Hey everyone, welcome back to another Huge Jefferies video! Today, we’re diving into the intricate and costly process of restoring a severely damaged Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. This foldable phone boasts a nearly dead display, a smashed back, a broken camera lens, and a non-functional USB port, meaning it can only be wirelessly charged. With so many broken Z Flips floating around online compute repair, let's explore what it takes to repair one like this and, more importantly, how much it will cost. Spoiler alert: you won't believe the price tag on a replacement display for this phone.

Initial Assessment and Phone History

I imported this particular phone from the United States for 254 Australian dollars, including shipping and eBay taxes. Considering that Samsung still sells this phone for around 1500 dollars, it seemed like a bargain. However, the phone came with just the device—no accessories or extras. Powering up the phone, I felt the vibration, but no picture appeared on the screen. The listing described the phone as having a discolored screen that goes black, so this was expected.

Despite my efforts, I couldn't get the display to light up properly for the camera. However, the listing photos revealed two black blobs at the fold, indicating severe fractures in the display. These fractures had rendered the screen non-functional. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the rear display also didn’t work and that the back panel was loose. Opening it up, I discovered that someone had tampered with the phone and hadn’t reconnected the cable for the back display. While I planned to replace this anyway, I reconnected it to see if it worked, and to my surprise, it did.

The Parts and Tools Needed

To restore this Galaxy Z Flip, I needed a new display assembly, rear display with glass, and a new charging port. These were all brand-new Samsung service parts, the only ones I could find online after hours of searching. Stick around until the end to find out how much these parts cost and my thoughts on foldable phones.

Disassembly Process
Removing the Lower Glass Plate

I began by heating the lower portion of the Galaxy Z Flip to 120 degrees for a couple of minutes. This allowed me to use a suction cup to create a gap for a plastic pick to insert at the bottom of the phone. Working the pick around the perimeter, I loosened the adhesive holding the lower glass plate, which then came off easily. Normally, you would repeat the process for the top half, but since mine wasn’t stuck down, I simply lifted it up and disconnected the display cable.

Accessing the Internal Components

Next, I started unfastening all the Phillips screws securing the antenna and metal shield in place. I lifted them out, disconnected the first battery, and moved down to the lower half of the phone. There, I disconnected the other battery, removed the wireless charging module to access the speaker, and removed several cables to lift up the charging port.

Removing the Lower Battery

Getting the lower battery out proved tricky. Initially, I used plastic picks, online compute repair but they weren’t effective. So, I applied some alcohol to the picks, letting it run underneath the battery to soften the adhesive. This worked much better, allowing me to pry up the battery and fully remove it. The battery was manufactured in late 2019.

Disassembling the Top Portion

Moving up to the top portion, I removed the SIM card tray and started disconnecting all the flex cables connecting to the motherboard. I lifted the motherboard out, revealing its Snapdragon 855+ processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Next, I removed the significantly smaller second battery, the vibration motor using alcohol to loosen the adhesive, and a rubber piece covering the interconnect cables.

With the Z Flip disassembled, I observed that common parts could easily be removed, but the hinge and display's inner workings remained hidden. As the display comes as one whole assembly, this was as far as I needed to take it. However, for educational purposes, I decided to take it a bit further.

Removing the Display Assembly

I started by removing the plastic bezel around the display, held in place with weak adhesive. With that out of the way, I moved on to the whole screen, which was held with adhesive on the top and bottom sections. Using plastic picks, I carefully separated the display from the frame. The screen's flexibility was quite fascinating—it would spring right open when released.

Reassembly Process
Installing the New Parts

Our new display assembly came with the frame and screen already attached, minimizing the risk of damaging the new display during installation. I started by installing the new charging port into the new screen assembly, connecting the cable, and pressing it down into place. I then connected the display cable, removed some protective film, and installed the battery with new adhesive strips, pressing it down into place.

I connected a few cables to the charging port before reinstalling the speaker and its screws. Up at the top of the phone, I removed more protective film, prepped the second battery with new adhesive, and reinstalled it. Next, I reinstalled the rubber grommet over the interconnect cables and the vibration motor, applying liquid adhesive to hold it firmly in place.

Reassembling the Phone

Removing the protective film from the new display, I carefully routed the motherboard around all the flex cables and seated it into position, reconnecting all the cables. Returning to the lower half, I reinstalled the wireless charging module and the antenna, then reconnected the two batteries. Testing the phone, I was pleased to see it power on successfully.

With the phone functional, I proceeded to straighten a badly bent bracket, damaged by a previous, incompetent repair technician. After bending it back, I reinstalled it, secured it with screws, and focused on the lower glass panel. I removed the old adhesive, used liquid adhesive as a last resort, and pressed the panel into place, wiping off any excess.

Finally, I reconnected the new top glass panel, positioned it, and pressed it down. With the hardware side complete, I powered up the phone and fixed the software sim lock by entering the correct unlock code, network unlocking the device.

Final Thoughts and Costs

So, there you have it—a once-destroyed Galaxy Z Flip, now fully restored. But let’s talk costs: the parts totaled a whopping 1033 dollars, with the most expensive part being the display at 895 dollars. Adding the initial phone cost, we spent 1287 dollars, saving only 213 dollars compared to a brand-new phone. Interestingly, Samsung offers a display replacement for 840 dollars, which is cheaper than doing it yourself.

This repair highlighted major issues with foldable phones: parts are scarce and prohibitively expensive. The technology, while innovative, is fragile. The display scratches easily and tends to break, especially at the fold. A glance at eBay shows numerous Z Flips with broken screens, most damaged where they fold. I had another Z Flip but returned it because it didn’t read SIM cards, and its display had micro-cracks at the fold, causing touch issues.

Unless display prices drop significantly, many broken foldable phones will end up as e-waste. Foldable phones are like exotic cars—they look amazing, cost a fortune, and are a nightmare to repair.

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That's all for this video. If you enjoyed it, hit that subscribe button and check out the phone restoration playlist for more videos like this one. For tips and the tools I use, visit my website, linked in the description. Thanks for watching, and I'll catch you next time.