Disassembly: Lower Board

Written By: Alex Diaz-Kokaisl

Comments: 0

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

45 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

This repair guide was authored by the iFixit staff and hasn’t been endorsed by Google. Learn more about our repair guides here.

Use this guide to replace the lower board in your Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Tools

Step 1

Let your phone's battery drain below 25% before starting this repair. A charged lithium‑ion battery may catch fire if damaged.
Unplug all cables from your phone and completely power it down.

Step 2

Apply a suction cup to the screen, as close to the center of the bottom edge as possible.
Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the screen and the frame.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
If your screen is badly cracked, covering it with a layer of clear packing tape may allow the suction cup to adhere. Alternatively, very strong tape may be used instead of the suction cup. If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the screen.

Step 3

During the next four steps, don't insert your opening pick deeper than 3 mm to prevent damaging internal components.
Optionally, you can measure and mark your opening pick 3 mm from the tip to help you visualize the length.
Slide the opening pick around the bottom right corner and up the right edge of the screen to separate the adhesive.

Step 4

Slide the pick around the top right corner and stop before the front camera.

Step 5

Pull the opening pick out so only the tip is under the screen.
Slide the opening pick across the top edge of the screen until you're past the front camera.
Push your pick to its original depth before continuing.

Step 6

Slide the opening pick around the top left corner and stop about two‑thirds down the left edge of the screen.
Don't slide the pick any farther, or you risk damaging the display cable.

Step 7

Pull the opening pick out to a 2 mm depth and rotate the pick around the bottom left corner to separate the remaining adhesive.

Step 8

Don't fully remove the screen yet, as it's still connected to the phone by a cable.
At this point, the screen should be free from the frame. If there's still resistance around the edges, use an opening pick to separate any remaining adhesive.
Lift the right edge of the screen and swing it over the left edge of the phone, like opening a book.
Prop up the screen with your suction handle or a clean, sturdy object.

Step 9

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.
While the Pixel 9 Pro Fold uses Torx Plus screws, standard Torx bits also work. Use the same size or one size larger (T3 or T4 Torx bits with 3IP Torx Plus screws) and apply constant, downward force to prevent stripping.
Use a Torx Plus 3IP driver to remove the 2.2 mm‑long screw securing the display cable bracket.

Step 10

Conductive tape secures the display cable bracket to the frame.
Use a spudger, or your fingers, to lift the display cable bracket enough to access the press connector underneath.

Step 11

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the display cable press connector.

Step 12

Lift the screen off the frame and remove it.

Step 13

Use a Torx Plus 3IP driver to remove the 2.0 mm‑long screw securing the battery bracket.

Step 14

Conductive tape secures the battery connector bracket to the lower board.
Use tweezers, or your fingers, to move the battery bracket out of the way of the battery press connector.

Step 15

Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery press connector.

Step 16

Use a Torx Plus 3IP driver to remove the two 2.2 mm‑long screws securing the bottom interconnect cable bracket.

Step 17

Use tweezers, or your fingers, to remove the bottom interconnect cable bracket from the lower board.

Step 18

Insert a spudger under the right edge of the bottom interconnect cable press connector.
Don't insert your spudger anywhere else, as you risk dislodging surface‑mounted components.
Pry up and disconnect the bottom interconnect cable.

Step 19

Insert a SIM eject tool, bit, or straightened paper clip into the SIM card tray hole and press firmly to eject it.
Remove the SIM card tray.

Step 20

During the next step, you'll need to hold the bottom interconnect cable out of the way. Alternatively, you can use tape with a light adhesive, like painter's tape, to secure the cable to the side of the phone.

Step 21

Use the tip of a spudger to lift up the top right corner of the lower board and unclip it from the frame.
Remove the lower board.

Conclusion

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before you install it.

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Answers Community for help.

Author

Alex Diaz-Kokaisl

Member since: 16/01/22

151892 Reputation

Disassembly: Lower Board

Introduction

Tools

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