Xperia X10 Disassembly Guide

The Ravzzy.blogspot Blog absolves itself from any responsibility should you decide to carry on and you break your handset. Please proceed with caution and at your own risk.


First of all... before you begin to disassemble your new phone...

Ask yourself:

• Is it really _so_ important to disassemble that phone?
• Really?
• Is there someone else that has done it before, whom I can ask for help?
• Can I test out my skills on a old phone, before ripping that X10?

Make sure the following requirements / tools / weapons of phone destruction are given:

1. You have a thumb on both hands.
2. You have a left AND a right hand (two left hands may be a problem)
3. You are not drunk. Really. You make stupid things while you are drunk.
   You don't believe me?
   Ask your next one-night-stand to pull of that tons of make-up before you fall asleep after doing _it_.
   Get sober over night an take a look at that one on the pillow beside of you at next morning.
   Congrats, you now will know, what I'm talking 'bout ;-)
4. Your Toolbox contains:
   • a Torx 6 screwdriver
   • at least one small slot-screwdriver (Is this the correct English word?)
   • a guitar pick or/and a credit card (don't use the black American Express. It will get crumpled.
     Feel free to use your g/b friend's or hubby's and blame him/her aftermath for not watching her/his pocket 
   • a toothpick or long finger nails (you may also ruin your Hubby- or Gf's)
   • a Swiss Military- or potato knife (the one you're usually scratching the dirt from under your finger nails will be fine).
5. Some bottles of beer against frustrations.
6. You read this post at least once complete before you begin.

A last advice, before I begin with disassembling instructions:

If you get stuck at any moment... TAKE A BREAK. Don't enforce something

Step 1)

The Overview

You see the T6 and slot-screwdriver, of course the X10, a guitar pick and an credit card alternative 

Step 2) 

The Easy one

The first step is to remove all loose parts like the battery, the sim- and memorycard and all of the fluff you've found after a few weeks of use

Step 3) 

Unscrewing

I've skipped taking pictures of the unscrewing part. I assume; all of you will have enough brains to determine yourself that all 8 screws have to be taken out. Put them in a small bag or box. Otherwise, at least one of it _will_ fall under your table. You will not find it again. Really. It would be lost in the depth of that Bermuda Triangle you call "floor".

Step 4) 

Removing the strange thingy

Now remove that part at the lower end of your phone. I couldn't determine what it is, yet. It has to small connectors to the PCB and is half way glued to the backcover. Whatever. Use the guitar pick, the potato knife or your gf's finger nails to pierce once under both sides. You should now be able to lift it with your own finger nails.

Step 5)

Heading to the first Quest

Still willing to destroy your phone? Ok, you asked for. So lets do the creepy things... Begin at the top. Simply use your guitar pick to get a little gap between the back- and frontcover. Go slowly and don't use a knife. The damn fake chrome will come off immediately, if you scratch it with something harder than it.

Now you'll have a gap, that is big enough to make use of the credit card. Its plastic is smooth enough to not scratch anything. Simply wiggle a little with the card and make use of its leverage force. The upper end of the backcover now already should have jumped out of its clips.

Step 6) 

Halfway to the Boss-Stage

Continue on the right side. Go slowly, coming from the frontcover and plant the credit card between the housing parts. First clip will be open now. Continue 'till you are on the lower right side. 

Editors note: Don't pierce to deep with the credit card. The ribbons, that will put sweat on your forehead soon, are already hiding right behind the backcover. If you're piercing too deep, the chance of cutting them is high.

Now you can also release the lower clips the way, like you began at the top of the housing.

Step 7) 

Hunting down the Boss

O.k. up, right side and down are loosened. But what about left side? Well. the clips over there are to tight to get a credit card underneath. But you don't need to do so. Simply lift the backcover slowly and wiggle it a little. It should come of by itself. If its clinging a little, take a gulp from you bottle of beer, say yourself: "I'm a man, you won't beat me" and use some force. Not the force you use to tighten your rims on your car. But the force you use to open your women's bra will be fine. (For our virgins: Use the force Yoda gave you 

Step 8) 

Attacking the SIM- and Memorycard Holder

Now you can remove the sim and memorycard holder. It has four clips. You will see two of them on the next picture, right where my screwdrivers are pointing at. Use your toothpick and use it like a lever between pcb and clip from underneath. You can also make use of your slot screwdriver. Same to the other side. DO NOT REMOVE THE HOLDER YET. Take a closer look to the next picture first. 

Step 9) 

And rip it out

You knew it. One of our hated ribbon friends is hiding underneath the holder and is just waiting for your inattention in order to tear into pieces. Or at least get a hairline crack. Lift the holder a little from right side and use your toothpick or gf's figner nails to lift it off.

Step 10) 

A closer look

Here you can see the ribbon again. Take off the audio jack by simply lifting it with your fingers (The arrow shows you how). 

Step 11) 

Patience is needed

Now loose the three ribbons at the lower end of the pcb. Feel free to use your own fingernails, the guitar pick, the toothpick or a rusty spoon. They should come off easily. Make sure, you don't rip of any of the SMD components beside of them. To resolder them isn't impossible, but hell of a pita.

Step 12) 

Don't forget this one

Do the same to the ribbon you've already found underneath the audio jack (my red screwdriver is pointing at it).

Step 13) 

On top of the Hill

You should now take a break. You've almost done of the hardest things. 

The pcb is clipped with four clips. You can see them marked with red circles. 

Simply pierce your smallest slot screwdriver between the pcb and the front cover, right next to the clips. 

Wiggle a little, and the pcb should jump out of the clips by itself. Repeat it the same way with the other clips. 

Now you can lift the LOWER end of the pcb and pull it out in a flat angle. 

Step 14) 

Nearly done

Next step is to split the display, the touchmodule and the frontcover. 

First of all, swing loose the keypad. Be careful not to rip that bloody ribbon apart. (Yes, I really hate that damn things, since I had to repair several dozens of Samsung's SGH-E7x0 displays).... 

Step 15) 

Sticky Stuff

Now you slowly pierce underneath that copper-looking ribbons. They are glued at about the whole area. But not too fast. After a few pierces you should be able to tear them off with your fingers. Do the bigger one first, then the smaller one. 

Step 16) 

Disassembling the touch module

The display is also clipped the way the pcb already was. Once all around and it should pop off by itself.

Step 17) 

Hardest one: Splitting the touchmodule from the frontcover

The module is glued onto the casing by a strong double sided tape. I suggest you to heat the glue a little with a hairdryer. 

All you have to do is lift one corner (it's not 100% taped down) and stick a guitar pick or credit card and run it across and it'll pop out.

To reassemble the whole phone, simply put it back together in the reverse order, I described before.

Don't forget to clip the ribbons again. Simply push them into the connectors by your thumb. Don't forget the one underneath the audiojack and underneath the sim / memorycardholder    

Make sure that all clips are tightened again by pressing the display, the pcb and at least the backcover once around with your thumb.

Many thanks to McKebapp. Click here for original guide