OnePlus 3 Motherboard Replacement

Written By: Arthur Shi

Comments: 14

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

40 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

This guide shows how to remove the motherboard from the OnePlus 3. The hardest part of the guide is getting the frame clips free.

Some guide images will show the battery already removed from the phone. You do not need to remove the battery for the motherboard procedure.

Tools

Step 1

Insert a SIM eject tool, bit, or straightened paperclip into the hole located between the SIM card slot and the power button.
Press firmly to eject the SIM card tray.
During reinstallation, make sure that the SIM card tray is properly oriented. It fits in only one direction.

Step 2

Remove the two 2.6 mm T2 screws from the bottom edge of the phone.

Step 3

There is a high risk of damaging the display panel if this opening procedure is improperly followed.
The following three steps show how to pry the rear case from the plastic frame. Read through the steps first before attempting the procedure.
There are two different seams between the screen and the body of the phone:
Display panel seam: This seam is part of the display assembly. Do not pry at this seam, or you will separate and damage the display panel.
Frame seam: This is where the plastic frame meets the back cover. It is recessed into the back cover. Only pry at this seam.
There are fourteen clips that hold the frame against the rear case. Be aware of their location as you pry the back cover off in the following steps.

This picture is a bit misleading, the frame seam is actually sunk into the metal frame, and is not visible at first.

With an older phone, it’s more likely to separate the display panel itself than to separate the displaypanel from the frame. If the top of the screen comes off first, before the part with the touch sensor, then you’re separating the wrong thing (ie displaypanel).

Mind that the displaypanel itself seems as if it has two seams (the panel itself and the board).

OnnoJ - 21/07/20

Thanks for the helpful tip! I re-worded the step slightly to hopefully clarify where the frame seam is.

Arthur Shi - 23/07/20

Step 4

As you work, try not to accidentally power on the phone. If you do, turn the phone off before resuming disassembly.
Place a suction cup near the bottom edge of the display.
Pull on the suction cup with strong steady force.
Press the edge of an opening tool straight into the frame seam near the suction cup until the edge wedges between the plastic frame and the back cover's lip.
Due to tight tolerances, this will take substantial force. Using a new opening tool with an unmarred edge will help with this step.
Do not use metal tools, as they will most likely crack the screen.

To get maximum leverage and make this step possible with my weaker suction cup, I held down the phone with a plastic pick/tool pressed down onto the metal back. As the suction cup pulled up the plastic frame, the plastic pick holding down the metal back naturally was pushed further and further into the gap between the frame and back.

Shadrix Darkblade -

Step 5

Once the opening tool's edge is wedged in position, carefully slide the tool along the bottom edge of the phone.
Carefully guide the opening tool around the left corner of the phone while keeping the tool's edge within the seam.

Step 6

Continue sliding the opening tool along the long edge, releasing the clips along the way.
The last clip in the top-left corner near the alert switch is recessed and can be difficult to release. Take your time and use the flat end of a spudger or an opening pick to help.

I found I had to use a couple of those “guitar picks” to get the screen off, left the first one inserted on the bottom and then went around the side of the phone with the second.

C McIsaac - 06/06/19

I couldn’t get the last clip easily, so I also went around the other side, and then the last two clips left and right went out togther much more easily.

Nikolaus Demmel - 10/12/19

Yep, thanks for your note. It was far more easy to go round the other side.

Sebastian - 10/04/20

Step 7

With the bottom and left edge of the phone freed, gently wiggle the frame to release the top and right edge clips.
Lift the screen up and remove it.
During reassembly, pause here to test your phone's functionality before securing the back cover.
To reinstall the back cover:
Align the top edge of the frame to the back cover and ensure that the top clips slip into place.
Squeeze along the long edges of the phone to snap the remaining clips into place.

I’m having trouble putting on the back cover, anyone else had this issue?

Jonathan Kjær Andersen - 12/05/20

Hello.

From this Step on I directly jumped to Step 13. Removing the 7 Screws. NOT removing the Mainboard. It is easy possible to remove the camera just like this if you loosen the Camera-cable and pull carefull on it. Because the 7 Screws are removed there is enough space to remove the old camera and bring the new camera in. I tried It various times to verify this.

Kolja NovoKopteryx - 04/08/20

Step 8

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery connector from its socket, located above the top right corner of the battery pack.
Bend the connector away from the socket to prevent accidental contact.
To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.

Why not removing the camera without removing the mainboard?

Warum wird die rückseitige Kamera nicht ausgebaut, ohne das Mainboard auszubauen?

Ingo Truppel - 06/03/20

Hello Ingo,

The rear camera is trapped under the motherboard. You must at least loosen the motherboard to remove the camera.

Die Kamera befindet sich unter dem Motherboard. Sie müssen mindestens das Motherboard lösen, um die Kamera zu entfernen.

Arthur Shi - 06/03/20

During reassembly this part was tricky for me: the new battery couldn’t clip into place the way the old one did, resulting in a loose connection and “battery does not match “ message when trying to power the phone up. The new battery probably had a slightly different connector that than the old one. I even ordered another battery but the same thing happened. I finally managed to connect it by applying much more pressure on the press connector than needed for the other ones. it did not make any clip sound though.

romDL - 16/08/20

Step 9

Remove the 3 mm Phillips screw securing the cable bracket.
Remove the cable bracket.

Step 10

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the interconnect flex cable from the motherboard, which is located above the battery.
Repeat the process to disconnect the daughterboard flex cable from the motherboard.

Step 11

Slide the point of a spudger underneath the antenna interconnect cable located at the bottom left corner of the motherboard.
Pry up and disconnect the antenna interconnect cable.

Connector may go oval, push with spudger to make circular again

Caidan Whittaker - 09/05/19

Step 12

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the display connector from its socket on the motherboard.

Step 13

Remove the seven Phillips screws securing the motherboard to the frame:
Four 3 mm black screws
Three 2.9 mm silver screws
Some of these screws may be covered by stickers. Remove the stickers to access the screws.

Step 14

Make sure you have ejected the SIM tray before performing this step.
The motherboard is still held in place near the top by clips.
Slide the flat end of a spudger underneath the top left corner of the motherboard.
Twist the spudger and pry up to release the motherboard from its recess.

I find it easier to pry from the opposite side, where the antenna cable connector are as it required less force to release the motherboard.

Munir Ibrahim - 03/09/19

Step 15

Remove the motherboard.
During reinstallation, be careful not to trap any flex cables or antenna cables underneath the motherboard.

When removing the motherboard, the front camera module's connector on the backside of the board tried to be retained by its recess in the frame. I had to peel the tape off the back of the front camera, then remove the motherboard, and finally prise the connector away from the frame before reinstalling it on the motherboard.

Philip Cobley -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our OnePlus 3 Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Author

Arthur Shi

Member since: 03/01/18

248651 Reputation

OnePlus 3 Motherboard Replacement

Introduction

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