Device: Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
Symptom: liquid damage; the phone was dead and the owner needed the data
Diagnosis: after cleaning, components in the battery power and power button circuits had been eaten away
Repair: an identical donor phone sourced; parts transferred and both circuits rebuilt
Turnaround: about three weeks, including finding the donor phone
Some liquid-damaged phones need cleaning. This one needed parts that no longer existed on its own board.
What We Found
After the board was cleaned, the extent was clear: several components had not just corroded, they were gone. The screen and the connectors for the display and charging port were damaged too. We told the owner the phone was in a very bad state and set out what a recovery attempt would involve.
The Repair
The owner went ahead. We sourced an identical donor phone, took the parts that had been eaten away from it, and rebuilt the battery power circuit and the power button circuit on the original board.
The Outcome
The phone powered on, we copied the owner’s data, and the phone was still working when the job was finished.
