Relay 4G Hardware Reference Guide

Search This thread

sorgo

Senior Member
Jun 18, 2010
274
54
Aff, what a fail with this phone then... Thank you anyway.
Sorry to go a bit off topic, did you import a new device? I bought a used one and the flex cable was dead in 9 months (but must say 9 months of intensive usage, like opened/closed 100 times a day :) ). And if you look at the android phone news around, there's no decent qwerty phone to be released (or no qwerty android at all) so my advice is, get a new device when it's still time and they are available.

My was around $160 plus intl shipping and import charges, that's about 160 eur total price. Should arrive any day now after looong 2 weeks of waiting.
 

linoskoczek

Senior Member
Jan 21, 2013
124
17
Sorry to go a bit off topic, did you import a new device? I bought a used one and the flex cable was dead in 9 months (but must say 9 months of intensive usage, like opened/closed 100 times a day :) ). And if you look at the android phone news around, there's no decent qwerty phone to be released (or no qwerty android at all) so my advice is, get a new device when it's still time and they are available.

My was around $160 plus intl shipping and import charges, that's about 160 eur total price. Should arrive any day now after looong 2 weeks of waiting.

I bought used and it was dead after few days lol... The only good thing is that only not working earpiece is annoying. I don't really care about the rest. I don't think I will buy this phone again since I'm not living in US and I don't want to pay import charges to buy a phone with cracked screen. I was thinking that Desire Z wasn't good (look how it opens and closes on YouTube), but now I realised it was much better than Relay, because I hadn't any problem with main flex cable.
 

sorgo

Senior Member
Jun 18, 2010
274
54
Guys, isn't it Main Flex Cable which we were/are searching for?
http://au.alibaba.com/product-image/431746884-Mobile-Phone-Flex-Cable-for-Samsung.html I think it is! If you confirm that, I will try to contact the seller. The title is misleading a bit: T699, but Samsung Gravity. The photo is probably correct, because Gravity's Flex is different (you can easily find it in Google).

Hard to tell. The listed phones look weird, I doubt the main flex cable is identical in all those phones. If it would cost 5 eur, I would risk it, but for 50 eur, just grab another device.
 
  • Like
Reactions: linoskoczek

mohearn1

New member
Mar 7, 2012
2
1
Anybody tried this guy? He wont send me a picture but after an hour on hold with Samsung, the part number matches what they say it should be. Cant post urls he is at celldr.com with this part GH59-12256A. A little shady he wont post a picture of it though.
 

linoskoczek

Senior Member
Jan 21, 2013
124
17
Anybody tried this guy? He wont send me a picture but after an hour on hold with Samsung, the part number matches what they say it should be. Cant post urls he is at celldr.com with this part GH59-12256A. A little shady he wont post a picture of it though.

I tried to order it, but this part is out of stock at the moment.
 

sorgo

Senior Member
Jun 18, 2010
274
54
Beyong the guide in OP - replacing the flex cable

Hi guys,

As I wrote before, many many thanks @Jax184 for this great guide. It helped me to disassembly the device with no fear :)

I mentioned before, I noticed one day, that the screen does no turn on always when I open the device. It was an issue of the flex cable. To fix this, I had to replace the cable - disassembling a bit beyond the steps described in the guide in OP.

Enjoy!

LWV0194l.jpg

The cable arrived, fresh and shiny! :) Once again, thanks to @cortina1970 for posting the ebay link.

Here is the step where original guide ends.

o3m7g3jl.jpg

The cable is sticked to the plastic part. You have to remove it by force, I used the sharp tool on next picture. Be careful not to break the plastic part.

rLG5FTVl.jpg

The flex cable is now detached from the sliding part

g6m4SkYl.jpg

To open the display part, you need to take out 4 screws around and gently open it (I managed to do it just with my nail).

qaL5V5yl.jpg

Opened display part with old cable.

OSB2OtKl.jpg

Take up the vynil and gently remove the flex cable from the board

mg01ZLMl.jpg

Poor old cable with its replacement

Assemble in reverse order :)

SNFpaYUl.jpg

And here's the old cable, cut from side. The symptoms were: the display part absolutely not working (display, notification led, sound, nothing at all). So I assume, it's the side where the power is.

Thanks again all who helped. I'm happy to have a backup device, as there's no better qwerty android around.

PS: high res link: http://imgur.com/a/7Ji9a
 
Last edited:

cortina1970

Member
Dec 3, 2007
10
2
Glad to see it fixed yours too, to anybody else who needs one, the Ebay listing for the cable currently shows 24 in stock!
 

frodude1

New member
Dec 8, 2014
1
0
possible ribbon damage

Hi
Thanks for doing this guide and the hardware reference I too have had the phone since august and now the screen is staying off when closed, only comes on when open and i press power a couple of times.

I opened it up yesterday to have a look and there was no obvious signs that it was hardware damage but after booting in safe mode and as it happens when the phone is turning on I can only think there is a some ribbon damage. How much more sturdy did the new one seem not sure if its worth spending ~£30 or just saving for a new phone.

Quite envious of my girlfriends new archos platinum 53 now (my selection for her birthday) nice and big no need for qwerty. Also no bloated stock gui.

Also anyone have problems with the mic on this device call quality can be rather quiet? not sure if china economy post was the best idea.
 

sorgo

Senior Member
Jun 18, 2010
274
54
I opened it up yesterday to have a look and there was no obvious signs that it was hardware damage but after booting in safe mode and as it happens when the phone is turning on I can only think there is a some ribbon damage. How much more sturdy did the new one seem not sure if its worth spending ~£30 or just saving for a new phone.
My ribbon damage was not seen until I disassembled it. If the screen goes blank when opening/closing the phone, it's a hardware issue for sure. I would recommend replacing the ribbon with the one from cortinas link from ebay ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/T-Mobile-Ga...e_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item4d25a8cf18 ). 100% working and you can see the guide, it was not hard at all, no need of special tools either.
 

niteprizm

New member
Nov 21, 2015
1
0
What kind of tape is this??

{sorry I forgot my old account login and just made this account, so I couldn't quote the image in my post (outside link). Should be the 6th photo of the cable taped down to the back of the display circled in red}
Take up the vynil and gently remove the flex cable from the board

Thanks to sorgo you for posting this. I have the exact same problem. display ribbon cable somehow ripped. I have already disassembled the phone and I have bought a working phone with a cracked screen on the cheap for replacement parts (in this case the ribbon cable you're replacing here). I am a little stuck on how to attach the new cable tho, specifically the end circled in sorgo's 6th photo above.

Since I am removing the cable from another phone I think the tape holding the down the connector will not be sticky enough after being removed. So my question is does anyone know what type(s) of tape are safe to use for this application, and perhaps a recommendation on where to buy some. Sorry this is prolly a n00bish question, most all of my disassembly and repair experience has been with desktops, no tiny cables to tape into place (is it just me or does this seem like a horrible way to connect a cable? Why not just have the snap on connection on both ends.....). Thanks in advance to anyone who can point the way.
 

Top Liked Posts

  • There are no posts matching your filters.
  • 21
    I've only had my Relay a week and already it's been torn apart! But what's bad for warranties is good for you, because now I can make a hardware reference guide for this phone like I did for the Sidekick 4G.

    As before, this is a work in progress and based on my own research. I'm not an expert on cell phone tech, so everything here is provided with no warranties. Please let me know if you notice any mistakes and I'll be happy to update this document. I'm particularly interested in better documentation for the various components, like in-house PDFs.

    Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G Specifications:

    Released as T-Mobile exclusive on September 19th, 2012.
    SGH-T699
    FCC ID: A3LSGHT699

    2G Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE – 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
    3G Network: UMTS/HSPA+ – 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz
    WiFi: 802.11A/B/G/N dual-band 2.4/5GHz
    Bluetooth 4.0
    Near Field Communication

    CPU: 32-bit 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (ARM V7 Architecture)
    GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 225
    RAM: 1 Gigabyte DDR2
    Flash: 8 Gigabytes, ~5GB available to user under stock ROM
    MicroSD slot for expansion

    Display: 4" Samsung SuperAMOLED screen @ 800x480 with Multi-Touch Capacitive Touchscreen. 16,777,216 colours
    Keyboard: 5 row 52-key QWERTY keyboard with inverted-T arrow keys

    Rear Camera: 5 Megapixel with LED flash
    Front Camera: 1.3 Megapixel

    Other Features:
    Augmented GPS/GLONASS
    Accelerometer/Gyroscope
    Compass
    Light sensor/Proximity sensor
    Mobile High-Definition Link (HDMI)

    Size: 4.96" x 2.56" x 0.53"
    Weight: 5.6 Ounces
    Power: 1800mAH Lithium-Polymer rechargeable battery model EB-L1K6ILA with NFC antenna integrated.

    http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/c...y_S_Relay_4G_English_User_Manual_UVLG8_F4.pdf - User manual

    http://www.jax184.com/projects/Relay 4G/Draft Users Manual.pdf - Early draft of user manual, submitted during FCC approval.


    Hardware Details:

    T3i_1180bs.jpg



    0. Qualcomm MSM8260A Integrated Snapdragon S4 CPU, Adreno graphics core, UMTS modem, WiFi/Bluetooth backend, GPS/GLONASS receiver, DSP and USB controller
    Marked:
    Unknown
    (Located under RAM IC as package-on-package)

    1. Qualcomm WCD9310 "Tabla" Audio codec
    Marked:
    WCD9310
    NCM218R1
    A228002
    13

    2. Silicon Image SiI9244 MHL Transmitter
    Marked:
    SIMG
    9244BO
    NCS371A
    10L2230

    3. Samsung 8Gb (1GB) Low Power DDR2 DRAM
    Marked:
    Samsung 210
    K3PE7E700D-XGC2
    GKB2709U

    4. Samsung 8GB NAND Flash
    Marked:
    Samsung 228
    KLM8G2FE3B-B001
    HHGX259X

    5. Qualcomm HSPA+/CDMA2K/TDSCDMA/EDGE/GPS Transciever
    Marked:
    WTR1605
    OVV
    PHX403R1
    AA22501

    6. Qualcomm Dual-band Wi-Fi A/B/G/N, Bluetooth and FM Radios
    Marked:
    WCN3660
    PGW541R1
    A222002

    7. Unknown
    Marked:
    SWt
    GAD92

    8. Anadigics Multimode Multiband Power Amplifier Module
    Marked:
    ALT6181
    33945AC
    1231PH

    9. Anadigics AWT6624 UMTS1700 Power Amplifier
    Marked:
    6624R
    4233AD
    1230 PH

    10. Anadigics AWT6622 UMTS1900 Power Amplifier
    Marked:
    6622R
    4110AA
    1228 PH

    11. Invensense 6050 six-axis gyroscope/accelerometer
    Marked:
    Invensense
    MPU-6050M
    D2G554-K1
    EI 1226 D

    12. Qualcomm Power Management IC
    PM8921
    AD35130
    f3228004

    13. Analog Devices Mobile I/O Expander and QWERTY Keypad Controller
    Marked:
    ADP
    5587
    #215

    14. Texas Instruments BQ24157 Lithium-Ion Battery Charger
    Marked:
    TI27A3JXI
    BQ24157B

    15. NXP PN544 Near Field Communication Controller
    Marked:
    44501
    10 05
    NXD2314

    16. Atmel MaXTouch mXT224E
    Marked:
    MXT224E
    MAH-IR0
    2W1315B


    http://www.jax184.com/projects/Relay 4G/Internal Photos.pdf - Photos of a prototype Relay submitted to the FCC for approval. Notice that the PCB, RF plate, keyboard frame and even the back cover have all been revised.

    http://www.jax184.com/projects/Relay 4G/Test Results.pdf - Results of FCC testing of the NFC radio.


    Take Apart:

    T3i_1115s.JPG


    Start with the phone turned off.

    T3i_1116s.JPG


    Flip the phone onto its back and remove the battery, SIM card and MicroSD card.

    T3i_1125s.JPG


    Remove the 8 long screws around the edge of the phone and the two short screws in the battery bay using a fine-tipped Phillips screwdriver. Be sure not to mix these screws up when reassembling!

    T1i_7794s.JPG


    If available, use a thin nylon guitar pick for this next step. Metal tools will mar the plastic.

    T3i_1131s.JPG


    Unlike most Galaxy S devices, the seam between the inner back and the front case of the Relay 4G is not visible from the back of the device. Instead it is on the front, around the perimeter of the keyboard. Insert a thin prying tool here and gently unsnap the plastic halves.

    T3i_1136s.JPG


    Lift the back off.

    T3i_1152s.JPG


    Gently disconnect the headphone jack cable. This connector is very fragile, and should not be pried on with metal tools. Instead it should be gripped with fingernails and slowly pulled upward.

    T3i_1147s.JPG


    Disconnect the screen cable along the left side of the board. Like the headphone jack, this connector is fragile and must not by forced apart. Then remove the 5 short screws which hold the PCB to the front frame.

    T3i_1161s.JPG


    Gently lift the PCB upwards. There are clips around the edge which will need to be gently pressed to free the board.

    T3i_1167s.JPG


    If needed, the keyboard can now be removed. To separate the keyboard frame from the screen, remove the final screw and gently pull the plastic straight up. Be sure not to put undue stress on the screen cable. It is held to the keyboard frame in the gold plate, which is attached using double-sided tape.

    I did not dismantle the screen section of my phone beyond this point, but further disassembly appears to be straight forward.

    T3i_1176s.JPG


    To continue dismantling the PCB, gently disconnect the camera and MicroSD card socket cables. As above, these connectors are delicate and must not be forced apart.

    T3i_1170s.JPG


    Remove the two screws on the keypad side of the PCB to unfasten the RF plate.

    T3i_1178s.JPG


    Lift the RF plate off of the PCB.

    T3i_1180s.JPG


    The PCB is now bare.

    Assemble in reverse order.



    The PDFs linked to in the above document are owned by their respective companies. All else is covered by the following:

    4
    Beyong the guide in OP - replacing the flex cable

    Hi guys,

    As I wrote before, many many thanks @Jax184 for this great guide. It helped me to disassembly the device with no fear :)

    I mentioned before, I noticed one day, that the screen does no turn on always when I open the device. It was an issue of the flex cable. To fix this, I had to replace the cable - disassembling a bit beyond the steps described in the guide in OP.

    Enjoy!

    LWV0194l.jpg

    The cable arrived, fresh and shiny! :) Once again, thanks to @cortina1970 for posting the ebay link.

    Here is the step where original guide ends.

    o3m7g3jl.jpg

    The cable is sticked to the plastic part. You have to remove it by force, I used the sharp tool on next picture. Be careful not to break the plastic part.

    rLG5FTVl.jpg

    The flex cable is now detached from the sliding part

    g6m4SkYl.jpg

    To open the display part, you need to take out 4 screws around and gently open it (I managed to do it just with my nail).

    qaL5V5yl.jpg

    Opened display part with old cable.

    OSB2OtKl.jpg

    Take up the vynil and gently remove the flex cable from the board

    mg01ZLMl.jpg

    Poor old cable with its replacement

    Assemble in reverse order :)

    SNFpaYUl.jpg

    And here's the old cable, cut from side. The symptoms were: the display part absolutely not working (display, notification led, sound, nothing at all). So I assume, it's the side where the power is.

    Thanks again all who helped. I'm happy to have a backup device, as there's no better qwerty android around.

    PS: high res link: http://imgur.com/a/7Ji9a
    2
    Great thread.
    Just wanted to share my picture of the broken 4G that I have.

    So part of the flex cable is broken and the following things don't work anymore:
    - Frontcamera
    - lightsensor
    - LED indicator
    - normal phone speaker.

    I ordered a new display that comes with a cable from here, to solve the problem, because I could't find the flex cable itself and T-Mobile didn't want to invoke a warranty case(I am in germany, that's the main reason)

    Ciao fsg
    1
    For future reference, that auction is NOT for the Relay. It's for some random phone. The Relay's USB port is soldered straight to the mainboard. Anyone with a broken USB port should NOT order that one from eBay.
    1
    GPS antenna

    I'm not happy with my phone's GPS, the reception quality is really poor.
    ...
    So I've disassembled my Relay and found those contacts after experimenting without any antenna attached.
    ...
    I've gently bent the PCB contacts toward the rear panel to make sure they will touch the antenna pads with pressure. The GPS works much better now. In case if it'll not last long, there is a possibility to solder them with tiny copper wires.

    Replying my own post just to confirm: after extensively using the phone's GPS the last 4 days in wildernesses (without any data channel available) I can confirm, that there is a HUGE difference between "before" and "after". Now GPS locks satellites in 2-3 seconds, I had no problems in deep forests and narrow canyons.