Anyone here have any experience with replacing a Micro-USB port that's soldered onto a PCB in a cellphone? I've got a Samsung Galaxy SIII and I've managed to bork the USB port up so that I can't get it to charge without putting sideways pressure on the charger connector. A new port's cheap, but I'm not an electronics guy by any means. Youtube is not much help, and I've found responses elsewhere ranging from "piece of cake" to "WTF are you thinking!"
Anyone ever tried this before?
Being an SIII, the phone cant be that old. Are you still under manufacturer's warranty of typically one year? Does the handset show any visible signs of abuse including water damage?
I used to be involved in phones and for a 4 state region, I knew one guy who had the capability you need in-store. Of course, he sold his business about 2 years ago. He was too smart for an industry that has become disposable.
Same problem with a Droid incredible 2. I have the insurance so the $18 I've spent on that so far looks like it will turn my I2 into a 4g incredible as the 2 is no longer available in stores.
Common problem on new phones with surface-mounted connectors. My N900 is susceptible for the same thing, I filed down the hooks on the microUSB cords I use with it which greatly reduces the force on the port.
If the traces aren't stripped off the mobo it's a straightforward soldering job on a tiny device. You might want to see if you can epoxy the port to the board as well when doing the repair. If the traces peeled off then it really gets hard...
Warranty claim will be difficult. Couple weeks ago I spiderwebbed the glass on the front (which I can replace, but I haven't yet). I may see if they will accept a warranty claim after I replace the glass this weekend.
I really wouldn't suggest berkeleying around with micro-electronics. You'd really risk breaking it more if you aren't very experienced soldering. A store should be capable of replacement.
The part is certainly available.
See here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-USB-Port-Jack-Charger-Connector-Plug-for-Samsung-Galaxy-S3-SIII-i9300-/290797956565
This sort of thing can definitely be repaired by someone with enough soldering skills. Getting the phone apart in the first place is usually the tough part and it looks like you have that covered.
psteav wrote: Warranty claim will be difficult. Couple weeks ago I spiderwebbed the glass on the front (which I can replace, but I haven't yet). I may see if they will accept a warranty claim after I replace the glass this weekend.
Bit hard on phones, are you? 
At first I was going to say just get a new one, cell phones are disposable these days, but since it's a relatively new GSIII, it's worth trying to fix it. If you don't trust your soldering skills, maybe find a local TV repair place. I had one of those do some soldering on the instrument cluster on my old F-150 when the odometer died.
Tom_Spangler wrote:psteav wrote: Warranty claim will be difficult. Couple weeks ago I spiderwebbed the glass on the front (which I can replace, but I haven't yet). I may see if they will accept a warranty claim after I replace the glass this weekend.Bit hard on phones, are you?
You ain't just a kidding. Fortunately, it's all moot....the third-party Asurion insurance I had that was supposed to have been dropped from my plan in October when I upgraded is still there and I'm still paying for.it. New phone, $99.00. I've about decided that it's the one extended warranty that's worth paying for.
$99, good deal considering a quality used model from a trusted retailer would run you $400+
It's a bit late now, but iFixit has a guide on disassembly and reassembly of the Galaxy SIII as well as the iPhone and other electronics. iFixit is a great resource for DIYers.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Samsung+Galaxy+S3+Disassembly+%26+Assembly/9413/1
I installed a new board-mounted female charging jack on my wife's new Samsung notebook PC.
I am soldering ninja and it still was not easy. I ended up cutting the 4 tabs on the metal jack housing free so I could desolder them individually. Once they and the 3 electrical pins were free and the board cleaned up the new one was soldered in in minutes.
I installed a new ribbon cable on the MID display in the e39, same day.
But for semi-late model phones, I'd buy one on eBay w/ a broken glass and digitizer and swap yours in. 15 minute job and you get a full spares kit...
You ever look at how small and close together the solder joints are on a modern PCB?
SMC is pretty difficult but it can be done. You need a really good solder station, hot air rework setup and a bit of practice. I've successfully "repaired" a few on things like a PS2 and a laptop where they were still fixed in place but had poor connection from fatigue of ham fisted children but I have never successfully been able to do a good job of removal and replacement.
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