Samsung Galaxy A55 5G: How to disassemble and repair it

Last night I discovered a clip with the disassembly of the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G, a midrange phone recently launched on the Romanian market, and I thought it would be interesting for potential buyers to watch as well. The material, which doubles as a tutorial, also discusses the repairability of the phone, and appeared on PBKreviews, an American YouTube channel that publishes reviews, tutorials, analysis and information on technology and the latest gadgets.

Brief specifications of the phone

The Samsung Galaxy A55 5G has a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED screen, with FHD+ resolution and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The device measures 161.1 x 77.4 x 8.2mm and weighs approximately 213g. Regarding the camera, the Galaxy A55 5G has a configuration with four cameras: at the back, a main 50MP with F1.8, ultra-wide 12MP with F2.2, macro 5MP with F2.4; in front one of 32MP with F2.2.

The Galaxy A55 5G has an Exynos 1480 processor and is available in two variants: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB storage. The phone’s battery has a capacity of 5000mAh and charging is done by wire at 25W. The operating system on which the Galaxy A55 5G runs is Android 14, complemented by the One UI 6.1 interface.

Samsung Galaxy A55 5G disassembly and repairability

A look at the disassembly process of this popular smartphone gives us an interesting perspective to say the least for phone / technology enthusiasts. The video isn’t as catchy as Zack Nelson’s, JerryRigEverything, but the channel’s purpose is more educational, and education isn’t always spectacular.

Disassembly steps of the Galaxy A55 5G with the directions of the “craftsman”

1. Remove the SIM tray: Start by removing the SIM tray, noting the rubber seal that seals it.
2. Heats the back cover: Use a hair dryer or heat gun to loosen the adhesive under the back cover, being careful not to overheat the components.
3. Remove the back cover: Use an opening tool, preferably a “plastic wedge”, to pry off the glass back cover.
4. Replacing protective camera lenses: The back camera lens protection can be replaced without completely disassembling the phone.
5. Remove the screws: Remove the 16 Philips screws to access the inside of the phone.
6. Remove the top cover: Notice the NFC antenna on the top plastic cover and the graphite film for heat transfer.
7. Disconnect the battery cable
8. Disconnect the other cables: Continue to disconnect the rest of the cables, including those of the cameras and other components.
9. Disassemble the cameras: Identify and disconnect the 32MP front camera, as well as the 12MP ultrawide, 50MP main and 5MP macro. The main camera has OIS.
10. Remove the motherboard: Remove the screw securing the motherboard and inspect the components on both sides.
11. Replace the screen: If the screen needs to be replaced, remove the back cover, unsolder the screen cable from the motherboard, and disassemble the old screen.
12. Remove the secondary motherboard: Remove the two screws securing the backplate and inspect the components, including the microphone and charging port.
13. Remove the battery: Use the adhesive tape to remove the 5000mAh battery.
14. Inspect the steam chamber: Once the battery is removed, you can inspect the copper vapor chamber underneath.
15. Replace small components: Replace the vibrator motor and fingerprint sensor if necessary, using heat to loosen the adhesive.
16. Reassemble: Once the component replacement or repair is complete, reassemble the phone, replacing the adhesive where necessary and reattaching the back cover.

Repairability verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A55 received a repairability score of 8.5 out of 10, highlighting a fairly repair-friendly design at 1.5 out of 2 points, availability of spare parts at a score of 2 out of 2, easy-to-manage screen replacement at 1.5 out of 2. Replacing the battery was rated very easy with 2 out of 2 points and replacing other components like the charging port also gets a good 1.5 out of 2.

The repairability score suggests that the Samsung Galaxy A55 is a relatively friendly device for those interested in DIY repairs or service technicians. See here also the review of the phone on ZonaIT’s YouTube channel.

You might wonder why it’s important for a phone to be easily repairable. The answer is that this criterion affects both the time spent in service and the price of the repair. That is, in case of an accident, instead of spending a week with the phone in service, it takes a day or two and the repair does not cost a third of the price of the terminal.