Droid X Dissected!
(click to enlarge)
UPDATE: The Assembly guide for the dissected Droid X is now available as a YouTube video!
UPDATE: Also see How to Root Droid X and get free mobile hotspot on your Droid X!
After fiddling with my Droid X for two days non-stop, I finally figured out how to dissect the latest Motorola superphone.
Just in case someone needs to replace parts or perhaps the touchscreen in the future, I’ve documented the whole process for your viewing pleasure using my Canon 7D. And yes, still working on my photography skills so please bear with me.
How to Dissect your Droid X!
Before we begin, you will need a Hex X5 screwdriver. (and you will need Hex X4 for touchscreen replacement)
I recommend the Micro-screwdriver set you can get on Amazon for $9.99.
1) First, you will need to take the back cover off, take the battery off, and also take the microSD card out. (although I didn’t on this photo)
2) Next, unscrew the 2 T5 hex screws as shown here with red arrows from your Droid X.
It should look like this.
3) Next, you are going to stick your sharp nails (recommended to grow your nails a bit before dissecting) in between the hard rubber piece and the plastic part of the Droid X at the top. You can also use a plastic wedge if you’d like, I just used my nails because I didn’t have a plastic wedge. Do not use a metal screwdriver here otherwise you will scratch your Droid X! Nails works fine though.
4) Once you can get your nail through, just slide it all the way to the other side, the top part should easily pop off.
5) We are going to do the same thing on the bottom of the phone and pop off the bottom rubber piece.
6) Once you have the rubber top and bottom pieces off, it should like above photo, you should find additional hidden 4 hex screws.
7) Unscrew the 4 hex screws.
Next, look at one of the sides of the battery compartment of the Droid X, you should see there’s two metal thingees holding the Droid X together.
9) Using a minus screwdriver, pop the metal thingees off and the top of your Droid X should pop off a bit.
10) It should look something like this.
11) Next, jiggle the side of the Droid X near where the red camera button is and it should pop off eventually. Don’t force it but keep trying until it pops off. I only used my screwdriver to hold up the phone so I can take a photo but don’t use a screwdriver to pry it off!
12) Once you got the bottom side popped off, start jiggling the other side and it should pop off completely like shown here into two pieces.
If you don’t get steps 11 or 12 right away, don’t force the issue and keep trying. Believe me, it took me about 5 hours on before I was able to figure this out so, take your time!
This is the hardest part of dissecting the Droid X without breaking anything so be patient.
13) The rest of dissecting the Droid X is pretty easy. Start out by popping off the white wire next to the camera. It should pop off easily.
14) Next, we are going to pop off the LCD connection. There’s a flimsy black tape covered over it. Just pop the thing off, it should come off pretty easily.
15) Once you pop the LCD connector off, there’s the touchscreen connector. It’s also covered by a flimsy black (electrical) tape. Pull the tape off a bit first then “gently” pull the touchscreen connector “laterally” away from the phone and it should pop off with the white connection pulling up automatically.
16) Now you should be able to lift up part of the motherboard-like piece, there’s one more connector you can pop off easily as shown by the red circle.
17) Pop that connector off and you should now have 3 pieces of Droid X.
18) Congratulations, you’ve just pretty much dissected your Droid X!
If you want to get to the touchscreen, there’s about 10 more Hex T4 screws you will need to unscrew but that should be pretty much it. I didn’t have a T4 screwdriver so I stopped here.
Actually, I just wanted to see the actual chips inside the Droid X but it seems that I would need to unsolder the metal casings around them. Since I have a review unit I must return to Verizon, I will have to wait on that until I buy a Droid X myself.
For assembly of the Droid X after disassembly, simply follow the directions backwards.
And also, I have videos of me dissecting the Droid X step-by-step coming soon (and also putting it together) so watch out for that too!
Some more photos of Droid X dissected!
(click to enlarge)
June 25th, 2010 at 9:51 am
[...] working pretty well and I have dissected the Droid X about 6 times already so I decided to document the whole process over at my new blog, DroidX.net. var gstring="n"; gstring+="n"; gstring+="n"; gstring+="n"; gstring+="n"; gstring+="n"; [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Couple of questions
What capacity is the battery and have you got any pictures of the antenna? Antennas that work is a pretty hot topic right now.
[Reply]
Droid X Reply:
June 25th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
It has a 1500mAh battery, battery life is actually really good, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6CiN5spxlU
[Reply]
June 25th, 2010 at 11:11 am
[...] Xperia X10 mini and today here it is, the latest phone from Motorola that is the Droid X. Guys at Droidx.net have done this. This is actually a step wise guide that will help you to do the same, that sounds [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 11:24 am
nice teardown! i was just wondering and couldn’t really tell from the pics… what is inside the hump on the back apart from the camera? i was a little puzzled as to why motorola couldn’t recess the sensor a bit more like apple did with the new iphone. that said, i’d take this over an iphone any day
[Reply]
June 25th, 2010 at 11:37 am
[...] di Motorola, il Droid X, ecco arrivare il primo teardown. Tramite alcuni passaggi i ragazzi di DroidX hanno smontato il dispositivo estrapolando processore, GPU ed altri elementi interni. Il passaggio [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
[...] a few “teardowns” lately and now it’s the Droid X’s turn. Max Lee over at droidx.net does the dirty work so you can get a good look at the guts of the Motorola Droid X. Check out the [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
[...] [via droidx] [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
[...] the battery. As Max notes, he forgot to put the pull tab back on after a previous disassembly. [DroidX.net via [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
[...] DroidX.net han publicado una guía paso a paso bien completa para aquellos que necesiten por alguna razón u [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
[...] Il n’y a pas que les produits Apple qui se font démontés dans tous les sens, il y aussi maintenant le Motorola Droid X. Du coup, si vous voulez voir à quoi ressemble les entrailles d’un Droid X, c’est par ICI. [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
[...] [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
[...] I can’t help but to look when it happens. Before fansite DroidX.net got their hands on the device and cracked it open for the world to see, some users at AndroidCentral’s forums grabbed a [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
[...] Incredible. The DROID X isn’t just being dismantled in the virtual sense. Max from DROIDX.net has mercilessly torn apart the body of the device, as seen in the first video below: ed# Via [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Can you see why the “buldge” at the top was necessary
[Reply]
joylove Reply:
June 27th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Two reasons IMO, one to fit a decent 8MP camera, and two to put an antenna the actually works inside. See iPhone 4 for details on how to design an antenna that looks amazing, but drops the network as soon as you hold it the “wrong” way.
That’s the difference between phones designed by people that know how to make phones, and a software company that values style over substance.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I like my phone to have a signal. That is why I own it in the first place.
[Reply]
June 25th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
[...] the Motorola DROID X stripped from working handset to constituent parts. Still, the handiwork of DroidX does at least show us what’s happening inside Motorola’s latest Android smartphone, and [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
[...] Source [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
[...] Engadget Source: DroidX.net __________________ GTalk: mabramson1@gmail.com twitter: [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
[...] get it into your hands. If you pre-order the Verizon handset, the sooner you’ll get it![Via: DroidX.net] If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
[...] to top that an Droid X fan, we’ve got a regular porn photoshoot for you. The smart people at Droid X.net have taken it upon themselves to risk a robot apocalypse and anger the mighty Droidster. They have [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
So… does this void your warranty?
[Reply]
Droid X Reply:
June 25th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Most likely but you may be able to take it apart without anyone knowing if you go really careful, there’s no way to tell if you’ve opened it.
[Reply]
TTPaws Reply:
June 27th, 2010 at 11:47 am
It looks like there a plastic cover over the camera lens. Is there one? and is it easy to remove & replace?
[Reply]
June 25th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
[...] DroidX.net If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it! blog comments [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
[...] #droidX | androidcommunity [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
But the phone still works, right?
Looks like i’ve to wait until it’s released in germany
anyway – gr8 work and good pictures!
[Reply]
Droid X Reply:
June 25th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Yes, of course, I have a video on putting it together that’s coming soon.
[Reply]
June 25th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
[...] YouTube – Droid X Dissected! YouTube – Droid X Dissected! via Engadget Source: DroidX.net none Leave a commentCommentsLeave a Reply Kliknij tutaj, aby anulować odpowiadanie.You must be [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Droid X Dissector, question:
What is the Droid X’s build (the shell/casing) made out of? Is it anodized aluminum? Or entirely plastic? And is the screen glass or plastic?
[Reply]
June 25th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
[...] to the Droid X we are now able to see internal specs and hardware of Droid X. Here is the Droid X [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
[...] pod śrubokrętem. Jeśli lubisz oglądać to co znajduje się pod maską. Zainteresuje Cię strona droidx.net gdzie można znaleźć zdjęcia i film z procesu otwierania obudowy nowego smartphona sieci [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
[...] Droid X Dissected! | Droid X – Blog dedicated to Droid X News and Accessories! Both metal and plastic. [...]
June 26th, 2010 at 12:15 am
“Hex X4?”
Do you mean a #4 Torx (T4)?
[Reply]
June 26th, 2010 at 12:30 am
[...] Home About RSS Follow us on Twitter « Droid X Dissected! [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
[...] I can’t help but to look when it happens. Before fansite DroidX.net got their hands on the device and cracked it open for the world to see, some users at AndroidCentral’s forumsgrabbed a system [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
[...] Read [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
[...] | DroidX.net | Email this | Comments Engadget This entry was posted in News and tagged [...]
June 25th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
[...] [via droidx] [...]
June 26th, 2010 at 12:48 am
[...] что находится внутри Motorola X дроидов на голову, чтобы DroiDX.net , за много фото и видео [...]
June 26th, 2010 at 1:13 am
[...] Xperia X10 mini and today here it is, the latest phone from Motorola that is the Droid X. Guys at Droidx.net have done this. This is actually a step wise guide that will help you to do the same, that sounds [...]
June 26th, 2010 at 4:44 am
[...] out Lee’s teardown of the Droid X through step-by-step photos on his [...]
June 26th, 2010 at 6:32 am
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June 26th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
The screws you showed require a Torx bit driver, not hex. The “T” in T-5 and T-4 stands for “Torx”. A hex bit has 6 sides, like a sexagon.
[Reply]
Droid X Reply:
June 28th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Yes, it’s Torx T5, I meant.
[Reply]
June 27th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
[...] 2 điện thoại này có thể nói là khá cân tài cân sức trong nhiều hạng mục. Thậm chí là cả hạng mục bên lề! Chỉ vài ngày trước thì những hình ảnh bung chiếc iPhone 4 đã được iFixit thực hiện, và ngay lập tức thì chiếc Droid X cũng khoe thân mình trước bàn dân thiên hạ, trong bài viết của trang web DroidX.net. [...]
June 28th, 2010 at 1:26 am
[...] Untuk melihat secara lengkap dapat mengunjungi DroidX.net [...]
June 28th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
[...] un blog dédié aux mobiles Droid, a publié un guide qui vous aide à disséquer le téléphone pour vous faire jeter un oeil à ce qu’il cache [...]
June 28th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
[...] un blog dédié aux mobiles Droid, a publié un guide qui vous aide à disséquer le téléphone pour vous faire jeter un oeil à ce qu’il cache [...]
June 28th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
[...] by aiglepierre on juin 29, 2010 · Leave a Comment Le Droid X de Motorola, le dernier-né des fers de lance de la marque a été élu parmi les meilleurs des [...]
June 28th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
[...] out Lee’s teardown of the Droid X through step-by-step photos on his [...]
June 29th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
[...] Verizon的德罗伊德X具有完全拆解人们在DroidX.net [...]
June 29th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Do the old Droid batteries though lower capacity fit this beast? I’m going to be giving this Incredible to my wife. Currently though I have 2 extra batteries and a battery wall charger. I can imagine I would need at least one extra juice box and a wall charger to alternate the 2.
[Reply]
July 6th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
[...] [via droidx] [...]
July 16th, 2010 at 9:06 am
[...] help, not sure I'd suggest it though: Droid X Dissected! | Droid X – Blog dedicated to Droid X News and Accessories! How to Assemble a Dissected Droid X! | Droid X – Blog dedicated to Droid X News and [...]
July 18th, 2010 at 12:03 am
[...] the battery. As Max notes, he forgot to put the pull tab back on after a previous disassembly. [DroidX.net via [...]
July 18th, 2010 at 2:26 am
hey, i noticed you didnt fully take apart the droid x, meaning the LCD area, plus a note i must add, where you take off the connector for the lcd or something where you mention the white connector pops up when you gently pull it out, you need to update that and say you need to first pull up on the white lock tab before pulling it out, it damages the ribbon that way, 2 or 3 times of that you will ruing the connector or the ribbon. Just giving a heads up. Also i took apart the whole LCD area as well, incase you guys want to add those photos to the bottom of your guide, i posted it on droidxforums.com if you need them.
[Reply]
July 19th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
[...] Here ya go Droid X Dissected! | Droid X – Blog dedicated to Droid X News and Accessories! [...]
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
I ordered my droid online the 16th due to store being out here in wichita ks, just received the ship notice from verizon, Good Luck everyone!
[Reply]
July 29th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
[...] Droid X Disassembled & Reassembled – PART LEFT OVER I disassembled my Droid X this morning to get at the "external antenna port" on the L shaped motherboard. While I was taking the back off, a little rubber thing fell out of the phone, and I don't know where to put it back during reassembly. It's about 1/2 inch long, 1/8 inch wide and perhaps 3/32 inch tall. It has a hole in the middle and some tab shaped ends. It looks like it might go over a push button as a cushion or something. It's a rather intricate molded rubber piece and probably is important. Does anyone know what it is and where it goes??? Meanwhile, I reassembled the phone and it works normally. Can't tell anything's missing. For disassembly instructions see Droid X Dissected! | Droid X – Blog dedicated to Droid X News and Accessories! [...]
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:51 pm
[...] Here's a link to a DX teardown. Perhaps this may help with replacing that piece if you can find the part. Droid X Dissected! | Droid X – Blog dedicated to Droid X News and Accessories! [...]
August 24th, 2010 at 8:33 am
[...] [...]