Samsung Galaxy S4 USB Board Replacement

Written By: Sam Goldheart
  • Comments: 60
Samsung Galaxy S4 USB Board Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

17

Time Required

30 - 45 minutes

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the USB port board in your Samsung Galaxy S4.

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    • Pry with a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, in the divot to the left of the rear-facing camera, near the power button.

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    • Lift the rear case by the corner nearest the divot and remove it from the phone.

    Where is the divot? Please let me know that

    James -

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudge) like the one used in the above Step 1 rear cover pic and found the divot and was able to take off the rear cover as per the “Step 2 “ instructions.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger, or your fingernail, to press the microSD card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.

    • After the click, release the card and it will pop out of its slot.

    • Remove the microSD card.

    • For reassembly, push the microSD card into the slot until it clicks in place.

    I was able to remove the MicroSD Card as per the Step 3 MicroSD instructions with no problems.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Insert a plastic opening tool, or your finger, into the notch of the battery compartment and lift the battery upward.

    • Remove the battery from your phone.

    it worked for me

    John Donovan -

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    • Use a plastic opening tool, or your fingernail, to press the SIM card slightly deeper into its slot until you hear a click.

    • After the click, release the card and it will pop out of its slot.

    • Remove the SIM card.

    • During reassembly, push the SIM card into the slot until it clicks in place.

    Looks easy but doesn't work. No one has a plastic opening tool. Using fingernail, you can press SIM card into slot but it does not pop out so you can remove it.

    Laurie McWherter -

    I agree with the comment above

    I also don't have a plastic tool and my finger nail won't pop the card out.

    Grethe Montano. September 22

    Grethe Montano -

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    • Remove the nine 4.0 mm Phillips #00 screws securing the midframe to the display assembly.

    How much it will cost to replace a midframe

    kannan -

    How much cost will be on replace a midframe

    Hiren pedhadiya -

    I'm seeing midframes available on Ebay for around $10.

    Alex -

    I purchased a 1.5x40mm Phillips screw driver and was able to remove all 9 40mm screws from the midframe as per the Step 6 Midframe instructions.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • The midframe is secured to the display assembly by several plastic clips behind the chrome bezel of the midframe. The next few steps will guide you through separating the clips to free the midframe.

    • Starting on the volume button side of the phone, insert your plastic opening tool between the chrome bezel around the display glass and the larger chrome border piece. Look for the seam between the two.

    • Slide the opening tool along the seam, separating the plastic clips as you go.

    • Be very gentle whilst prying, and pry only enough to separate the plastic clips—there are several thin points in the midframe bezel that may crack if you bend them too much.

    I used same tool as in the photo and i broke the display. I think you should use a very thin plastic tool, such as a credit card but even more thin and flexible.

    nicosoranno4gxo -

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) and was able to remove the midframe from the display assembly as per the Step 7. I had to hold the cell phone firmly in my left hand while I gently forced the spudger between the chrome bezel and the midframe with my right hand and heard plastics clips separate and saw the midframe start to separate from the display assembly. Don’t be afraid to get that spudger in and just gently go down the side of the phone and you will hear the plastics clips detach and the midframe to separate more and more until you are able to separate them 100%. I started at the volume button side of the phone in Step 7 and ended at the power button side in Step 9.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

    This blue Case Opening tool has a less rigid edge that is kinder to trim than the hard black Spudger shown in later steps. I was glad to have the right tool on hand at this step. Use it as a wedge and slide it along the gap.

    Tom Huber -

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    • Continue prying around the corner of the phone.

    • Slide your opening tool along the seam between the midframe and display along the bottom of the device, releasing more of the plastic clips.

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) and was able to remove the midframe from the display assembly as per the Step 7. I had to hold the cell phone firmly in my left hand while I gently forced the spudger between the chrome bezel and the midframe with my right hand and heard plastics clips separate and saw the midframe start to separate from the display assembly. Don’t be afraid to get that spudger in and just gently go down the side of the phone and you will hear the plastics clips detach and the midframe to separate more and more until you are able to separate them 100%. I started at the volume button side of the phone in Step 7 and ended at the power button side in Step 9.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Again, pry around the corner, to the power button side.

    • Slide the opening tool along the seam.

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    • Continue sliding the opening tool around the top of the phone, releasing the last of the clips and freeing the midframe from the display assembly.

    • At this point, you may want to run your plastic opening tool along the entire perimeter of the device again, to make sure you've released all of the plastic clips.

    On my phone, there was another clip holding the white midframe to the battery compartment, in the middle of the top edge of the battery compartment, near the battery contacts. If you don't release that before removing the midframe, it is easy to break.

    josephoswald -

    I purchased a blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) and was able to remove the midframe from the display assembly as per the Step 7. I had to hold the cell phone firmly in my left hand while I gently forced the spudger between the chrome bezel and the midframe with my right hand and heard plastics clips separate and saw the midframe start to separate from the display assembly. Don’t be afraid to get that spudger in and just gently go down the side of the phone and you will hear the plastics clips detach and the midframe to separate more and more until you are able to separate them 100%. I started at the volume button side of the phone in Step 7 and ended at the power button side in Step 9. In Step 10 just make sure all the plastic clips are separated from the midframe and the display assembly so you can pull them apart 100% without breaking them.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Remove the midframe from the display assembly.

    here i leave them a video i made doing the work

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85pOvI6O...

    enjoy

    Gabriel Barrandeguy -

    My Sprint S4 was slightly different then the one pictured above but I just completed this repair in under 10 minutes.. It would have been slightly quicker but fooling around with those little screws can be irritating if you have big hands.

    Michael Willis -

    Just did this on my S4. Instructions were extremely helpful, but I had to remove a screw (step 10.5?) to remove the upper display assembly bracket. Other than that, flawless! Thanks!

    JackieME -

    The 3rd image of the 11th step shows that when the midframe is removed, some parts come along with it (at the bottom part of it). What are these parts? should they be removed too and placed in the new midframe? Are they easy to remove?

    Chris -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to disconnect the USB board cable connector from the motherboard.

    I was able to disconnect the USB board cable connector form the motherboard with the flat end of the blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) as per the instructions in Step 12 USB Board.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Gently insert the point of a spudger between the USB port and the USB port bracket to pry one side of the bracket off of its post.

    Tweezers are much easier to remove USB bracket

    efazio588 -

    Very springy, be prepared for it to fly off!

    richproctor -

    I had to use a metal scalpel to get in between the USB Port and the USB Port Bracket and it went flying off. richporctor post above on August 15 was right. Be prepared! All in all, the instructions will get the USB Port Bracket off the USB Port.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

    Tweezers were much easier to use. You need to slide them in pretty far in order to get the right leverage.

    Daniel -

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    • Remove the USB port bracket from the USB port.

    • The bracket is slightly springy and should pop back into place on the two screw posts during reassembly.

    I had to use a metal scalpel to get in between the USB Port and the USB Port Bracket and it went flying off. richporctor post above on August 15 was right. Be prepared! All in all, the instructions will get the USB Port Bracket off the USB Port.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Disconnect the soft button cable from the USB board cable.

    • Disconnect the antenna cable connector from the USB board.

    • Depending on your carrier, you may have an additional antenna cable. If you can access it at this point, use a spudger to disconnect it from the USB board.

    My 4G LTE phone has a 4G antenna on the left side of the device that is under the USB cable and connects to the left side of the USB board. Be sure to disconnect this as well if you have a Verizon or Sprint phone.

    pborgen -

    There's no mention of the need to detach the blue wire on the right side of the phone at this step. It's fairly obvious, but it might cause some confusion for the uninitiated.

    Rebecca Clark -

    Which one should i use for a T-Mobile phone?

    Chris Hunt II -

    Will a usb flex cable for s4 i19500 work on s4 sgh i337? i cant get hold of the I337 flex cable but i have access to the other one. should i try?

    Majo zia -

    After changing the port I got the message battery temperature to low charging paused.

    This is one of those generic message computers use when it doesn't know what is wrong.

    So I cleaned with alcohol and q-tip the two gold contacts that are located in the mid frame. They touch the two power contacts located on the USB port board and this cleared the low temperature message and phone is charging.

    Rowell -

    With the blue plastic opening tool(AKA: Spudger) I was able to gently disconnect the soft button cable form the USB board cable and disconnect the antenna cable connector from the USB Board as per the instructions in Step 15. There was no additional antenna cable on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Verizon Service phone.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • The USB board is secured to the display assembly with light adhesive.

    • Depending on your carrier the USB board may have an additional antenna cable on the back side of the USB board. Pry very carefully and stop if you encounter resistance.

    • Gently insert the flat end of a spudger beneath the USB board to free it from the adhesive holding it in place.

    • Go slow and be careful not to bend the board.

    As I inspected the USB board I noticed on the left hand side a gold antenna connector with a red colored wired connected to the USB board. I gently disconnected it using the blue plastic open tool(AKA: Spudger) and it popped off ok. You will now be free to take out the USB Board from the display assembly. If you ordered a Samsung Galaxy S4 Charging Assembly (Verizon) part, you can just take out the USB board from the display assembly . I noticed that you are NOT suppose to take out the soft button cable, just disconnect it from the USB Board Cable. You then insert the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Charging Assembly (Verizon) part and place the soft button cable over the USB Board Cable and connect it.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

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    • Remove the USB board from the display assembly.

    I was able to take out the USB Board and leave the soft button cable on the phone. I then installed the new Samsung Galaxy S4 Charging Assembly (Verizon) part (AKA: USB Board) and will reassemble in reverse order as per the instructions below.

    Terry Crawford, Jr. -

    Very good description with good fotos. I was able to easily disassemble the usb board. Much better description than e.g. iDoc!

    Markus Schepp

    Markus Schepp -

    Excelente, muy buen trabajo.

    FIXPhone -

Conclusion

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

Author

Sam Goldheart

Member since: 19/10/12

465329 Reputation

24 comments

I found this guide excellent and it is very easy to do. I didnt have the plastic opening tool but I do have a long thumbnail. It worked very well.

Too bad the replacement board I got has a defective soft button connector. I had to disassemble the phone 3 times. I thought I did It wrong the 1st time. Opened the phone a 2nd time to check.... closed the phone... nada.... USB changer works but no soft keys... put my old board back in to check the soft buttons and they work. Sent an email to the company that I bought the board from... still no answer after 24hrs. If I still have no answer by the end of the week I will post which company sold me the defect board so no one else gets burned from them. I will then try to unsolder the USB from the new board to replace the USB on my old one.

Bryan -

This guide needs an update as it does not include the 4G antenna on the left side of the device that is under the USB cable and hooks up at the bottom left on the USB board up to just beside the USB connector above the battery. Pictures 12, 15, & 16 will need updated to show this cable.

rnbhays -

To follow rnbhays' comment about the antenna connector on the left, it is specifically for i545 Verizon models.

I strongly suggest people to disconnect both left and right cables from the USB board prior to removing it. While doing so, my tool slipped and I accidentally broke the left cable. Thankfully I was able to crimp the connector back on the cable with tweezers and a magnifying glass 'til I get another cable ordered.

Alex -

It also applies to the Sprint version as well. I have an LTE cable on the left side, and had to be very careful purchasing a replacement part to make sure it was the right one.

anonymous 1189 -

After replacement my microphone element isn't working. Possible reasons?

matthew young -

Im having similar problems something doesnt work after replacing this part. Not charging, buttons not working etc. and having a hard time finding the exact version Rev 1.2 1-06

loopwireless312 -

My microphone didn't work after replacing the USB charger flex cord too. Did you ever find a solution?

swynnwoo -

Worked perfectly. Fixed my wife's phone in about 30 minutes. Definitely get the tool kit, they can be had on Amazon for less than $10. Thanks again author for posting these instructions.

Darrell Arnold -

Ordered the part from iFixit. I figured the fact that it was fully tested and guaranteed for a year was worth the extra cost. The repair went smoothly with no issues.

voelkerp2 -

What if my carrier is T-Mobile?

Lexx Bot -

I changed my charge port because the little pin in the charge port was damaged and it was a pain to charge but now I get a "charging pause battery temp to low" notification. I've changed it now 4 times thinking I just keep getting duds. anyone know what i'm doing wrong? I've followed every step.

Trevor -

Have you found a solution to this ? Im having the same problem

Jakob Barkalaia -

I lost my USB port bracket will it course any harm to the phone as a ground connector or where can I find a new one online if needed

lenin -

do you have to by the tools for it?

mamijen3 -

thank u so much

foad asadyan -

Is there a special part number for the S4 T-Mobile phone? If not, which part number from the listed parts for this repair do I need?

lsoldano -

I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 that was no longer accepting a charge. I've changed out the USB board. I plug the phone in with the device powered off, it vibrates and turns on showing the battery with charging signal, then reboots. It continues to do this. When I power the device on, it remains powered on, but does not accept a charge. I've reopened the phone and checked the install. Same thing occurs. In case of a defective part, I changed it out with another part. Device powered off and plugged in, does not react. Device powered on and plugged in, does not charge.

Any other suggestions at this point?

Stacy Moffat -

Great guide. The bit about removing the soft button cable could be clearer, it plugs on to the USB board flexi circuit.

[deleted] -

Thanks. It's detailed explaining and guided me to replace the part safely.

Luke Park -

Stacy Moffat you need a battery

Cade -

Thanks, worked perfectly ! Saved my S9 which took a plunge in the sea - everything else was working except the USB . People having issues should check the excat model Nr and board revision - there are many on the market..

nick trib -

why the antenna cable were not working after i change the usb board? or my peripheral is broken

Vikram Yuda -

I am quite mechanically challenged and was able to easily change my phone’s usb port! Beyond thrilled with this guide that saved me from having to get another phone and possibly lose many great pictures. Thank you for your simple and well put together instructions.

amyrila7791 -

My Samsung Galaxy S8 is not charging pls what do you think about this. https://techensured.com/samsung-galaxy-s...

Favour James -