A field arrives, full of packages from AliExpress, every containing part of a Samsung Galaxy S22 Extremely. This isn’t a model new telephone however a puzzle to be solved. Cellphone Restore Guru goes to construct a flagship smartphone from scratch utilizing solely components from the huge on-line market. His aim? To see if it’s attainable to construct a working S22 Extremely for lower than the $500 worth of a refurbished one.
He begins by unpacking the components, a treasure trove of bits that would make or break this experiment. The motherboard, $174 CAD, is the costliest piece and the center of the operation. A pristine board, pulled from one other telephone, is right however one which’s been tampered with might be bother down the road. He inspects it and finds no indicators of restore, an excellent begin. The show and housing, $96, come subsequent, with a body, quantity buttons, energy button and S Pen slot. The adhesive is pre-applied, a pleasant bonus. Rear cameras, entrance digicam, battery, flex cables, charging port, SIM tray, prime speaker, wi-fi charging module and again glass spherical out the haul. Some components just like the S Pen are filth low-cost whereas others just like the cameras are dearer. After trying to find coupons the overall comes out to $427.20 CAD, about $100 lower than a refurbished one.
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Meeting begins with the charging port, which slides into place with a delightful click on. This part, which homes the SIM reader and microphone, is important to connectivity. The battery goes in subsequent, with adhesive backing making it simple to put in, however the worn look raises an eyebrow. Then the motherboard requires cautious dealing with. Cellphone Restore Guru peels off the protecting movies and attaches the rear cameras to the board earlier than placing it within the body. The cameras, presumably unique, include protecting covers for the lenses. The earpiece speaker, ordered individually due to an oversight, requires a non-standard screw so he must be cautious to not injury it. The motherboard aligns with the contact pads for the ability and quantity buttons, a element the place precision is essential.
Flex cables come subsequent, connecting the motherboard to the sub-board and the highest and backside halves of the telephone. Labels like “up” and “fundamental” are a small mercy in a sea of tiny connectors. The entrance digicam goes in, then the underside speaker and wi-fi charging module (which can also be a temperature sensor). The battery connector is below the wi-fi charger and requires cautious folding to keep away from pressure. Screws, all Phillips however barely completely different lengths, maintain all the pieces in place. Cellphone Restore Guru makes use of the shorter screws to keep away from damaging delicate elements and tightens them simply sufficient to maintain all of it cosy. The again glass with pre-applied adhesive seals the telephone and the S Pen goes into its slot. The SIM tray, one other separate buy, is the ultimate piece.
Cellphone Restore Guru activates the machine and a garish display screen with large bezels greets him, a reminder that not all AliExpress components are created equal. Nevertheless it boots to the house display screen, set to Beijing’s climate, a nod to its Chinese language origins. Samsung’s Machine Care app runs a diagnostic and says 22 elements are working and a couple of aren’t. The vibration motor within the backside speaker is lifeless so the telephone is silent for notifications. The S Pen, as suspected, has no Bluetooth so it’s only a primary stylus. Nevertheless it works, so this DIY is successful.
