Technical question about USB C port replacement - Razer Phone 2 Questions & Answers

I have a Razer Phone 2 with the infamous non-working USB C port. There seems to be very little supply for the board itself unless it's a used part and those seem to be farelt expensive. Looking at a teardown video of the phone it looks as though the port itself is attached to a flimsy ribbon type cable attachment. If anyone has any experience with this specific part could you please tell me if there are solder points that could be either reconnected or replaced with a completely new port without replacing the whole board? A friend of mine has a a fair bit of know how when it comes to doing repairs of this sort, but I'd hate to take it apart to try and replace the port it self and risk damaging the seal of the device for no reason at all if this procedure is not even possible without a replacement of the full part. Thank you in advance for any replies. I know this question might be a long shot, but we are just trying to weigh our options and figured someone on here might have the experience to point us in the right direction.

murderfacexx87 said:
I have a Razer Phone 2 with the infamous non-working USB C port. There seems to be very little supply for the board itself unless it's a used part and those seem to be farelt expensive. Looking at a teardown video of the phone it looks as though the port itself is attached to a flimsy ribbon type cable attachment. If anyone has any experience with this specific part could you please tell me if there are solder points that could be either reconnected or replaced with a completely new port without replacing the whole board? A friend of mine has a a fair bit of know how when it comes to doing repairs of this sort, but I'd hate to take it apart to try and replace the port it self and risk damaging the seal of the device for no reason at all if this procedure is not even possible without a replacement of the full part. Thank you in advance for any replies. I know this question might be a long shot, but we are just trying to weigh our options and figured someone on here might have the experience to point us in the right direction.
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I have the same problem. And since sending it back to Razer( don't get me started on how much there customer support sucks!) would cost more than buying a used phone 2. I am thinking to replace the port. Did you have any luck?

I work in a repair shop where I get these from time to time. You can try a used charge port board, but that doesn't always fix it and that seems to be a temporary fix. I have yet to find the root cause of the charging bootloop on the nearly dozen rp2's I have

Related

USB Port Broke How to fix

Wow I am wanting to replace my usb miniport myself I have the AT&T Tilt 8925/HTC Kaiser. The other day I was trying to reset the phone In the Dark thought that I was pressing the reset button on the bottom of the phone, what was happening I had my styles in the usb port DAM IT!!!! Next thing you know I go to charge and the USB port just falls back I then open the unit, and find the usb port has broken from the motherboard, seems to be a pretty clean break, all I need is a new MINIPORT does anyone know where I can buy? An OEM port...
Please HELP!!!!
Afrojack
HELP USB Miniport Broke
Can someone help I have an issue, I broke my usb port, I have the phone opened, I was able to access the usb port it has been completely broken off the board, seems to be broken of clean no cracks on the board, all I need is the usb port does anyone know where I can buy a miniport? Also the correct size of the head for the Soldering pen? Is there anything else I may need to repair this issue. Keep in mind I have the phone open, and Have the ability, but if there is any more steps I may use I would really appreciate it. Thanks
AfroJack
Is this a common problem? Mine is now loose, and it will be so annoying of it breaks off the mobo.
I don't know anywhere where you can buy the miniport, but surely warrantee will cover fixing the miniport?...
I did almost the exact thing a couple days ago. I only noticed now from this post. My pins were bent but it didn't break. I had to bend it pretty far so my charger would work again. Do you have pictures of what it looks like from the inside? Maybe you can buy a cheap device with the same pin layout?
No Picture
No I dont could take one, the usb port broke off the board I have talked to PocketPCTechs.com They will sale me a USB Port for $25.00 dollars I wish they had a picture of it maybe I will call them for a picture. They also said they will fix it for $79.00 dollars. I would like to do myself but for 79.00 dollars well I think it is well worth it.
I had the same problem 25 for the part 0 for a local company to put it in. pocketpctechs does give you the mogul usb port which I think is better than what comes standard on my kaiser. (humorous fact htc wanted $350 and 3 wks to fix it)
its not covered under warranty its considered misuse
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Kaiser
there are disassembly pics somewhere on this page, if your comfortable soldering it shouldn't be a problem. did it w/ my 8525.
Hey maybe you can extract the port from this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-HTC-MINI-US...ryZ20336QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I get one like the one I posted and it has the HTC symbol on it and everything. It looks OEM to me. Well the mini usb port on there to where you can plug in the headphones has all the pins on there and it seems like you would be able to just extract the one on the adapter for much cheaper. (around $5)
HTC repairs
I recently sent my kaiser to htc repairs USA austin tx and had to give them my credit card number. Anything they find broken not covered by the warranty they fix for $28 which seems cheap since you know they will repair it the right way. Also its oem parts
Hey I am currently living in Austin, TX for school. I just have an ATT Tilt and am not with ATT so I am probably not covered by anything.
damn, smaething happened to me , but it didnt broke off the phone, now that i look at it the usb thing its bend, now I know why the charger didnt want to plug in yesterday...
HTC has a one year warranty and as I stated befor they will fix non warranty items for only $28. That is what I was told when I sent in a Tilt that was not with AT&T.
I think mine must be bent or something too. The USB goes into it to charge, but it falls out really easily. It's not as big of a deal if i am charging it at my house and just leave it alone. The problem is when I'm in my car and it moves around and the charger falls out when it just slides a little bit.
taylor310 said:
I think mine must be bent or something too. The USB goes into it to charge, but it falls out really easily. It's not as big of a deal if i am charging it at my house and just leave it alone. The problem is when I'm in my car and it moves around and the charger falls out when it just slides a little bit.
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Thats how it started with my apache, now it doesnt charge at all. I found a site on google, search for PPC techs and they do the repair for $60, but you have to be without the phone for that time.
Tilt port repair from HTC USA
Called them about a port repair and was told it would probably be around $350 since it is part of the main board. Might be covered under warranty, up to the technician to determine if it is a normal failure or customer caused.
Too big a crap shoot!!
I just had the same thing happen, and they also told me it was "user error" and that it would be $300+ to fix...... this is clearly a manufacturing/design error and should be covered by warranty!
Big_Dutch said:
I just had the same thing happen, and they also told me it was "user error" and that it would be $300+ to fix...... this is clearly a manufacturing/design error and should be covered by warranty!
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Just bumping this thread because I have the same problem. One of the metal pins inside the usb port ended up being "pushed down" so my phone wouldn't charge/connect to activesync.
It might be time to move on from an HTC phone, I guess.
The phone was a refurb though, and I've had it for 8 months.

Adelaide, Australia - HTC User Needs Urgent Assistance

Hi guys. I've been a member of this forum for a fair while now and you guys are the most helpful, wonderful and pleasant people to ask appropriate questions to, so I pray that a fellow statesman can help me with this problem.
I hooked up my TyTn II to my PC yesterday and noticed it wasn't working, trying everything software didn't help. I pulled the USB cord out and to my surprise, the furthest right pin was pointing a little bit wrong. So, I spent an hour carefully moving it back in place, connected it up, worked.
I have two methods of hooking up, one to my PC and another to a wall charger that came with my BluANT Bluetooth Car Kit. After reading that non-standard ports on anything other than an official HTC product can bend and damage pins because of the way they are designed or somesuch, I became a little paranoid.
But, everything was working fine.
Until this morning.
The furthest right pin was ON TOP of the pin to the left of it. I spent another hour moving it back in place, tried to plug it in to the computer, didn't want to go all the way in. I did not jam it. I did not push it. Looking at the pins I saw that the furthest right has completely ****ed itself. I can't see exactly if it's snapped or just bent right around, but it won't sync and it won't charge.
Fonebiz are apparently the HTC repair people in Australia, is it possible that the whole chargeport can just be replaced and I can have my phone back relatively soon?
Answers as soon as you can guys, I really can't go without a phone for long.
P.S. It's Friday and I'm getting an engaged signal everytime I call their Adelaide office.
Please help me.
EDIT: I am using a cooked ROM, running Touch Commander so it all looks legit on the surface, apart from the boot screen. I am hoping that this doesn't get the phone sent straight back to me, because it's a hardware issue. Am I correct?
darkstarwastaken said:
Fonebiz are apparently the HTC repair people in Australia, is it possible that the whole chargeport can just be replaced and I can have my phone back relatively soon?
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I'm not familiar with what repairs that company undertakes and how quickly but certainly if you've been reviewing these forums for a while you'll know there are plenty of companies elsewhere that offer a broken USB port repair service. There really is something wrong with whatever you're plugging in to your TyTN II or how you're doing it. I've had mine since they first came out (bought it here in the UK at the end of September 07) and haven't had a single problem with the port despite regular usage of my charging cradle, non HTC official AC Adapter (the original HTC one blew up after a couple of weeks and 4 recharges), 3-in-1 USB adapter and 3 HTC Headsets. All pins are still straight as a die and connections rock solid. I'm careful not to get any dirt in it and always gently plug in the device straight on.
EDIT: I am using a cooked ROM, running Touch Commander so it all looks legit on the surface, apart from the boot screen. I am hoping that this doesn't get the phone sent straight back to me, because it's a hardware issue. Am I correct?
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Click to collapse
If you're wanting it repaired under warranty there are instructions in the wiki about restoring your device to it's 'as from the factory' state and you could use the micrSD method to restore all except your spl - that final step needs a working USB port (one of the risks in running a non-official setup while under warranty). I don't know what your chances are but I suspect a little better if only the spl is non-official than the whole lot (irrespective of what it looks like on the surface). Even if you have to pay for the port to be replaced though, as long as it's just a case of soldering in the new connector, that service doesn't cost the earth (at least from the American website I saw offering the service).
In all honesty Kiwi, I think the guy I bought the phone from didn't take care of it in the short time he had it.
But I got a TyTn II for $250 AUD. I'm happy to spend $80 odd to get it repaired in a neighbouring state.
Thank you for your words of wisdom, I am having it repaired as we speak.

[Q] Milestone repair/spare parts?

One day I was charging my Milestone via USB and I unplugged it. The USB pins came out with the charger. My carrier told me that it was user-induced damage and not covered by the warranty, as well as telling me that you can't replace the charging port, so I'd simply have to buy a new phone.
This was quite unacceptable to me, so I went around to cellphone repairing shops and none of them have been able to fix it. In fact, the most recent attempted fix has left the back panel ripped apart, too!
The phone was in perfect condition before.
So does anyone know where I can find this elusive charging port - is it so special to the milestone that I can't replace it with another phone's USB port? I also need international shipping. Yes, pigs fly.
I have a dead Motorola Droid.
It sure is the same charging port.
PM if you are interested, I can ship worldwide.
MGA2009 said:
I have a dead Motorola Droid.
It sure is the same charging port.
PM if you are interested, I can ship worldwide.
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I see you're still trying to get your phone to work. I may take you up on the offer, but I'm going to try one last phone technician to see if he can fix it. If he can't, I'll find out if it's just because of the port or because of general incompetence. Then I might be able to take the phone off you. Thanks for the offer.
Hi I am looking for a motherboard for my milestone. I am from Germany. My Milestone has a water damage. The only thing that does not work is the touch.
I think if I were an undamaged motherboard in it have ,it work again.
Does your motherboard?
Dear Greetings from Germany Misch xD
won't you need a new touch panel as well? if ur mother board failed, how did u determine touch doesn't work?
Hi
Hmm I think that the motherboard is damage. Because it has water damage suffered.
but maybe I should first install a new touch. Although I think the honest, the motherboard is scrap.
Do you have to sell a Touch?
thx

[Q] USB port problem

whenever i try to charge my note or connect it to pc it keeps lagging badly i mean i have to keep moving the cable backward for it to work and its very senstive with just the slightest move it will stop charging again ! what do i do ? do i have to change it ? i really don't drop my note or anything i try to take care of it as much as possible and changing it might be a problem for me since y parents wont agree ! any help ?
Well i do think that you'll have to change it. the charging port seems to be very problematic for the note. And almost all the note users here with the same problem have replaced the port. i guess it'll be done for free if the phone is in warranty. I'd like the other users to tell me the approx cost of the replacement.
Varad297 said:
Well i do think that you'll have to change it. the charging port seems to be very problematic for the note. And almost all the note users here with the same problem have replaced the port. i guess it'll be done for free if the phone is in warranty. I'd like the other users to tell me the approx cost of the replacement.
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many thanks to you ^^ yah me too its true that i am under warranty but just in case they refused to do it how much will it cost ?
I have this problem and I fixed it by using a real samsung original usb cable. this problem is evident when i use cheap after market usb cables. the cheap cables seem to loosen up and their contact pins inside wear out. this is when you will have that charging problem.
If you have any mechanical abilities, it takes about 15 minutes to replace. Many youtube videos on how to do it.
Port isn't expensive, maybe 10 dollars (us), plus shipping. Just insure you get the correct one for your model of
phone.
One thing I would take care of is to take care of who you buy it from if you do so on ebay. I replaced mine and it's incompatible in some way, speaker now doesn't work and signal is terrible.
Make sure you search their sold items for feedback saying it works fine. I was reading through a thread for SGS2 USB strip replacements and mingxing2008008 was a recommended seller for that one, maybe they're reliable in general

Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo dead. Need help

Hello guys,
I have an old Samsung GT-i9060 phone which I'd received from my previous employer. It has finally given up and is now completely dead. I suspect a faulty charging cable to be the culprit this time as my attempts at superficial repair has proven that the problem is deeper. I tried getting it fixed at a local repair shop but he gave up on the basis that parts aren't available and that the motherboard has gone kaput.
So, to summarize....
Samsung GT-i9060 completely dead
has been dropped several times and cracked digitizer has been replaced.
old battery is not at optimum condition but problem persists when tested with a new battery.
No vibration or samsung/charging logo on display when powered on battery or charging but certain areas of motherboard get heated up if I try to turn it on.
I got some important contacts and backup on this phone which I'd really like to salvage. I invested in a few basic tools and looked up a few tutorials on the interwebz but none seem to help me understand the actual problem. I am a novice when it comes to electronics and can easily try to recover the data through some specialists but the satisfaction in getting it done myself is priceless!
So any kind of help would be immensely appreciated.
Thanks
Make sure that the battery voltage is over 3.6 volt. Then connect phone to pc using usb cable without pressing any buttons then check pc detects phone's soc(broadcom interface) or not.
Thanks. Let me try that out and get back to you.
Update - @engage4 Battery was at 4.27V, fully charged. Connected to PC but it wasn't detected although I observed the same heating issue as mentioned in my original post (see attached pic)
Coincidentally, the memory chip and processor are on the exact underside of the mobo area that I have highlighted (which heats up)
For reference, my previous reply to you is here:
How to check voltage level at a resistor?
I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F) that appears to be dead. I found the service manual online and I'm now trying to follow the troubleshooting flowchart for power issues. I am stuck at the third step (already), where it tells me to check the...
forum.xda-developers.com
Rizzi87 said:
I suspect a faulty charging cable to be the culprit this time as my attempts at superficial repair has proven that the problem is deeper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by superficial repair? What made you suspect the charging cable?
Rizzi87 said:
I tried getting it fixed at a local repair shop but he gave up on the basis that parts aren't available and that the motherboard has gone kaput.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kaput? I know that word. That's a German word for broken. I wonder if he told you this because he wanted to repair the components on the board, or because he wanted to toss out the old board and install a new board and call it repaired.
Rizzi87 said:
old battery is not at optimum condition but problem persists when tested with a new battery.
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Click to collapse
So you already tested with a new battery. Good! That's one of the first things I would do as well. GSM Arena says the battery is "Li-Ion 2100 mAh, removable". At least you didn't need to send it in or leave it to a repair shop to replace the battery. I remember the time when you could replace the battery of your phone yourself. That in itself was very satisfactory. Those were great times! Those times are gone. Now you have to pay a premium to replace a battery. It's "complicated" they say, and so it's not for everyone (or anyone).
Rizzi87 said:
No vibration or samsung/charging logo on display when powered on battery or charging but certain areas of motherboard get heated up if I try to turn it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hotter than what's usual for a phone that's charging? If it's shorted, charging may damage it further. You can test it of course, but you're risking it. Don't test charge for longer than you need to, preferably not at all as soon as you realize there's something wrong with the device. There's the risk of battery leaking or catching fire. So be careful and don't leave it unsupervised.
Rizzi87 said:
I got some important contacts and backup on this phone which I'd really like to salvage. I invested in a few basic tools and looked up a few tutorials on the interwebz but none seem to help me understand the actual problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of tutorials are you reading or watching? What do you think is the problem?
You have to go over more than a few tutorials if you want to be able to intuitively know what to look for or what to do. One way is to start learning about electronics in general, experiment and learn, before you get down to this specific problem. Another way is to start exploring from the repair side of things and work your way into the topic of electronics repair by troubleshooting this specific problem.
Your problem is most likely caused by a short somewhere on the board. So I would suggest you learn about short circuits or "shorts" for short (duh) and how to find shorts in general, and then work your way down to how to find shorts on mobile phones specifically.
Rizzi87 said:
I am a novice when it comes to electronics and can easily try to recover the data through some specialists but the satisfaction in getting it done myself is priceless!
So any kind of help would be immensely appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that feeling. I'm wired the same way. If I can, I will try to repair and fix things on my own. Sometimes I will take on things I hardly know anything about. I will try anyway and learn in the process. Some things are admittedly more difficult than others. But that's how you learn and grow your knowledge base.
People no longer repair things. They throw out the old and broken things, and just keep on buying new things like on conveyor belt. This is not good in by any means. The biggest negative impact of this I think is that people stop using their head. They begin to believe that everything in the world is automatic. A light bulb is the result of true magic, especially when you throw in smart home plugs and switches into the equation. People are slowly being turned into slaves of consumerism. Common knowledge diminishes, like what household products you can use to remove stains, and we only live to serve a higher purpose of capitalism.
Do you have the service manual for this phone? You can usually find these online free of charge. Do you have a multimeter? The first tool you should buy and learn to use is a multimeter. Learn about the continuity test, diode mode, and how to measure voltage.
I worked as an electrician and I felt like I had to ask about how to measure voltage at a resistor, because I was unsure and didn't want to risk damaging a board more than it already is. As an electrician, I worked with voltages relative to Earth ground. I never worked with electronics, although I did get basic electronics training and I know all the basic components and how they work. We worked with soldering iron as well, and learned to use an oscilloscope. I was best in class at soldering. This was a long time ago though. We programmed PLCs, made Delta and Y-configuration connections of three phase electric motors, worked with relays and contactors, and we learned a whole load of other useful things.
My point is, always ask someone more knowledgeable and experienced if you're in doubt about something, rather than taking a risk or gambling. This is much more important of course when working with unforgiving high voltages and high currents, so as an electrician I learned early on to respect electricity. This was all part of my training and thankfully I have never had any accident. It's OK to make mistakes, and you're bound to make mistakes when experimenting, but you better have a backup plan and put in some kind of safety net, to protect yourself and to protect your equipment or whatever it is you're working on.
R7027 said:
What do you mean by superficial repair? What made you suspect the charging cable?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The USB connector on the charging cable I was temporarily using sometime back had a flimsy connector and I suspect the loose connection might have caused 'spikes' and maybe shorted some components/mobo.
I had dropped this phone on numerous occassions and almost everytime the ribbon connector for the LCD would come loose since the connector on the board was a bit wonky. I used to check this and get the phone working again. This is what I meant by superficial repair.
R7027 said:
Kaput? I know that word. That's a German word for broken. I wonder if he told you this because he wanted to repair the components on the board, or because he wanted to toss out the old board and install a new board and call it repaired.
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Click to collapse
Nah. He simply didn't bother about repairing or even replacing it on the basis that parts are hard to come by!
R7027 said:
So you already tested with a new battery. Good! That's one of the first things I would do as well. GSM Arena says the battery is "Li-Ion 2100 mAh, removable". At least you didn't need to send it in or leave it to a repair shop to replace the battery. I remember the time when you could replace the battery of your phone yourself. That in itself was very satisfactory. Those were great times! Those times are gone. Now you have to pay a premium to replace a battery. It's "complicated" they say, and so it's not for everyone (or anyone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YEs, I thought the battery maight be the culprit but alas, it turned out to be a problem with the mobo.
R7027 said:
Hotter than what's usual for a phone that's charging? If it's shorted, charging may damage it further. You can test it of course, but you're risking it. Don't test charge for longer than you need to, preferably not at all as soon as you realize there's something wrong with the device. There's the risk of battery leaking or catching fire. So be careful and don't leave it unsupervised.
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Click to collapse
Hotter than usual, yes. I have tested and/or repeated the scenario only couple of times so as to not risk any further damage.
R7027 said:
Do you have the service manual for this phone? You can usually find these online free of charge. Do you have a multimeter? The first tool you should buy and learn to use is a multimeter. Learn about the continuity test, diode mode, and how to measure voltage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have invested in a multimeter, soldering iron and supplies and a heat gun. I do also have a manual for the phone and it has helped me partially.
Rizzi87 said:
The USB connector on the charging cable I was temporarily using sometime back had a flimsy connector and I suspect the loose connection might have caused 'spikes' and maybe shorted some components/mobo.
I had dropped this phone on numerous occassions and almost everytime the ribbon connector for the LCD would come loose since the connector on the board was a bit wonky. I used to check this and get the phone working again. This is what I meant by superficial repair.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for clarifying.
Now that you mention it, one of my charging cable was a bit flimsy as well. Might be what happened with my phone as well. The connector would wiggle left and right so I would have to make sure it points straight into the port and rotate the phone left and right to make sure it's not tugging on it as I put it down on a book shelf. I always charge my phones on this book shelf as the power outlet is close by.
I have actually four identical Samsung 15 W chargers sitting there, all for the Galaxy S7. Three white ones and one black, and each with its own charging cable. I had purchased some extra chargers just as spares, and one of the chargers had a bit flimsy connection, as you say. I actually once spotted that one of the 4 pins on one of the charging cables was too short, and because of it, it was not charging fast enough. I stripped it down to bare wires, all for science and learning, before throwing it away.
On another occasion, I discovered that one of these cables didn't want to charge my phone when combined with one of the four chargers. It was a perfectly fine looking cable. The same cable worked well on the other three identical chargers though. So this was a bit of mystery I had never seen before. That will remain a mystery. That same charger also worked well when combines with other cables. So both the charger and the cable worked well, but only with others, not with each other. Note that these were all original Samsung chargers and cables. The "travel adapter", model EP-TA20EWE. They all came in original Samsung retail packaging. Although the spare chargers I purchased did have a bit stiffer and thicker cables, when compared to the original that came with the phone. They were presumably made in later years, so Samsung had probably changed them up a little bit.
But this goes to show that there is more to a cable and a charger than meets the eye. I suspect it had something to do with lack of compatibility across the many charging protocols that are in circulation in the fast charging universe, like Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 vs. 3.0 vs. USB Power Delivery 2.0 vs. what-have-you.
So you're not wrong to suspect something as "simple" as a charging cable. Not even a cable can be left alone, they have to make it "smart" and complicated. If the cable doesn't know how to talk the language of the charger, it's useless. Or worse, it can destroy a device. All because industry wants to satisfy inpatient people that want fast charging, and so instead of 1 standard, they make 4 different ones, if Apple Lighting-whatever is included. By the way, the faster you charger a battery, the faster it will lose its capacity and die out.
Rizzi87 said:
Nah. He simply didn't bother about repairing or even replacing it on the basis that parts are hard to come by!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends where you look and how determined you are.
I ordered a new S535 power IC for my Galaxy S7 from Germany via Ebay, and I received it last week. I don't have the exact dates, but it arrived within the same week, so about three to five days. From Germany to Sweden. I also ordered three of the same chip from a supplier in UK, also via Ebay, and it has yet to arrive. This has to do with Royal Mail strikes, so everything is delayed. In addition, I had to pay customs fee and import tax from the UK. Not sure if it will be held at Customs service and delayed even more because of this, or if it will be delivered straight to my mail box since the UK supplier made sure I can pay upfront so it can be cleared for delivery. So I will have 4 of these in total.
Let me give you another example. I have an older car that's well looked after and only driven occasionally. A few years back, it started leaking oil from the rear axis. I went to the authorized repair shop. They told me they had to either replace the differential or rebuild it. But because it's an old timer, there are no parts for it readily available. This is a BMW car and BMW has a good reputation for stock keeping parts for old models for a long time. Well, maybe they don't keep a stock of big parts such as differentials. But it's not true that it's not available. I looked it up online and found several car stripping companies that have a number of these parts to pick and choose from, some of which were in almost new condition. So if they really wanted to, they could have ordered in from there. This is where small and independent auto repair shops order from as well. I even offered to order it myself and deliver to them. But they could not make the needed arrangements. Or rather, they didn't want to. I understood the message. They can't be bothered with something as heavy, oily, dirty, difficult, skill demanding, and time consuming as a differential replacement... and a rebuild is probably as distant as science fiction to them. I never went back there. I used to go to them for years and was always happy. Since they changed the owner and relocated, it's a completely different company. I would never again go to an "authorized" repair shop. They are properly titled "car dealers", because they are more interested in selling you a new car or a used car than repairing your old one.
It's the same with phone companies like Samsung and these places they call "Support Center" where you can walk in to get support and service on the device you already own, and they put up their latest "flagship" models on display and under your nose. That's how you know you're in the wrong place. It's all sell, sell, sell.
Rizzi87 said:
I have invested in a multimeter, soldering iron and supplies and a heat gun. I do also have a manual for the phone and it has helped me partially.
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Make sure to get the needle-like test leads for it. This is needed for probing and measuring tiny components. The ones that came with my multimeter were very good, but they were not fit for the job, because they are not thin enough at the top. Most of the standard test leads have blunt tips. I ordered a pair from Amazon, a complete kit actually, but they are not very good. The whole kit was very cheap and I could not find any other, higher quality, more expensive ones. I don't want to promote Amazon, but I can post a link if you want.
A heat gun might work, but a hot air station is better. You need about 350 C to rework big components like BGA chips. Based on my limited knowledge, but extensive research. You should be able to tell what the temperature is at, and only the more expensive heat "guns" will have a temperature sensor and a digital display.
A service manual is a good resource. I wish I had a complete service manual for Galaxy S7. I looked for a places to buy one but I only found dodgy websites that seemed to be in the business of downloading free manuals, packaging, and selling. So if you have a complete manual, that's better. I only found excerpts of the most important chapters for Galaxy S7, and it has been very useful.
So, umm, there has been no progress on the repair front as I had been away on a trip and got my phone stolen
I was a bit occupied with reporting to the authorities and blocking my phone number hence I couldn't reply earlier.
Btw, I stumbled upon something called as boardview bitmap files; I'm yet to fully explore it but it seems really helpful.

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