steve holt
Lurker
I have a 16 gb s7 not enough storage etc purchased a s7 930a phone with cracked screen can i swap out the motherboards or should i just replace the cracked screen? thoughts suggestions? Thanks
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s7 16gb to 32 gb motherboard
- Thread starter steve holt
- Start date
The obvious question with the new one being a G930A, i.e. an ATT model, is whether that works with your carrier (since you don't say what model the 16GB one is or who you are using it with), and if your carrier is not the same as the one this was originally sold for whether it's been unlocked (since it was almost certainly locked to one carrier originally)
Other than that, I'd do whichever is easier. I'm sure a motherboard swap is cheaper if you do it yourself, but it does require dismantling both phones. This assumes that the two are otherwise compatible: if the original phone is not an ATT model there is the possibility that there will be other differences such as in the antennae (if it's intended to support a different set of frequency bands) - in some Samsung phones the motherboards of different versions of the "same" phone could actually be quite different . So while replacing the screen is sure to work it's harder to be certain about a motherboard swap without more information.
Other than that, I'd do whichever is easier. I'm sure a motherboard swap is cheaper if you do it yourself, but it does require dismantling both phones. This assumes that the two are otherwise compatible: if the original phone is not an ATT model there is the possibility that there will be other differences such as in the antennae (if it's intended to support a different set of frequency bands) - in some Samsung phones the motherboards of different versions of the "same" phone could actually be quite different . So while replacing the screen is sure to work it's harder to be certain about a motherboard swap without more information.
steve holt
Lurker
the 16gb s7 is also an att phone sm-j737a. the 16gb phone is currently used on att network would i need to change the imei on the 32gb motherboard to the 16gb's imei number to work on the network or just have them replace the one with the new one
Hang on, the SM-J737a isn't an S7, it's a J7! That's a completely different phone, so swapping motherboards isn't an option: it's unlikely to even fit physically, and peripherals like the display are completely different. So the G930's motherboard won't be able to drive the J737's peripherals: the connectors are unlikely to be compatible or in the right place, and even if they are physically compatible the drivers will be wrong. If you want to use the G930 you need to get the screen fixed.
The good news is that the IMEI doesn't matter: put your SIM in a different phone and the number moves with it. In fact while I don't know US law on this, where I am in the UK it's illegal to modify an IMEI, and I'd regard anyone who offered that "service" as shady at best (since the primary reason for doing this is to work around blacklisting of stolen phones).
The good news is that the IMEI doesn't matter: put your SIM in a different phone and the number moves with it. In fact while I don't know US law on this, where I am in the UK it's illegal to modify an IMEI, and I'd regard anyone who offered that "service" as shady at best (since the primary reason for doing this is to work around blacklisting of stolen phones).