Huawei Honor 8 LCD & Digitizer Replacement

Written By: Dominik Schnabelrauch

Comments: 6

Huawei Honor 8 LCD & Digitizer Replacement

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to remove a broken or defective LCD & Digitizer in your Huawei Honor 8.

Due to the phone’s design, you must remove the lithium-ion battery in order to access the display cables. Do not re-use the battery once it is removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard.

Before disassembling your phone, discharge the battery below 25%. The battery can catch fire and/or explode if accidentally punctured, but the chances of that happening are much lower if discharged.

Note: This guide instructs you to replace only the screen while leaving the original frame and motherboard in place. However, some replacement screens for this phone come pre-installed in a new frame (a.k.a. chassis), which requires a very different procedure. Make sure you have the correct part before starting this guide.

You’ll need replacement adhesive to reattach components when reassembling the device.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Before you begin, switch off your phone.
Apply a heated iOpener to the back of the phone to loosen the adhesive beneath the rear glass. Apply the iOpener for at least two minutes.

Step 2

If the phone's rear glass is cracked, the suction cup may not stick. Try lifting it with strong tape, or superglue the suction cup in place and allow it to cure so you can proceed.
Secure a suction handle to the lower edge of the rear glass, as close to the edge as possible.
Lift the rear glass with the suction cup to create a small gap between the glass and the frame.
Insert an opening pick into the gap.
If you have trouble, apply more heat to further soften the adhesive. Follow the iOpener instructions to avoid overheating.
Slide the opening pick to the bottom right corner.

Step 3

Insert a second opening pick and slide it to the bottom left corner to cut the adhesive.
Leave the opening picks in place to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 4

The fingerprint cable is located above the power and volume buttons on this side of the phone. Only use the tip of the opening pick in this area to avoid damage.
Insert a third opening pick at the bottom left corner.
Start to slide the tip of the opening pick from the bottom left corner along the side to cut the adhesive.
Leave the opening pick in its place at the top left corner to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 5

If the adhesive gets hard to cut it most likely cooled down. Use your iOpener to reheat it.
Insert a fourth opening pick under the top left corner of the rear glass.
Slide the opening pick along the top edge of the phone to cut the adhesive.
Leave the opening pick in the top right corner to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 6

Insert a fifth opening pick at the top right corner of the phone.
Slide the opening pick along the right side to cut the remaining adhesive.
The fingerprint cable is still connected to the motherboard. Don't try to remove the rear glass all the way yet.

Step 7

Carefully lift the rear glass and fold it to the left side of the Honor 8.

Step 8

Remove the Phillips #00 screw (2.8 mm length) that secures the metal bracket on top of the fingerprint flex connector.

Step 9

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the metal bracket that sits on top of the fingerprint and display flex connectors.

Step 10

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the fingerprint flex connector.

Step 11

Remove these Phillips #00 screws securing the midframe bezel:
Eight screws with 3.5 mm length
Eight screws with 2.9 mm length
Some screws might be covered with a tamper proof sticker.

Step 12

Insert an opening pick underneath the top right edge of the midframe bezel.
Use the opening pick to pry up the midframe bezel.
Insert the opening pick underneath the bottom left corner of the bezel and pry it up.

Step 13

Insert the long edge of an opening pick in the seam between the midframe and the bezel on the left side of the phone.
Slide the opening pick along the left side of the phone to cut the adhesive underneath the midframe bezel.

Step 14

Repeat the procedure on the right edge of the phone to cut the adhesive underneath the midframe bezel.

Step 15

Carefully grasp the midframe bezel from the bottom corners and lift it upwards.
Remove the midframe bezel.

Step 16

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery flex cable.

Step 17

Use a pair of tweezers to lift the black adhesive pull tab off of the top right corner of the battery.
Use a pair of tweezers to pull out the adhesive strip.
Make sure you pull out the strip in a slow and steady motion and in a flat angle. To prevent the adhesive strip from ripping, it is helpful to twist the strip around the tweezers during the removal process.
In case the adhesive strip rips, follow the next three steps.

Step 18

Apply a heated iOpener to the screen for at least two minutes to loosen the adhesive beneath the battery.
The adhesive beneath the battery is very strong. You might need to repeat this process during the removal procedure several times. If heat does not work you can apply isopropyl alcohol (>90%) to the corners of the battery and let it penetrate the adhesive for several minutes before continuing.
The flex cables underneath the battery are laid out as shown in the image. Try to avoid prying close to the marked areas to prevent damaging the cables.
Display flex cable
Interconnect flex cable

Step 19

Try to deform the battery as little as possible during the following process. Soft-shell lithium-ion batteries can leak dangerous chemicals, catch fire, or even explode if damaged. Do not use excessive force or pry at the battery with metal tools.
Insert an opening pick or a plastic card under the battery where the adhesive strip was located.
Slide along the right side of the battery to cut the remaining adhesive.
Carefully pry up the right side of the battery to loosen the adhesive.

Step 20

The display flex cable and interconnect flex cable run underneath the battery. Be careful not to damage them while cutting the remaining adhesive.
Slide a plastic card underneath the battery and cut the remaining adhesive between the flex cables and underneath the left side of the battery.

Step 21

Remove the battery.
Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.
Before installing a new battery remove any remaining adhesive from the phone, and clean the glued areas with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.

Step 22

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the display flex cable from its motherboard socket.

Step 23

Use a pair of tweezers to carefully peel the display flex cable off of the midframe.

Step 24

Use a spudger to pry up and disconnect the loudspeaker flex cable.

Step 25

Insert the flat end of a spudger under the right edge of the loudspeaker and pry to lift the loudspeaker out of its recess.
Remove the loudspeaker.

Step 26

Use a pair of tweezers to peel the grounding cable off of the midframe.

Step 27

Apply a heated iOpener to the display for two minutes to loosen the adhesive beneath.
You might need to reheat and reapply the iOpener several times during the removal procedure to get the adhesive warm enough to cut.
In the following step make sure to insert your opening pick in the gap between the display bezel and the screen during the removal procedure, not between the mid frame and the bezel.

Step 28

Once the screen is warm to the touch, apply a suction cup near the top edge of the phone right under the earpiece speaker.
If the phone's screen is cracked, the suction cup may not stick. Try lifting it with strong tape, or superglue the suction cup in place and allow it to cure so you can proceed.
Pull up the suction cup to create a gap between the screen and the display bezel.
Insert the tip of an opening pick in the gap you created and slide it to top right corner of the phone. Leave it there to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 29

Insert a second opening pick in the gap you created and slide it to the top left corner. Leave it in its place to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 30

While cutting, make sure the pick slides under the display panel and not just between the display and the front glass.
Insert the tip of a third opening pick at the top right corner and slide it along the right edge to cut the adhesive. Leave it in the bottom right corner to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 31

Apply more heat if the adhesive becomes hard to cut.
Insert a fourth opening pick at the bottom edge of the phone and slide it to the bottom left corner. Leave it there to prevent the adhesive from resealing.

Step 32

Insert a fifth opening pick at the bottom left corner and slide it along the left edge of the phone to cut the remaining adhesive.
Try not to remove the display all the way yet. The display flex cable and the grounding cable are still threaded through the midframe.

Step 33

Slowly separate the screen from the frame. Make sure the flex cables are no longer stuck to the frame and carefully thread them through their gaps.
Remove the screen.
Remove any remaining adhesive from the mid frame and the screen bezel, and clean the glued areas with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth.

Conclusion

The best way to secure the new screen is with a sheet of custom-cut double-sided tape. Apply the tape to the back of the screen, then carefully feed the display cable through the frame. Align the screen and press it into place.

If possible, turn on your phone and test your repair before installing new adhesive and resealing the phone.

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

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

Repair didn’t go as planned? Check out our Answers community for troubleshooting help.

Author

Dominik Schnabelrauch

Member since: 23/11/16

167372 Reputation

6 comments

WARNING !!!

Stop following the tutorial from step 27! There is a front midframe bezel similar to the one on the back, this tutorial removes the screen with the bezel still attached to it.

The fact is that Honor 8 screens are not sold with the bezel ! So don’t remove the bezel and just go for the sreen the same way you removed the back glass. This also makes the process easier since there will not be any bumps blocking the way. (step 28)

Mike Li - 28/09/19

Dear Mike Le,

this is completely correct and we adjusted the guide to only remove the screen without the screen bezel and to go with the replacement part. Thank you!

Dominik Schnabelrauch - 09/10/19

I did it! All ok.

Kaig - 25/10/20

Ive had an honor 8s in for repair, there seem to be two different models. every screen ive ordered has the wrong lcd connector on it.

repearllyn - 06/01/21

Ive had an honor 8s in for repair, there seem to be two different models. every screen ive ordered has the wrong lcd connector on it. there seems to be a KSE-LX9 and KSA-LX9

repearllyn - 06/01/21

I would like to add a comment at the end. If the replacement display does not have dust protection for the speaker, you have to remove it from the old screen and insert it into the new one.

marshall 971 - 18/05/21