How to: Convert your RAZR into a RAZR MAXX

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Faekie

Member
Dec 3, 2011
46
84
Luleå
RAZR to RAZR MAXX conversion guide

The OG RAZR is, imho, an awesome phone. I have had my XT910 since november 2011 and I still love it.
However when the RAZR MAXX was introduced I felt a bit cheated since, by that time, I wanted more out of the RAZR's somewhat weak battery performance.

I have since then seen the RAZR to RAZR MAXX conversion kits but thought they were too expensive.
When the external speaker gave up on my phone after a heavy fall to the ground, and the warranty had expired, I decided to replace it myself. I started thinking about perhaps making the upgrade to RAZR MAXX capacity at the same time since I felt I had the cash to spend on it.
This is a walkthrough of how I modified my Motorola RAZR XT910 into a Motorola RAZR MAXX XT910

Cellphone repair shop
provides the kit for upgrading your RAZR to a RAZR MAXX however the didn't seem to ship to my country (Sweden) when I wanted to order.
The I found this site: ETrade Supply that had all the necessary parts for the upgrade. It was a bit cheaper as well, the total was about $150 with shipping.

Before you start
  • Prepare yourself for the worst, make a full backup of your phone just in case.
  • Remove SIM card
  • Remove memory card

What you will need


WARNING! ATTENTION! CAUTION!
I don't take any responsibility for any damage, either on a person or object, that may come from using this guide.
Proceed on your own risk!


dsc0015ul.jpg

The parts from left to right:
Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Battery Frame
Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Battery (EB40)
Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Battery Door, black without carrier logo
Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Rear Housing, version B
Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Logo
And the part I missed since I thought it would be included with the rear housing:
Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Decorative Camera Lens Bezel

Battery door removal
dsc0020xn.jpg

After you have powered down your device and removed SIM and memory cards, start removing the battery door.
Do this by sticking your chosen prying tool in the crack between the battery door and back housing.
Start prying from a corner on the phone.

dsc0024mr.jpg

Keep prying loose the battery door by working your way all the way around the edge of the phone.
It can be a bit tricky at the SIM/memory card lid but be careful and nothing will break.

dsc0027an.jpg

When the edge of the battery lid is loose it will still be attached to the battery with a piece of "glue strip".
Pull the battery lid carefully towards you and it will detach.

dsc0029rx.jpg

From left to right: old XT910 battery lid, XT910 without battery lid, XT910 RAZR MAXX battery lid.

Back housing removal
dsc0033rz.jpg

In this picture you can see the rubber cap that protects the screws holding the battery ribbon cable attached to the PCB.

dsc0035qv.jpg

Remove the rubber cap to gain access to the two torx T5 screws beneath.

I removed the battery ribbon screws in this step, however it is not necessary to do just yet.
The screws doesn't need to be removed until we are ready to detach the battery and battery frame.

dsc0040um.jpg

Remove the plastic bezel at the top of the phone to gain access to a hidden T3 torx screw.
This is one of the screws holding the back housing in place.
If you are not careful the bezel will look like mine in the picture :p

Proceed by removing the screws holding the back housing in place.
In total there are 7 T3 screws and 3 T5 screws. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this.
I didn't have a T3 screwdriver so I used my T4 which worked but I strongly advice against it.

dsc0043tc.jpg

When all the screws are removed (put somewhere safe) you can remove the back housing the same way as the battery door.
Start at the bottom of the phone and work your way to the top since the housing needs to be "lifted" to clear the connectors at the top of the phone.
The internals may be this dirty after >1 year of usage!

Battery and battery frame removal
dsc0044ow.jpg

This is what the phone looks like without the back housing in place.
Remove the 3 T3 screws holding the battery frame in place.
It's not until this step that the rubber cap and screws for the battery ribbon cable needs to be removed.
Remove the batter by pulling the "battery removal" plastic tab to the left towards you.
The battery is attached to the EMI shields beneath it with a double sided adhesive so you may need to pull quite hard.
Be careful not to break/bend the battery!

dsc0050ws.jpg

The frame and battery is removed in this picture.
At the top of the phone you can see a piece of my broken external speaker.

Battery and frame reassembly
dsc0051lq.jpg

To the left is the old XT910 RAZR battery frame. To the right is the new XT910 RAZR MAXX battery frame.

dsc0056ft.jpg

Mount the new battery frame to the phone with the 3 T3 screws, 2 on the left side and 1 on the right as seen in this picture.
The new battery doesn't come with the double sided adhesive so I didn't use any at first.
However after I put the phone back together it became a bit squeaky and "loose".
I took the phone apart again and put a few bits of double sided adhesive tape on the back of the battery to hold it firmly in place.
I recommend that you do the same.

dsc0061hh.jpg

Reattach the screws for the battery ribbon cable and cover them with the rubber cap.

Before you attach the new back housing, remove the protective strips from the back of the battery and the camera lens (inside).

Back housing reassembly
dsc0063pk.jpg

Start attaching the back housing by "hooking" it into place at the top of the phone.
The housing snaps into place when pressure is applied.

dsc0065wr.jpg

Work your way from the top to bottom of the phone.
It's a bit tricky at the card lid, by opening the lid and pressing carefully, with a screwdriver between sim and memory card slot, it will snap into place.

dsc0071xy.jpg

Back housing in place! To the right is the battery lid.
On this picture I have secured all of the 10 T3/T5 screws again.

Before you reattach the battery lid, remove the protective strips from: microphone, camera lens, flash and two on the battery lid. 5 in total.

dsc0073yt.jpg

This is something you don't want to see when you remove the protective film from the camera lens :eek:

dsc0076cr.jpg

I had to go back a few steps and remove this little bugger!

Battery lid reassembly
dsc00712ke.jpg

This picture illustrates where I fitted double sided adhesive tape to make sure the casing would'nt flex when applying pressure.
I also had to put a piece of paper in between the back housing and battery frame, opposite the power button, to prevent the case from flexing.
Red marks where I put adhesive tape and light blue where I put the paper, unfortunately I don't have a picture of this.

dsc0078bb.jpg

If you use double sided adhesive tape then start attaching the lid at the base of the phone to make sure you get a snug fit.
The battery lid should snap easily in place.
Press all around the edges to make sure it snapped into place everywhere.
In this picture I still have the blue protective film on the LED flash since I didn't have the cover yet.

dsc0082nu.jpg

dsc0083ca.jpg


Optional logo replacement
dsc0086nx.jpg

I like it better in black ;)

dsc0089fr.jpg

I used a small flat screwdriver and carefully pried away the old logo.
Be careful so you don't scratch that gorilla glass screen! (It is possible :silly:)
Perhaps remove some dirt as well before putting the new logo in place :D

dsc0092vk.jpg

New logo in place, looking good! :victory:

All done!

The phone feels imo a bit nicer to the touch since the back is more round now, though I am still unaccustomed to the feel of the phone :p
After I put double sided adhesive tape in between all the pieces the phone feels solid again as it did when I forst bought it.
Without the double sided adhesive the case would flex a bit and be a little squeaky when applying pressure at the corners.
I also had to put a piece of paper in between the back housing and battery frame, opposite the power button, since it would flex there otherwise.

I am running the excellent D-WiZ ROM (without Llama running) and did so before the swap as well.
Before the swap I would last perhaps a day or ~2-2,5h screen on time on this ROM.
After the swap the phone can last up to 3 days or 4-5 hours screen on time.
Now, after normal usage, I put my phone on charge every third night when I go to sleep :good:
 
Last edited:

xpsychox

Senior Member
Dec 1, 2011
251
15
Marion
I've already done this.. Did it around 4 months ago? Wasn't terribly hard.. Best advice? .. Have a good space with no room for screws to fall down.. IF you choose to keep the RAZR chassie and not purchase the max chasie (I believe they wanted $120 for it) its going to take a while to grind it down... It took me around 1.5 hrs.. Mine turned out well.. Soo much more battery life.. If u have questions PM me and I'll do the best I can.. Just remember I've done it ONCE..not 100 times.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
 
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Op3raToR

Member
Mar 4, 2012
9
0
Germany
Hey I would like to ask, if it's possible to "convert" a black Razr XT910 into a white one. I mean if you can convert it to a Razr Maxx, it should be possible to change the front/back cover only as well :cyclops:. And if yes, I just need to find a shop that delivers the right parts, etc. to my homeland Germany.
Thanks in advance everyone
 

xpsychox

Senior Member
Dec 1, 2011
251
15
Marion
Hey I would like to ask, if it's possible to "convert" a black Razr XT910 into a white one. I mean if you can convert it to a Razr Maxx, it should be possible to change the front/back cover only as well :cyclops:. And if yes, I just need to find a shop that delivers the right parts, etc. to my homeland Germany.
Thanks in advance everyone

I dont see why not.. Unless it has something that the other does.. I don't know of any shop that has it.. Except many the cellphonerepairshop.com check them for parts..also just an idea many someone locally has a dead one.. (Broken screen) just scrap those parts and use it..just an idea..

Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
 
  • Like
Reactions: RC-Helifreak

Faekie

Member
Dec 3, 2011
46
84
Luleå
And so a small update with comparisons on battery life.
The before and after shots are both from the D-WiZ JB ROM, 2.0.1 before conversion and 2.02 after I think. Same settings on both.
Usage is similar on both. The after shots are from the first charge on the new battery but I haven't used the the phone that much on the following charges so it wouldn't be a fair comparison.

Unfortunately the screenshots are a bit buggy in the JellyBean ROMs but they are good enough for comparison.
The system language is swedish but timestamps are universal :p

Before the conversion:
20121210232006.jpg
20121210232017.jpg


After conversion:
20121216073048.jpg
20121216073058.jpg


Roughly double the battery capacity ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fallon9111

danieltang34

Senior Member
Jan 30, 2012
55
5
pretty impressive!
just wondering, are those materials same as the real maxx's ones or they're duplicates from 3rd party?
 

hsahin4

Senior Member
Jan 14, 2011
162
18
İstanbul
Thanks for the guide, but approx $125 expense.

Instead of this guide;

1. Sell your phone (second hand)
2. Buy a MAXX (second hand) + Pay extra $125 with warranty, without risk.
 

Faekie

Member
Dec 3, 2011
46
84
Luleå
If you have that option, great!

Where I live the difference in price between a used RAZR and RAZR MAXX is about $100-150 depending on wear.
OG RAZR goes for as low as ~$210. MAXX model for $350 and upwards.

This way I got a new battery and backside.
 

Mr_Alexander

Member
Mar 30, 2008
38
4
Tampa, FL
Great Tutorial. I found myself needing this exact tutorial yesterday and was extremely fortunate that it was on the portal. I was out riding my bike and my MAXX fell out of my pocket and hit the concrete.

IMG_20121225_123205_629-1_zpsedaed2c7-1_zpsbe635c24.jpg


Ouch! Got banged up pretty good & the screen got pulverized in the lower left corner with cracks going up. Since I had bought the MAXX to replace my OG Razr I still had the old girl as a backup. Instead of just using it as my phone I decided to put forth a little time and effort so later I had a new MAXX - with some small scratches from the fall but still working perfectly (didn't switch the Motorola logo though).
 

DrXtreme55

Member
Dec 31, 2011
5
1
couple things doesnt work

hi, i did it step by step but when i turn phone on i realize that front speaker, camera, backlight and accelerometr doesnt work. I have the right parts for my gsm razr. IS there any way how to repair it ?
 

Faekie

Member
Dec 3, 2011
46
84
Luleå
Sv: How to: Convert your RAZR into a RAZR MAXX

hi, i did it step by step but when i turn phone on i realize that front speaker, camera, backlight and accelerometr doesnt work. I have the right parts for my gsm razr. IS there any way how to repair it ?

It sounds like you have a bad connection at the top of the Phone between the pcb and theese parts, you will need to take it apart and check.
 

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  • 75
    RAZR to RAZR MAXX conversion guide

    The OG RAZR is, imho, an awesome phone. I have had my XT910 since november 2011 and I still love it.
    However when the RAZR MAXX was introduced I felt a bit cheated since, by that time, I wanted more out of the RAZR's somewhat weak battery performance.

    I have since then seen the RAZR to RAZR MAXX conversion kits but thought they were too expensive.
    When the external speaker gave up on my phone after a heavy fall to the ground, and the warranty had expired, I decided to replace it myself. I started thinking about perhaps making the upgrade to RAZR MAXX capacity at the same time since I felt I had the cash to spend on it.
    This is a walkthrough of how I modified my Motorola RAZR XT910 into a Motorola RAZR MAXX XT910

    Cellphone repair shop
    provides the kit for upgrading your RAZR to a RAZR MAXX however the didn't seem to ship to my country (Sweden) when I wanted to order.
    The I found this site: ETrade Supply that had all the necessary parts for the upgrade. It was a bit cheaper as well, the total was about $150 with shipping.

    Before you start
    • Prepare yourself for the worst, make a full backup of your phone just in case.
    • Remove SIM card
    • Remove memory card

    What you will need


    WARNING! ATTENTION! CAUTION!
    I don't take any responsibility for any damage, either on a person or object, that may come from using this guide.
    Proceed on your own risk!


    dsc0015ul.jpg

    The parts from left to right:
    Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Battery Frame
    Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Battery (EB40)
    Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Battery Door, black without carrier logo
    Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Rear Housing, version B
    Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Logo
    And the part I missed since I thought it would be included with the rear housing:
    Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Decorative Camera Lens Bezel

    Battery door removal
    dsc0020xn.jpg

    After you have powered down your device and removed SIM and memory cards, start removing the battery door.
    Do this by sticking your chosen prying tool in the crack between the battery door and back housing.
    Start prying from a corner on the phone.

    dsc0024mr.jpg

    Keep prying loose the battery door by working your way all the way around the edge of the phone.
    It can be a bit tricky at the SIM/memory card lid but be careful and nothing will break.

    dsc0027an.jpg

    When the edge of the battery lid is loose it will still be attached to the battery with a piece of "glue strip".
    Pull the battery lid carefully towards you and it will detach.

    dsc0029rx.jpg

    From left to right: old XT910 battery lid, XT910 without battery lid, XT910 RAZR MAXX battery lid.

    Back housing removal
    dsc0033rz.jpg

    In this picture you can see the rubber cap that protects the screws holding the battery ribbon cable attached to the PCB.

    dsc0035qv.jpg

    Remove the rubber cap to gain access to the two torx T5 screws beneath.

    I removed the battery ribbon screws in this step, however it is not necessary to do just yet.
    The screws doesn't need to be removed until we are ready to detach the battery and battery frame.

    dsc0040um.jpg

    Remove the plastic bezel at the top of the phone to gain access to a hidden T3 torx screw.
    This is one of the screws holding the back housing in place.
    If you are not careful the bezel will look like mine in the picture :p

    Proceed by removing the screws holding the back housing in place.
    In total there are 7 T3 screws and 3 T5 screws. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this.
    I didn't have a T3 screwdriver so I used my T4 which worked but I strongly advice against it.

    dsc0043tc.jpg

    When all the screws are removed (put somewhere safe) you can remove the back housing the same way as the battery door.
    Start at the bottom of the phone and work your way to the top since the housing needs to be "lifted" to clear the connectors at the top of the phone.
    The internals may be this dirty after >1 year of usage!

    Battery and battery frame removal
    dsc0044ow.jpg

    This is what the phone looks like without the back housing in place.
    Remove the 3 T3 screws holding the battery frame in place.
    It's not until this step that the rubber cap and screws for the battery ribbon cable needs to be removed.
    Remove the batter by pulling the "battery removal" plastic tab to the left towards you.
    The battery is attached to the EMI shields beneath it with a double sided adhesive so you may need to pull quite hard.
    Be careful not to break/bend the battery!

    dsc0050ws.jpg

    The frame and battery is removed in this picture.
    At the top of the phone you can see a piece of my broken external speaker.

    Battery and frame reassembly
    dsc0051lq.jpg

    To the left is the old XT910 RAZR battery frame. To the right is the new XT910 RAZR MAXX battery frame.

    dsc0056ft.jpg

    Mount the new battery frame to the phone with the 3 T3 screws, 2 on the left side and 1 on the right as seen in this picture.
    The new battery doesn't come with the double sided adhesive so I didn't use any at first.
    However after I put the phone back together it became a bit squeaky and "loose".
    I took the phone apart again and put a few bits of double sided adhesive tape on the back of the battery to hold it firmly in place.
    I recommend that you do the same.

    dsc0061hh.jpg

    Reattach the screws for the battery ribbon cable and cover them with the rubber cap.

    Before you attach the new back housing, remove the protective strips from the back of the battery and the camera lens (inside).

    Back housing reassembly
    dsc0063pk.jpg

    Start attaching the back housing by "hooking" it into place at the top of the phone.
    The housing snaps into place when pressure is applied.

    dsc0065wr.jpg

    Work your way from the top to bottom of the phone.
    It's a bit tricky at the card lid, by opening the lid and pressing carefully, with a screwdriver between sim and memory card slot, it will snap into place.

    dsc0071xy.jpg

    Back housing in place! To the right is the battery lid.
    On this picture I have secured all of the 10 T3/T5 screws again.

    Before you reattach the battery lid, remove the protective strips from: microphone, camera lens, flash and two on the battery lid. 5 in total.

    dsc0073yt.jpg

    This is something you don't want to see when you remove the protective film from the camera lens :eek:

    dsc0076cr.jpg

    I had to go back a few steps and remove this little bugger!

    Battery lid reassembly
    dsc00712ke.jpg

    This picture illustrates where I fitted double sided adhesive tape to make sure the casing would'nt flex when applying pressure.
    I also had to put a piece of paper in between the back housing and battery frame, opposite the power button, to prevent the case from flexing.
    Red marks where I put adhesive tape and light blue where I put the paper, unfortunately I don't have a picture of this.

    dsc0078bb.jpg

    If you use double sided adhesive tape then start attaching the lid at the base of the phone to make sure you get a snug fit.
    The battery lid should snap easily in place.
    Press all around the edges to make sure it snapped into place everywhere.
    In this picture I still have the blue protective film on the LED flash since I didn't have the cover yet.

    dsc0082nu.jpg

    dsc0083ca.jpg


    Optional logo replacement
    dsc0086nx.jpg

    I like it better in black ;)

    dsc0089fr.jpg

    I used a small flat screwdriver and carefully pried away the old logo.
    Be careful so you don't scratch that gorilla glass screen! (It is possible :silly:)
    Perhaps remove some dirt as well before putting the new logo in place :D

    dsc0092vk.jpg

    New logo in place, looking good! :victory:

    All done!

    The phone feels imo a bit nicer to the touch since the back is more round now, though I am still unaccustomed to the feel of the phone :p
    After I put double sided adhesive tape in between all the pieces the phone feels solid again as it did when I forst bought it.
    Without the double sided adhesive the case would flex a bit and be a little squeaky when applying pressure at the corners.
    I also had to put a piece of paper in between the back housing and battery frame, opposite the power button, since it would flex there otherwise.

    I am running the excellent D-WiZ ROM (without Llama running) and did so before the swap as well.
    Before the swap I would last perhaps a day or ~2-2,5h screen on time on this ROM.
    After the swap the phone can last up to 3 days or 4-5 hours screen on time.
    Now, after normal usage, I put my phone on charge every third night when I go to sleep :good:
    2
    2500mAh alternative.

    If the OEM maxx conversion is too expensive for you, check this out

    Onite® 5700mAh Li-ion Akku for Motorola Droid RAZR XT910 XT912 / Atrix HD / Atrix V, EB20 Batterie

    That's almost TWICE the juice the maxx battery has. Although I have converted with OEM parts, I'm really tempted to try that one :ß

    I'm using this one I found on ebay and although I only have personal experience with the battery life it does indeed appear to last much longer than when my phone was new. It was only a little over $10 with shipping. I did start a new thread about it but thought I'd add this here since I originally started off by trying to find an OEM conversion kit.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/360843113058?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
    2
    Sv: How to: Convert your RAZR into a RAZR MAXX

    Hello Guys,

    I was just wondering, if I order all the parts listed in this tutorial plus the front housing (link below), will I have all the parts needed to convert my WHITE GSM RAZR into a BLACK GSM RAZR MAXX?

    http://www.etradesupply.com/motorola-droid-razr-maxx-front-housing.html

    I asked a customer support representative, and they told me that this front housing is compatible with the GSM version.

    I'd go for a White GSM RAZR MAXX, but could't find any shop that sells such parts, and from what I've read, the MAXX comes only in black.

    Your advice/help will be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

    I'm not entirely sure, it depends on the front frame if it is detachable from the screen or not. The lcd is fused together with the glass and I don't think they can be separated without one of them breaking.
    As far as I know the only part that differs between gsm/cdma razr is the rear housing, there's a connection that is on different places for gsm and cdma.
    Other differences are only carrier branding :)
    1
    I've already done this.. Did it around 4 months ago? Wasn't terribly hard.. Best advice? .. Have a good space with no room for screws to fall down.. IF you choose to keep the RAZR chassie and not purchase the max chasie (I believe they wanted $120 for it) its going to take a while to grind it down... It took me around 1.5 hrs.. Mine turned out well.. Soo much more battery life.. If u have questions PM me and I'll do the best I can.. Just remember I've done it ONCE..not 100 times.

    Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
    1
    Hey I would like to ask, if it's possible to "convert" a black Razr XT910 into a white one. I mean if you can convert it to a Razr Maxx, it should be possible to change the front/back cover only as well :cyclops:. And if yes, I just need to find a shop that delivers the right parts, etc. to my homeland Germany.
    Thanks in advance everyone

    I dont see why not.. Unless it has something that the other does.. I don't know of any shop that has it.. Except many the cellphonerepairshop.com check them for parts..also just an idea many someone locally has a dead one.. (Broken screen) just scrap those parts and use it..just an idea..

    Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium