Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

14

Time Required

                          30 - 45 minutes

Sections

1

  • ZTE ZMax Pro (Z981) Disassembly
  • 14 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Remove rear cover
  • Pry rear cover off starting at the corner
  • Continue down the side
  • Lift rear cover off

Pry rear cover off starting at the corner

Continue down the side

Lift rear cover off

1024

Step 2

              Disconnect fingerprint sensor
  • Remove Kapton tape covering fingerprint scanner cover
  • Unscrew two screws holding on fingerprint scanner flex cover
  • Along with that upper screw, there goes your warranty!
  • Disconnect fingerprint sensor flex cable and set rear cover aside.

Remove Kapton tape covering fingerprint scanner cover

Unscrew two screws holding on fingerprint scanner flex cover

Along with that upper screw, there goes your warranty!

Disconnect fingerprint sensor flex cable and set rear cover aside.

Step 3

              Midframe screws
  • Remove the 15 Phillips 00 screws securing the midframe to the phone.

Remove the 15 Phillips 00 screws securing the midframe to the phone.

Step 4

  • Carefully insert pry tool on side of phone between LCD and frame
  • Continue down the side the phone and around the edges until frame and LCD assembly are separated
  • Ta-da!
  • Don’t laugh at my terrible Photoshop cropping.

Carefully insert pry tool on side of phone between LCD and frame

Continue down the side the phone and around the edges until frame and LCD assembly are separated

Ta-da!

Don’t laugh at my terrible Photoshop cropping.

Step 5

  • Remove Kapton tape over battery plug
  • Disconnect battery
  • Disconnect this other flex cable above the battery, whatever it goes to

Remove Kapton tape over battery plug

Disconnect battery

Disconnect this other flex cable above the battery, whatever it goes to

Step 6

  • Disconnect this one
  • Now this one
  • And this camera one also

Disconnect this one

Now this one

And this camera one also

Step 7

  • Disconnect antenna
  • Unscrew motherboard screw
  • Disconnect LCD flex cable

Disconnect antenna

Unscrew motherboard screw

Disconnect LCD flex cable

Step 8

  • Lift out logic board
  • Easy
  • Now on to the fun part…

Lift out logic board

Easy

Now on to the fun part…

Step 9

              Battery Removal
  • Heat up battery
  • Heating a battery is dangerous and could cause the battery to explode or expand. Use caution.
  • Find appropriate tool to pry battery
  • Ensure your tool of choice is heat resistant

Heat up battery

Heating a battery is dangerous and could cause the battery to explode or expand. Use caution.

Find appropriate tool to pry battery

Ensure your tool of choice is heat resistant

Step 10

  • Once you have found the proper tool, begin prying up on either side of the battery.
  • If utilizing a metal ruler, make sure to use a pink one. Other colors of ruler, such as blue or green, are simply not up to the task.
  • Be careful not to damage previously disconnected flex cables that run under the battery.
  • Finally, bend the battery back into shape so it doesn’t look too bad in your photos.

Once you have found the proper tool, begin prying up on either side of the battery.

If utilizing a metal ruler, make sure to use a pink one. Other colors of ruler, such as blue or green, are simply not up to the task.

Be careful not to damage previously disconnected flex cables that run under the battery.

Finally, bend the battery back into shape so it doesn’t look too bad in your photos.

Step 11

              Charging Port Removal
  • Remove tape holding charging board down (red outline)
  • Pry up charging port / antenna daughterboard.
  • Remove from frame and set aside

Remove tape holding charging board down (red outline)

Pry up charging port / antenna daughterboard.

Remove from frame and set aside

Step 12

  • Lift up digitizer flex cable from frame
  • Peel up this flex cable and tweezer it off where it’s stuck to the frame
  • Peel up the LCD flex cable

Lift up digitizer flex cable from frame

Peel up this flex cable and tweezer it off where it’s stuck to the frame

Peel up the LCD flex cable

Step 13

  • Slide something in between the screen and frame.
  • Make sure to slide it in there real nice
  • Separate LCD assembly from frame, starting at the bottom.

Slide something in between the screen and frame.

Make sure to slide it in there real nice

Separate LCD assembly from frame, starting at the bottom.

Step 14

  • Push digitizer flex cable through frame
  • Remove LCD assembly from phone

Push digitizer flex cable through frame

Remove LCD assembly from phone

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Author

                                      with 9 other contributors 


                    Brennan Murphy

Member since: 08/19/2016

2,743 Reputation

                                      1 Guide authored                  



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thestoryofrecovery - Dec 20, 2016

Reply

Does the digitizer snap in? Or will I need adhesive to install my new digitizer?? Other phones that I have replaced the digitizer I needed adhesive, but I know some just snap in. I’m hoping this is one of those that just snap in.

Nate Evans - Jan 28, 2017

With this phone, you would need new adhesive. I would recommend using the 2mm Tessa 61395 tape ( Tesa 61395 Tape )

Dave K - Dec 21, 2016

Reply

So is it even possible to actually just replace the digitizer? Because it seems like in getting it out I took the lcd with it?? is that “always” the case???

The digitizer may be built into the LCD panel it self, it’s not uncommon. If that’s the case, no, it would not be possible to replace just the digitizer. And the cost to difficulty ratio would be rather low

Patrick - Jan 6, 2017

Reply

Is it possible to replace just the lcd glass (front piece) and not the lcd digitizer, or are they glued together? Some places sell just the glass and that’s all that’s broken on my phone.