Skip to main content

We crack open the Samsung Galaxy S8 with the help of iCracked CEO A.J. Forsythe

So you’ve got your hands on a shiny, Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus from Samsung. You’ll probably need a case, because one drop can do all sorts of damage to these all-glass phones.  But in case the S8 does take a tumble, how easy is it to repair? iCracked CEO A.J. Forsythe did a teardown with us to find out.

iCracked, if you’re not familiar with it, is a repair service company that has thousands of certified technicians in more than 600 cities in the United States. If you’ve shattered the glass on your device, you can set up an appointment for a technician to come to your home or work to repair your phone.

The company also has do-it-yourself guides, though Forsythe suggested the S8 might be best taken care of by someone who knows what they are doing. That’s mostly because the rear glass cover is prone to break during the teardown process.

One difference we found in the teardown is the battery — it’s housed in a “battery bay” to protect it from the rest of the electronics. This new change is likely an extra precaution after the massive recall of the Galaxy Note 7 last year, which spontaneously exploded due to battery defects. The battery on the S8 also has extra adhesive, so it’s incredibly difficult to remove.

From the vibration motor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, and the internal storage, Forsythe points out all the cool components that make up the Galaxy S8 in our video, in case you’ve never seen what the inside of a smartphone looks like.

iCracked technicians will be able to repair the S8 and S8 Plus within the next two months, and the estimated cost will be $200. The price is expected to go down as S8 parts become more prevalent.

Editors' Recommendations

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
This is the best Samsung Galaxy S24 leak yet
A close-up render of the Galaxy S24 in violet.

It's almost the start of a new year. How can you tell? Because Samsung smartphone leaks are everywhere. Just one day after a huge Galaxy S24 price leak, we now have new renders of all three S24 phones. And these aren't just any renders — they're the best ones we've seen yet.

Samsung Galaxy S24 renders have been appearing online for months now, but they often come with a caveat: They're based on CAD designs, are low-resolution files, or have unsightly watermarks plastered all over them. That's not the case with these newest S24 renders.

Read more
Samsung may have a price shocker for the Galaxy S24 series
An alleged photo of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The much-anticipated reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series is just a few weeks away, and excitement is building as rumors swirl around the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Many interesting details about the new models' appearance and potential features have emerged. However, a critical piece of information has been missing until recently: the price of these handsets.

GalaxyClub says the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus could arrive at cheaper prices than their S23 counterparts in the EU. However, the Galaxy S24 Ultra could see a price hike compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S24 is getting ... cheaper?

Read more
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra may steal this iPhone 15 camera feature
An alleged photo of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is one of the most anticipated smartphone launches of the coming year. As we approach the likely launch date, more rumors and leaks about the top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra have surfaced. The latest comes from leaker Ahmed Qwaider on X, formerly Twitter.

This new rumor suggests that Samsung has taken inspiration from the iPhone 15 series and will feature a 24MP default camera resolution on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This is a significant upgrade from the current Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has a default camera resolution of 12MP.

Read more