Samsung Galaxy S III – Disassembling procedure - How to replace the mother board

Samsung Galaxy S III

The following four steps can be accomplished without a plastic opening tool. However, it's recommended to use a tool to best avoid breaking any clips along the perimeter of the rear case.
Insert a plastic opening tool or fingernail into the notch in the gap between the rear case and the rest of the phone, located at the top of the device.
Gently twist the opening tool to disconnect the clips securing the top of the rear case.

Slide the plastic opening tool left along the top edge and repeat the twisting motion to widen the gap between the rear case and the phone.

Continue to move the plastic opening tool around the perimeter of the top left corner, gently prying up along the rear case.

Pry along the top right side, and continue prying down the right side of the rear case.

Lift up and remove the rear case from the phone.

You may need to peel the case up to separate it from any clips still holding it to the bottom of the phone.

This step can be accomplished without the need of a plastic opening tool. Just use your finger if you want to.

Wedge a plastic opening tool into the small notch above the battery.
Pry the battery up out of its recess.

Remove the battery.

Using your fingernail, push 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.
For reassembly, push the SIM card into the slot until it clicks in place.

Use your thumb to slide enough of the SIM card out of its slot to grab ahold of it.

Grasp and remove the SIM card away from the phone.

Using your fingernail, push 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.
For reassembly, push the microSD card into the slot until it clicks in place.

Use your thumb to slide the microSD card out of the slot.

Remove the microSD card from the phone.

Remove the ten 4.0 mm Phillips #0 screws securing the midframe to the front panel assembly.

Grasp the left side of the plastic midframe with your thumb and forefinger and lift it away from the phone.

The midframe lightly snaps in place, and can be removed with very little force.

Use a plastic opening tool to pry the rear-facing camera connector up from its socket on the motherboard.

Make sure you are prying on the connector and not the socket, or you may damage the motherboard.

Insert a plastic opening tool outboard of the speaker portion of the headphone jack/speaker assembly.

Gently pry the headphone jack/speaker assembly up from the front assembly.

Lift the headphone jack/speaker assembly out of the Galaxy S III.

Use a plastic opening tool to pry the front-facing camera connector from its socket on the motherboard.
Do not try to remove the front-facing camera just yet. Its cable is still routed beneath the motherboard assembly to the ambient light sensor.

Disconnect the digitizer cable by gently prying its connector up from its socket on the motherboard.

Disconnect the display data cable from the motherboard.

Pry the Wi-Fi antenna cable connector up from its socket on the motherboard.

Gently move the cable out of the way of the motherboard.

Remove the single 3.0 mm Phillips #0 screw securing the motherboard to the front panel assembly.

Carefully lift the bottom of the motherboard assembly away from the front panel assembly.

Remove the motherboard assembly from the front panel assembly, minding any cables that may snag on it.

Flip the motherboard over. We recommend setting it on a grounded work surface.

Use a plastic opening tool to pry the rear-facing camera connector from its socket.

Remove the rear-facing camera off the motherboard.

The motherboard remains.