Locate the small hole on the left side of the phone near the volume rocker, which you can slip your fingernail into to pull the battery casing off.
Remove the battery by pulling up on the small dip at the bottom, and slide the SIM sideways out of its enclosure. You can also tap the bottom of the phone with the display up against a surface to allow the battery to fall out.
Remove the 8 screws highlighted.
With the screws removed, push a spudger no more than a centimeter into the device. Gently pry all around the outside of the phone where the gray plastic meets the glass of the display.
The plastic backing will separate entirely from the device. You might have to force it a little, but don't use too much or you risk damaging the plastic or the internal components
Behold the motherboard of the phone. Remove the one screw holding down the motherboard. Do not try and remove the motherboard yet!
Gently spudge the power button connector off of the side of the device. Starting from the bottom right corner of where it is in the first picture is the best way to go about this. Gently disconnect the highlighted ribbon cable from the motherboard.
DO NOT PULL THE MOTHERBOARD AWAY FROM THE DISPLAY HOUSING YET! The last picture shows the ribbon cable connecting the speaker and headphone jack assembly. You do not need to disconnect this if you are only replacing the digitizer.
Gently lift up the side without the white plastic on it to see the ribbon cable plugged into the bottom. Pull this ribbon cable connector off with a plastic spudger and remove the motherboard from the display chassis.
If you need to replace the unit's main camera, it's right here for you to disconnect.
You now have exposed the Thin Film Transistor housing.
Disconnect this ribbon cable by flipping the black tab at the very left (relative to this picture) upwards to the right, and gently pulling the ribbon cable out.
Heat the entire front of the display up with a heat gun. A hair dryer will work as well. Stick a finger nail in an area with a small seam - I found one around the top right - and pry it open just enough to fit a spudger. Run it all the way along the edge of the display. There are no sensitive ribbon cables to break, but pay close attention to the silver speaker at the top, and the home button at the bottom.
You should also pull up on any surface of the digitizer which has separated from the metal TFT housing. This is to prevent it from re-sticking and introducing aggravation. While using a spudger to remove the adhesive, be sure to always drag the spudger along the digitizer side (towards the glass) and not towards the metal body, or you will scratch the TFT.
Carefully pull the ribbon cable connector through the slot here, ensuring it doesn't catch on any parts.
If you are replacing the digitizer, you do not have to be gentle to the ribbon cable but it is recommended anyway.
To reassemble, simply follow all these steps in reverse,
Remove the battery by pulling up on the small dip at the bottom, and slide the SIM sideways out of its enclosure. You can also tap the bottom of the phone with the display up against a surface to allow the battery to fall out.
Remove the 8 screws highlighted.
With the screws removed, push a spudger no more than a centimeter into the device. Gently pry all around the outside of the phone where the gray plastic meets the glass of the display.
The plastic backing will separate entirely from the device. You might have to force it a little, but don't use too much or you risk damaging the plastic or the internal components
Behold the motherboard of the phone. Remove the one screw holding down the motherboard. Do not try and remove the motherboard yet!
Gently spudge the power button connector off of the side of the device. Starting from the bottom right corner of where it is in the first picture is the best way to go about this. Gently disconnect the highlighted ribbon cable from the motherboard.
DO NOT PULL THE MOTHERBOARD AWAY FROM THE DISPLAY HOUSING YET! The last picture shows the ribbon cable connecting the speaker and headphone jack assembly. You do not need to disconnect this if you are only replacing the digitizer.
Gently lift up the side without the white plastic on it to see the ribbon cable plugged into the bottom. Pull this ribbon cable connector off with a plastic spudger and remove the motherboard from the display chassis.
If you need to replace the unit's main camera, it's right here for you to disconnect.
You now have exposed the Thin Film Transistor housing.
Disconnect this ribbon cable by flipping the black tab at the very left (relative to this picture) upwards to the right, and gently pulling the ribbon cable out.
Heat the entire front of the display up with a heat gun. A hair dryer will work as well. Stick a finger nail in an area with a small seam - I found one around the top right - and pry it open just enough to fit a spudger. Run it all the way along the edge of the display. There are no sensitive ribbon cables to break, but pay close attention to the silver speaker at the top, and the home button at the bottom.
You should also pull up on any surface of the digitizer which has separated from the metal TFT housing. This is to prevent it from re-sticking and introducing aggravation. While using a spudger to remove the adhesive, be sure to always drag the spudger along the digitizer side (towards the glass) and not towards the metal body, or you will scratch the TFT.
Carefully pull the ribbon cable connector through the slot here, ensuring it doesn't catch on any parts.
If you are replacing the digitizer, you do not have to be gentle to the ribbon cable but it is recommended anyway.
To reassemble, simply follow all these steps in reverse,
