Hi guys, welcome back to another Huge Jefferies video! Today, I'll be restoring a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, one of Samsung's most innovative foldable phones. Unfortunately, this innovation also comes with its drawbacks—the folding display has snapped in the centerfold, making the phone unusable. Let's dive into the restoration process and see if we can bring this phone back to life!

The Purchase and Initial Inspection

I bought this Galaxy Z Flip 3 for just $230, a whopping $1,370 less than Samsung's current selling price. The seller mentioned that the phone was only six months old when it was dropped, leading to a crack in the display. The dead pixels have slowly expanded, making the phone unusable.

The parcel arrived with the original packaging, housing the damaged phone and some documentation, but no USB-C cable. The phone itself has seen better days. The scrapes on the hinge and the cracked inner glass display indicate that foldables are incredibly fragile. The display appears to be warping in the closed state, suggesting it might have come loose from the frame.

Disassembling the Galaxy Z Flip 3

To begin the restoration, I heated the two back sections on my heat plate for several minutes to soften the adhesive. Using a suction cup and a plastic pick, I carefully removed the glass panels. The adhesive runs around the perimeter of the glass, and there are delicate cables underneath that you must avoid damaging.

Top Section:
In the top section, the outer display flex cable and housing interconnect cables are exposed. Folding the top reveals the display cable, which I disconnected after unlatching its retaining bracket.

Inside the Flip 3:
The internal layout is familiar, with the motherboard up top and a smaller battery below. The main battery and charging equipment are in the lower section. I began by disconnecting both batteries to cut off electricity flow. Then, I removed the motherboard by disconnecting all flex cables and removing retaining screws.

Motherboard and Components:
The motherboard has 256 GB of storage, 8 GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon 8 processor. With the motherboard out, I pried out the first battery using some alcohol and picks. The front camera was glued with silicon-based adhesive, which I cut free without damaging the flex cable.

Lower Section:
In the lower section, I removed the wireless charging coil and began loosening the speaker, revealing the charging port. I removed an interconnect cable and the main OLED flex cable before unfastening the charging port PCB. The vibration motor wide screen was the last component to come out, which I pried free with alcohol.

Reassembling with the New Display

With the phone disassembled, it was time to unpack the new display, which cost $351. This brings the total investment to $581. The new assembly came with the flexible display attached to the frame and the earpiece already installed. Everything else needed to be swapped over.

Reattaching Components:
I applied new adhesive to the battery and seated it back into position. The charging port was installed next, attaching its three cables and one Phillips head screw. The speaker, held by five screws (one black-colored long screw), was reinstalled, followed by the wireless charging coil.

Upper Section:
I positioned the front camera and reinstalled the motherboard, connecting all flex cables except the battery. After securing the upper antenna, it was time to test the phone. Reconnecting the battery connections and powering up the device, the new display lit up correctly, and the touchscreen functioned perfectly.

Final Assembly and Testing

With the phone functioning, I reinstalled the last two brackets and prepared the rear panels for reattachment. After cleaning and removing old adhesive, I reattached the outer display's flex cable and retaining clip. Using B7000 liquid adhesive, I applied glue around the perimeter of both sections and held them down with rubber bands until the glue dried overnight.

The next day, I removed the rubber bands and cleaned off any excess glue. After reinstalling the SIM card tray, the restoration was complete.

The Result

The once unusable Galaxy Z Flip 3 was now fully functional. The total cost of the restoration was $581, significantly less than buying a new one or even some of the recently sold eBay listings. This restoration not only saved money but also gave a new life to a damaged device that would otherwise be uneconomical to repair in the future.

Conclusion

Restoring a Galaxy Z Flip 3 may seem daunting, but with patience and the right tools, it's possible to bring these innovative devices back to life. If you enjoyed this video, hit that subscribe button and check out my restoration playlist for more videos like this one.

If you're looking for any used devices or need professional phone repairs, check out Gadget Kings PRS, the best phone repair shop in Australia. Visit Gadget Kings PRS for more information.

That's all for this video, and I'll catch you guys next time.