Samsung Phones

Samsung is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It manufacturers a variety of devices, including Smartphones, Tablets, Computers, Laptops, Appliances & more.

Galaxy S Series
Samsung's Flagship model smart phone As of 2020 and the galaxy s20 the two digits after S is the release year of the device

Repair Tips

 * Dial *#0*# for onboard diagnostics on most S series models with ONE UI HOME installed. also hardware diagnostics are available under Settings > battery and device care> hardware diagnostics these ones are guided and more user friendly but don't provide as much technical data.
 * pay attention to the arrows samsung prints and stamps on components they often designate:
 * intended pry points
 * orientation of removeable of flex cable
 * screw holes that as on that 'assembly layer' E.g. main and sub board hold downs
 * Be careful with the use of isopropyl alcohol on batteries and front facing cameras if you are disassembling a phone with a intact oled display. there are serval cutouts in the frame directly exposing the absobatant thermal shield tape of the oled in these areas on many models, ingress of alcohol will quickly blackout pixels permanently.

Screws

 * note the color of screws threadlocker color code isn't universal but color does indicate fastener length or in some cases a different diameter or thread pitch
 * almost all samsung phones use a majority of the same size and length of JIS (philips without a square core) #0 - 00
 * unscrewing fasteners while device frame is still heated from removal of back panels is recommended due to Samsung's systematic use of thread locker on all screws heat loosens its bond between male and female threads.
 * i prefer using bit JIS #0 as it tends to not strip threadlocker applied screwsJis2.jpg

Troubleshooting and common issues
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" !

Models (oldest lowest option)-(newest highest option)
!systemic issues ! causes !fixes
 * Galaxy s20-23ultra
 * magnetic compass (location flex) diagnostic failure under *#0*# test menu
 * magnetic compass (location flex) diagnostic failure under *#0*# test menu

often associated with old devices and simple data recovery repairs (modular component replacement) charge externally with a adequate charging machine. i use a CADEX c-7400 battery analyzer but this machine is overkill for most operations. with a tac welding machine you can use and samsung pouch cell with your old bms in cases where you want to restore life to a retro device for functional collectors or data recovery proposes.
 * bad ground to frame on flex / inner frame cricuts to due capillary action of display adhesive under and around the sensor (theory needs more testing)
 * heat the display to 74-76 C° clamp with a soft jaw clamp or press in a padded screw down press. focus pressure and heat in the space above the front facing camera cutout where the proximity sensor grille is located.
 * all models
 * allows for over discharge of batteries in storage
 * passive board drain (rtc clock and other ics) of li-ion cells exceeds to low voltage shutoff threshold
 * passive board drain (rtc clock and other ics) of li-ion cells exceeds to low voltage shutoff threshold
 * jump the raw tab leads of the cell to a charged spare. or raw dc leads of a usb cable also work, be mindful of putting 5 volts DC usb power into a 3.7 - 4.2 volt cell for too long (more than 30 seconds) may lead to some safety concerns and cell damage. use caution and critical thinking when working with the li ion batteries in unintended ways.
 * S22 ultra, other curved edge models (note 20 20+ 20U) "Edge" variants (discontinued)
 * fragile display
 * poor design choices by samsung
 * screen replacements lots of them.
 * }
 * }
 * }

Galaxy Note Series
Discounted new releases globally, still manufacturing and selling galaxy note 20 and 21 models as of 6/23 the "one with the stylus" is now the 'Ultra' option in the flagship galaxy S Series starting from S22 Ultra Onwards. This is very confusing if your familiarized with the galaxy line up.