The Samsung Galaxy S7 has been receiving praised for its performance and aesthetics. However, its first teardown test reveals that the device is not performing well when it comes to self-repairing.
Tech experts from iFixit, a website specializing in gadget repair, cracked open the Samsung Galaxy S7 and concluded that the flagship smartphone from Samsung is not that easy to be put back together. The new phone is not friendly for home repairs. While it is true that there are several modular components that can be replaced independently, many of the repairs are difficult.
According to the Gadgets NDTV, experts say that it is very difficult to access many of the key components of the Samsung Galaxy S7, including the battery and Micro-USB port. Due to the difficult access, replacing these components could cause damage to any other component.
For instance, in order to access the Micro-USB port, the display needs to be removed first. This is not recommended for do-it-yourself amateurs since the process would likely destroy the display itself.
In case that you need to replace the charging port, unless you have some micro-soldering skills, you have two options: replace your display in the process or sacrifice the soft button LEDs. However, it is probably impossible to replace the front glass without destroying the display.
In order to hold together different components on top and inside the metal-clad smartphone, Samsung has used an extensive amount of adhesive. Removing the glass on the back cover of the Samsung Galaxy S7 would not open doors to all innards and it is also very difficult.
Another issue with the Samsung Galaxy S7 is the cables that wrap around the display's back frame. Freeing these cables would require removing the OLED screen first. For this reason, these sandwiched cables make it almost impossible to replace the daughterboard at home.
The modular components inside the Samsung Galaxy S7 are held by tiny spring contacts. In order to get access to these modular components, you need to circumvent glue and glass first.
For all these reasons, iFixit found repairing the Samsung Galaxy S7 very difficult and gave the device a repairability score of only three out of 10 points.
