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First Galaxy Z Fold 3 teardown video is out; take a look at the folding phone's insides

By Iskren Gaidarov

Published: Aug 18, 2021, 7:30 AM

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Samsung Android

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The Galaxy Z Fold 3 was announced last week and we already have the phone’s first teardown video. YouTube channel PBKreviews got its hands on the new foldable phone, and it turns out the phone's hardware is more complex than some might’ve previously thought.

The teardown video of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 starts with removing the back plate of the phone and disconnecting the outer display of the device. This reveals the hardware underneath, as well as one of the two batteries that power the phone. Removing the outer screen looks pretty straightforward and not that complicated, but the good news ends here. Below the battery is another board that is for the Z Fold 3’s S Pen support.

After the outer screen is removed, 14 Phillips screws appear, which hold the internals together. When those are removed you can disconnect one of the boards, which holds the punch-hole selfie camera for the outer screen, and then remove the battery.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a complicated phone to repair

It looks like the left side of the Z Fold 3, where the triple-camera system is, is even more complicated to disassemble. After removing the wireless charging pad you need to unscrew a total of 16 Phillips screws to get access to the two boards. The motherboard where the processor, RAM, and internal storage sit has a multi-layered design. This design decision was chosen so the motherboard can fit not only the brain of the Z Fold 3, but also its three back cameras, and the under-display 4MP selfie camera as well. Next to the board's left and right sides sit two mmWave 5G antennas, which are easily removable.

Below the motherboard is the second battery pack, bellow which is another board holding the USB-C charging port of the phone. To remove the folding display of Galaxy Z Fold 3, PBKreviews says you need to heat the plastic railing and then remove it, revealing the screen panel itself. After that to remove the folding screen you need to gently pry it off the phone's mid-frame.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with an IPX8 water resistance rating. Logically, the internals of the phone are stuck with waterproof adhesive, which is easy to remove after being warmed up.

The under-display camera of the Z Fold 3 sits on top of the motherboard

Hardware-wise there are no surprises, and everything that Samsung advertises the foldable phone has is there. Unfortunately, we don't see the Galaxy Z Fold 3's folding display removed in this teardown video. This could easily be explained by the fact that the chances of the screen braking during removal are very high.

Overall, PBKreviews concludes that this phone is really complicated to repair, and gives it a 2 out of 10 repairability rating, stating that the repairs on this phone will be very time consuming. Still, this is something to be expected from one of the most cutting-edge phones on the market.

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Iskren, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been passionate about technology since his childhood, sparked by his early experiences with phones like the Ericsson T28 and Sony Ericsson P910i. After earning a bachelor's degree in Media and Journalism, he turned his fascination with smartphones into a career, with a particular interest in Apple and Motorola. Outside of his tech pursuits, Iskren enjoys watching TV series, movies, driving, and has a deep passion for cars and Formula 1. He looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly the potential of rollable smartphones.