iPhone 4S Cellular Antenna Replacement

Power off your iPhone before beginning disassembly.

Remove the two 3.6 mm Pentalobe P2 screws next to the dock connector.

• Be sure the driver is well-seated when removing Pentalobe screws—they are easy to strip.

Push the rear panel toward the top edge of the iPhone.

Pull the rear panel away from the back of the iPhone, being careful not to damage the plastic clips attached to the rear panel.

Remove the rear panel from the iPhone.

Remove the following screws securing the battery connector to the logic board:

• One 1.7 mm Phillips screw
• One 1.5 mm Phillips screw

Carefully push the pressure contact away from the battery connector until it slides free from its position.

Remove the pressure contact.

Use a plastic opening tool to gently pry up the battery connector from its socket on the logic board.

• Place the tip of the tool between the loudspeaker enclosure and the metal cover of the connector, and lift the bottom edge of the connector first.
• The battery connector comes off vertically from the logic board. Do not apply force sideways.
• Be careful not to pry at the battery connector socket itself, or it may detach from the logic board. There are four very small solder points awaiting this mistake!

Insert the edge of a plastic opening tool between the battery and the outer case near the bottom of the iPhone.

Run the plastic opening tool along the right edge of the battery and pry up at several points to completely separate it from the adhesive securing it to the outer case.

Use the exposed clear plastic pull tab to peel the battery off the adhesive securing it to the iPhone.

Remove the battery.

Remove the following screws securing the dock connector cable cover to the logic board:

• One 1.5 mm Phillips screw
• One 1.2 mm Phillips screw

Remove the metal dock connector cable cover.

Use the edge of a plastic opening tool to pry the dock cable up from its socket on the logic board.

Peel the dock connector cable off the adhesive securing it to the logic board and the side of the speaker enclosure.

Use the edge of a plastic opening tool to pry the cellular antenna cable up from its socket on the logic board.

De-route the cellular antenna cable out from under the metal fingers attached to the logic board.

Remove the two 2.4 mm Phillips screws securing the speaker enclosure assembly to the outer case.

Remove the small black spacer that was under the Phillips screw near the vibrator.

Use a plastic opening tool to lift the speaker enclosure assembly out of the case, being sure not to damage the EMI fingers on the attached Wi-Fi antenna.

Remove the speaker enclosure assembly.

Remove the two 1.6 mm Phillips screws securing the cellular antenna to the speaker enclosure.

Starting near the cellular antenna cable, use the edge of a plastic opening tool to peel the antenna off the speaker enclosure.

Continue peeling the cellular antenna off the speaker enclosure, being careful not to rip the gold bracket attached to one of its edges.

Remove the cellular antenna.