Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

8

Time Required

                          45 minutes

Sections

1

  • How to add wireless charging to Samsung Galaxy S4 mini
  • 8 steps

Flags

Member-Contributed Guide

An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.

  • BackSamsung Galaxy S4 Mini

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

Alot of phones are beginning to show additions of wireless charging options, while they are becoming more available, there is still the lack of support in the lowend to mid range segment.

This guide is showing how to implement wireless charging on the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, where the charging pad stays hidden underneath the cover, while keeping NFC, USB port and all other items free to be used.

What you need

Step 1

              Preparing the wireless charging pad, in order to fit inside the back cover
  • Disassembling the wireless charging pad, to make it as thin as possible.
  • Inside there is a rubber pad, in order to prevent excessive heat disipating through the back of the charging pad, remove this.

Disassembling the wireless charging pad, to make it as thin as possible.

Inside there is a rubber pad, in order to prevent excessive heat disipating through the back of the charging pad, remove this.

1024

Step 2

              Adding connecting wires to the wireless charging pad
  • Soldering on thin flexible wires to the + and - on the wireless charging pad

Soldering on thin flexible wires to the + and - on the wireless charging pad

Step 3

              Gaining access to the internal USB board
  • Start by using the USB board replacement guide, step 1 - 8 in order to gain access to the USB board.

Start by using the USB board replacement guide, step 1 - 8 in order to gain access to the USB board.

Step 4

              Soldering wireless charging pad onto the USB port
  • Soldering the wireless charging pad connection + to CN2 on the USB port and - to the ground on the USB port, any part of the external metal surface should work.

Soldering the wireless charging pad connection + to CN2 on the USB port and - to the ground on the USB port, any part of the external metal surface should work.

Step 5

              Altering back cover to fit the wires inside the phone
  • Use a small file to make room for the wires on the back frame just below where the battery sits.

Use a small file to make room for the wires on the back frame just below where the battery sits.

Step 6

              Placing the back cover once more
  • Using the USB board replacement guide, step 3 - 8 in reverse order to place the back cover, making sure the wires to the charging pad fits through the ready made holes.

Using the USB board replacement guide, step 3 - 8 in reverse order to place the back cover, making sure the wires to the charging pad fits through the ready made holes.

Step 7

              Placing wireless charging pad to keep NFC functioning
  • Placing the wireless charging pad, slightly off center to keep NFC, which is implemented in the battery, working.

Placing the wireless charging pad, slightly off center to keep NFC, which is implemented in the battery, working.

Step 8

              Booting the phone to check everything is working
  • Samsung Galaxy S4 mini booting after fitting wireless charging pad.

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini booting after fitting wireless charging pad.

While one would think, soldering a charging coil onto the charging connections would yield in a shortening of the normal connections to the battery, how ever it turns out the combination is very robust.

The phone will charge without issues on a cable connection, aswell as on the wireless charging pad, and data connection via cable remains intact.

By using the charging pad, the coil do get a bit warm, the insulation material removed in step 1, to make it as thin as possible can have an effect on the heat dissepating to the battery from the coil.

Over my usage of this setup I have not yet come across any miss behaviour of the phone due to the charging over wireless or any other issues arisen from this configuration.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      11 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 3 other contributors 


                    Kenneth H. Nielsen

Member since: 08/04/2011

449 Reputation

                                      1 Guide authored                  



                       Badges:
                       8







                                                        +5 more badges

Jann Bern - Jul 7, 2016

Reply

I tryed to copy your guide and soldered everything in place (5V to this usb pin & Ground to the usb-port), messed up the charging coil a bit by ripping off the whole connector (I now have only 2 pads left for soldering to) and if i place it on the dock, the flashy lights on the dock will turn on, but the phone will not charge.

As you said normal charging by usb works fine, but i cant figure out my problem.

Kenneth H. Nielsen - Jul 21, 2016

Hi Jann

I have used this approach on three different phones, you need to make sure the + connection on the charging pad is soldered onto the connection on the USB port that is marked by the CN2 arrow on the main board.

I had one that showed the same issues you are describing here, taking the phone apart and resoldering the + connection solved that issue.

Best regards