Reuse Smartphone Components

[Xaos]

Hey guys,

So I have a GS3 that has a broken screen and LCD, so it doesn't show any display, etc. So I was wondering if there was any way I could tear it down and use some of the components for some kind f hobbyist projects and things of that nature? If not, I'll just continue to use it to charge my extra battery!

[Zorber]

Make a robot out of it. It is an android, after all

[Jackolantern]

Actually dismantling and reusing smartphone components is tough, because they are built using SoC (System on a Chip) architecture. Unlike a desktop computer, the components are extremely tiny and all wired directly into the board. They are not designed at all to be reusable or interchangeable. So I would lean towards no, unfortunately the only optional use beyond just charging with it would probably be to fix the screen and find another use for the whole system.

The only real hope for something like this is the future is Project Ara by Google, which would make smartphones as interchangeable, connected modules that would allow various pieces to be upgraded. That would put them more in line with desktops than current smartphones, so that you could upgrade just the CPU, RAM or camera when something new hit the market. It is also about the only hope to putting a stop to all of the horrid technology waste that is piling up due to abandoned phones and tablets