iOpener and give it a warm hug against the back cover for at least three minutes. This will help melt away the adhesive’s grip underneath, making your job a whole lot easier!
Step 2
If the back cover is looking a little worse for wear with some serious cracks, a simple trick is to wrap it up with some clear packing tape—this can help the suction cup stick better. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might try using some extra strong tape instead of the suction cup. And if you’re really in a bind, a dab of superglue can help you attach that suction cup to the cracked cover.
Having a tough time making that gap? No worries! Just apply a little more heat to loosen up that adhesive. Remember to follow the iOpener instructions to keep things from getting too toasty!
– First things first, grab a suction handle and stick it to the bottom edge of the back cover, making sure it’s as close to the edge as possible.
– Now, gently lift the back cover using the suction handle to create a little gap between it and the frame. Just a tiny space will do!
– Once you’ve got that gap, slide an opening pick into it.
– Next, glide that opening pick over to the bottom left corner to slice through the adhesive like a pro.
– Keep the opening pick in place so the adhesive doesn’t decide to play peek-a-boo and reseal itself.
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Step 3
– Pop in a second opening pick at the bottom edge of your phone.
– Gently glide that opening pick over to the bottom right corner to cut through the adhesive.
– Keep those opening picks in place to stop the adhesive from sticking back together.
Step 4
If the glue is too hard to cut through, it’s probably just a bit chilly. Give it a little warm-up session with your iOpener for two to three minutes.
– Time to spice things up! Grab your third opening pick and show that bottom right corner who’s boss!
– Gently slide your opening pick along the right edge like a pro chef slicing through butter.
– Let’s keep things cozy up in the top right corner with our opening pick to make sure that adhesive doesn’t try to sneak back.
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Step 5
When you’re working near the camera assembly, just slide in the tip of the opening pick (about 4-5 mm) to keep that camera safe and sound—no smudges or damage here!
– Gently slip in a fourth opening pick just beneath the upper right corner of your device.
– Glide the opening tool along the upper edge to neatly separate the adhesive.
– Keep the opening pick snug in the upper left corner to prevent the sticky stuff from sealing back up.
Step 6
When you’re slicing close to the power button, just use the tip of the opening pick (about 3-4 mm) to keep that power and volume button flex cable safe and sound. You’re doing great!
– Slide a fifth opening pick under the top left corner like a pro.
– Gently glide the opening pick down the left edge of the back cover to cut through the last bits of adhesive.
Step 7
– Hello there! First, let’s remove that back cover and get a good lookie-loo at what’s hiding underneath. Isn’t this exciting? Then, make sure you turn that phone on and give all its functions a test drive before you put it back together. Don’t forget to switch it back off when you’re done tinkering! Just a couple more easy peasy steps to clean up and you’ll be on your way. Need some extra help? No worries, buddy! You can always schedule a repair and we’ll be there in a jiffy!
Step 8
– Slide an opening pick under the left bottom corner of the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly. You’re doing great!
– Gently glide the opening pick along the bottom left edge of the assembly to detach it from the battery. Keep it up!
Step 9
– Get ready to show some love to your device! Slide that trusty opening pick under the bottom end of the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly.
– Gently glide the opening pick along the bottom of the assembly, gently coaxing it away from the loudspeaker. Your device will thank you for it!
Step 10
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the charging coil connector straight up from its socket. You’ve got this!
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Step 12
– Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and get ready to tackle those five 3.9 mm-long screws holding the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly in place. You’ve got this!
Step 13
– To gently remove the NFC antenna and charging coil assembly, grab a pair of tweezers or use your fingers with care.
Step 15
– Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and get ready to tackle those four 3.9 mm-long screws holding the loudspeaker assembly in place. You’ve got this!
Step 17
– Get ready to say goodbye to the loudspeaker assembly!
– When you’re putting everything back together, don’t forget to add fresh adhesive where it’s needed after giving those areas a good clean with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).
Step 18
If you’re not looking to take out the motherboard or swap the battery, feel free to breeze past this step and jump right into the next one!
– Alrighty, grab a spudger and let’s gently disconnect that display flex cable. Delicately pry the connector straight up from its socket. You got this!
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Step 19
– Time to work some magic! Grab your trusty spudger and delicately disconnect those main and interconnect flex cables from the motherboard. Gently pry their upper connectors up from their sockets – just like a pro!
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Step 20
– Grab your spudger and pop the bottom connector of the interconnect flex cable off the daughterboard socket.
– Gently lift the interconnect flex cable out using your fingers or tweezers.
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Step 21
– Get your spudger ready to disco! Disconnect the main flex cable from the daughterboard by prying its bottom connector straight up from its socket like a pro!
– Time for some delicate work—use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to smoothly remove the main flex cable.
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Step 22
– Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and get ready to tackle this task! It’s time to unscrew the four 3.9 mm-long screws holding the earpiece speaker and laser AF module assembly in place. You’ve got this!
Step 23
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry the connectors of the laser AF module and earpiece speaker flex cables straight up from their sockets. You’ve got this!
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Step 24
– Get ready to jazz it up! Use a pair of blunt nose tweezers to grab the bottom right corner of the earpiece speaker and laser AF module assembly. Now, groove it upwards with care.
– It’s time to rock and roll! Remove the earpiece speaker and laser AF module assembly like a boss!
Step 25
Handle those cables with care! Keep the bends gentle and avoid sharp folds to keep them in tip-top shape.
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently pry those in-display fingerprint and antenna flex cables up from their sockets—just like lifting a stubborn lid off a pot! You’ve got this!
– Now, carefully wiggle both connectors to the side to release the motherboard. Think of it as giving the motherboard a little stretch—nothing too intense!
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Step 27
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the power button flex cable right out of its socket. It’s like giving it a little hug to say goodbye!
– Now, with a gentle touch, bend the connector to the side to set the motherboard free. You’re doing great!
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Step 28
– Alrighty, techies! Time to get your camera module on with this 3.9 mm screw, loosey-goosey! Unscramble that screw with your trusty Phillips screwdriver and let’s Free Willy that camera! Need some help? No prob, just head over to schedule a repair and we’ll have it sorted out in a snap!
Step 29
Remember to show those flex cables some love and care as you work around the motherboard.
– Slide a spudger under the top edge of the motherboard, right next to the vibration motor. You’ve got this!
– Gently use your spudger to lift the motherboard by tilting it downwards and giving it a little twist to the side. Keep it steady and you’ll be golden!
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Step 30
Take it easy! When you’re pulling things apart, keep those movements smooth and steady. Make sure those flex cables aren’t getting tangled up with the motherboard; we wouldn’t want any accidental tears. You’ve got this!
– Gently extract the core of your device.
Step 31
– Grab a spudger and carefully pop up the ultra wide camera flex cable connector from its socket. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair
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Step 32
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the telephoto camera flex cable off the rear side of the motherboard. Just pry that connector straight up from its socket, and you’ll be on your way to a successful repair!
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Step 33
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently lift the wide and second telephoto camera flex cables by prying their connectors straight up from their sockets. You’ve got this!
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Step 34
– Easily separate the motherboard from the rear camera assembly using a handy pair of tweezers.
– When putting things back together, make sure to add fresh adhesive in the right places after giving them a good clean with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).
Step 35
– Grab your trusty Phillips screwdriver and gently twist out the 3.5 mm-long screw that’s holding the rear camera assembly in place. You’ve got this!
Step 36
Ready to swap out just one lens of that triple lens setup? Heat up an iOpener and apply it to loosen the camera adhesive. Gently press the lens through the camera assembly frame, being careful not to strain or tear any camera cables. If you need help, you can always schedule a repair.
– Get ready to rock and roll by using a pair of blunt tweezers or your fingers to carefully part ways with the triple lens assembly from the telephoto camera.
– Time to bring the party by applying fresh adhesive during reassembly to jazz up those areas after giving them a good cleaning with isopropyl alcohol (>90%).
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