Unlocking Your Htc Thunderbolt: Removing The Camera Module

The HTC Thunderbolt is a smartphone with a rear-facing camera that can be removed and replaced if broken or damaged. This can be done by using a plastic opening tool to gently pry up the rear panel and lift out the battery. The next steps involve removing several screws from the rear frame and inner frame, disconnecting the capacitive button cable, and removing the black tape covering the tabs that connect the motherboard and LCD. Finally, the tabs connecting the camera to the motherboard can be popped up, and the camera can be gently pulled out using tweezers.

Remove the rear panel

To remove the rear panel of an HTC Thunderbolt, follow these steps:

Firstly, insert a plastic opening tool into the top of the Thunderbolt, near the power button. Gently pry up on the rear panel around the edges until it is loose. Once loose, lift and remove the rear panel.

Next, use the plastic opening tool to lift up the battery from the bottom near the kickstand. Remove the battery from the inner frame.

Now, remove the six Phillips screws from the perimeter of the rear frame. Be careful, as removing the screw with the "void" sticker on it will void your warranty.

Insert the plastic opening tool into the bottom of the phone, underneath the soft keys. Gently pry up on the plastic cover by sliding the tool across the bottom of the phone. The cover will have adhesive on it, so be careful. Remove the plastic cover.

Remove the two Phillips screws where the plastic cover was. Now, insert the plastic opening tool in between the screen and the frame on the side of the phone. Slowly slide the tool along the side of the phone until the screen begins to separate from the frame. Do the same for the opposite side of the phone.

Carefully separate the screen and phone from the rear frame, starting from the bottom. Gently pull down on the phone and screen to fully separate it from the rear frame.

Lift and remove the battery

To lift and remove the battery from your HTC Thunderbolt, you will need a plastic opening tool. This is to avoid damaging other components of your device.

First, insert the plastic opening tool into the top of the Thunderbolt near the power button. Gently pry up on the rear panel around the edges until it is loose. Then, lift and remove the rear panel.

Next, use the plastic opening tool to lift up the battery from the bottom near the kickstand. Remove the battery from the inner frame.

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

Unscrew the perimeter of the rear frame

To unscrew the perimeter of the rear frame of an HTC Thunderbolt, you will need a plastic opening tool and a Phillips-head screwdriver.

First, insert the plastic opening tool into the top of the Thunderbolt near the power button. Gently pry up on the rear panel around the edges until it is loose, then lift and remove the rear panel. Next, use the plastic opening tool to lift up the battery from the bottom near the kickstand, and remove the battery from the inner frame.

Now you can remove the six Phillips screws from the perimeter of the rear frame. Removing the screw with the "void" sticker on it will void your warranty, so be aware of this before proceeding.

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

Pry up the plastic cover

To pry up the plastic cover of your HTC Thunderbolt, you will need a plastic opening tool. This is a thin, flat tool that can be inserted into the small gaps between the components of your phone.

First, insert the plastic opening tool into the bottom of the phone underneath the soft keys. Gently pry up on the plastic cover by sliding the tool across the bottom of the phone. The plastic cover will have adhesive on it, so it may be difficult to remove. Take your time with this step to avoid damaging any other components.

Once the plastic cover is loose, remove the two Phillips screws where the plastic cover was. These screws will help to secure the plastic cover in place, so removing them will make it easier to lift off the cover.

Now, you can lift and remove the plastic cover. With the plastic cover removed, you will have access to the inner components of your HTC Thunderbolt, including the camera.

Remove the capacitive button cable

To remove the capacitive button cable from the HTC Thunderbolt, follow these steps:

Firstly, insert a plastic opening tool between the screen and the frame on the side of the phone. Gently slide the tool along the side of the phone until the screen begins to separate from the frame. Repeat this process on the opposite side of the phone.

Now, carefully separate the screen and phone from the rear frame, starting from the bottom. Gently pull down on the screen to fully separate it from the rear frame.

Next, remove the two Phillips screws securing the rear inner frame to the device. Insert the plastic opening tool between the rear inner frame and the motherboard and slowly work your way around the device to loosen it.

Now, use the tip of the plastic opening tool to carefully flip up the tab holding the capacitive button ribbon cable. Be very gentle, as these tabs are easy to break.

Finally, use a pair of tweezers to carefully pull the capacitive button cable out of its socket.

To reassemble, simply follow these steps in reverse order.

Frequently asked questions