Galaxy S8 teardown reveals it's nearly impossible to repair

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the hottest phone on the market right now, packing beastly specs into a gorgeous design. Unfortunately, that design is very difficult to fix. iFixit got its hands on a Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus and performed its standard teardown to reveal that it is nearly impossible to repair.

Both the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus earned a 4 out of 10 repair score, which is better better than the Galaxy S7 Edge’s score of three last year, but it’s not something to be proud of. To remove the back glass panel, heat needs to be applied to loosen up the adhesive. The main difference in the S8 from last year’s S7 is that the fingerprint reader now lives in the back; removing the back glass panel with a suction cup reveals a new short cable connecting the fingerprint reader to the motherboard, making it less prone to accidental damage.

One of the standout features of the S8’s design is just how similar it is to the Note 7. The Galaxy S8 Plus’ battery voltage, capacity and design is nearly identical to the Note 7’s. The S8 also features a battery that’s glued in, just like the Note 7. That makes the battery more difficult to remove in case it needs replacing.

If you’re thinking of replacing the front glass panel on your own, it’s not happening. iFixit states the front glass panel is “probably impossible” to fix without damaging other components.

Don’t fix the S8 on your own

Unless you’re an expert on tearing phones apart, don’t fix the Galaxy S8 on your own. Components inside the device are replaceable, but taking the phone apart without damaging the glass panels and fixing certain parts, like the battery, is quite difficult. It’s probably best to send it back to Samsung to fix and avoid any unnecessary accidents.