Samsung S10 water damage case study

This Samsung S10 water damage case study documents how Payam Data Recovery engineers recovered 3,500 photos and 400 videos from a phone that would not turn on. The device had water damage that caused corrosion on critical components, and the customer had no backup.

Samsung S10 water damage case study overview

A phone that will not turn on can still be recoverable, depending on what failed on the logic board. In this case, the symptoms included no screen response, no charging indicator, and no sign of life.

• No screen response when pressing the power button
• No charging indicator when plugged in
• Phone appeared completely dead
• No backup available

Diagnosis: corrosion stopping the phone from booting

The engineer identified water damage and corrosion affecting critical components. One of the main power relays connected to the Wi-Fi IC had a short circuit due to corrosion, which prevented the power line from working correctly for boot.

For device background information, see the
Samsung Galaxy S10 overview.

Repair process used to access the data

The recovery approach focused on restoring the phone’s ability to boot so a full backup could be created. This required component-level work performed under a microscope.

• Removing the faulty DC to DC IC (power conversion chip)
• Replacing small capacitors affected by water damage
• Testing until the Samsung logo appeared and the phone booted

Recovery outcome

Once the phone booted, a complete backup of the data was created. This Samsung S10 water damage case study resulted in recovery of all 3,500 photos and 400 videos.

Mobile phone data recovery workflow

Mobile phone and tablet recoveries follow a fixed price service model:

• Fixed price service
• No pre-quote testing
• Economy, Priority, and Emergency options
• Payment only after successful recovery

Related case studies

• iPhone salt water data recovery case study
• iPhone fell in swimming pool data recovery
• Smashed and bent iPhone data recovery solutions

About Payam Data Recovery

Payam Data Recovery works with individuals, students, families, small and medium businesses, IT companies, and organisations that need their data recovered safely and professionally. Some customers come to us with a single damaged device containing personal memories, while others rely on us for complex technical recoveries that require specialist tools and experience.

We are based in Australia and have been recovering data since 1998. Our clients also include governments, law enforcement agencies, corporations, and public figures. Every job is handled with 100 percent confidentiality and privacy.

Request a free quote

Get a free quote

Read more about our Mobile Phone Data Recovery Service

Email: help@payam.com.au
Phone: 1300 444 800

Video transcript

Click to expand full transcript

When Marcus’s phone would not turn on, he suddenly lost access to over 3,500 photos and 400 videos that he had never backed up. Hey, it’s Mike visiting Payam Data Recovery to give you a behind-the-scenes look in this case study about a Samsung Galaxy S10 from one of their clients in Brisbane, Australia.

The data recovery engineer began by carefully examining the phone. The first thing he told me was that this was a classic case of water damage, something that can happen over time. The phone may keep working and sometime in the future suddenly die.

When the engineer opened up the phone, he spotted the problem. Water had gotten inside and caused corrosion on some critical components. Specifically, one of the main power relays connected to the Wi-Fi IC had a short circuit due to this corrosion.

The power line doesn’t work for booting, he explained to me as he pointed to the damaged area. Essentially, the power line is like the phone’s electrical highway. It carries power from the battery to all the critical components that need to wake up when you press the power button.

I watched him methodically remove the faulty DC to DC IC, which is a power conversion chip. He carefully removed several small capacitors that had been affected by the water damage. Using specialised tools and working under a microscope, he removed each damaged component.

He tested the phone again. The Samsung logo appeared on the screen and the phone was booting up. A full backup of all the data on the phone would then be saved to an external hard drive. Another team member would email Marcus a file listing, a video preview, and a request for payment. Once payment was received, it would be shipped to him.