I Built a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Using Only AliExpress Parts… Here's What Happened
Ever wondered if it’s possible to build a flagship Samsung phone completely from scratch using parts from AliExpress? I did too. So I tried.
Inside a mountain of bubble mailers and boxes were every single component needed to assemble a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. The idea was simple buy only the highest-reviewed parts I could find, put it all together, and try to beat the $500 Cad average refurbished price.
Spoiler alert: I technically pulled it off. But it wasn’t pretty.
The Parts Haul: What I Bought and Why
Let’s start with what I picked up.
Rear Cameras: Look original, came with lens protectors, and were surprisingly expensive. Fingers crossed they work.
S Pen: Dirt cheap. But no Bluetooth. This means no air actions, just basic writing.
Front Camera: Also fairly cheap. No complaints there.
Display and Frame (Amook): Went for a more expensive one to avoid dead pixels or garbage colors. This included the frame, power and volume buttons, S Pen slot, and copper heat pipe. Already had adhesive pre-installed which was a nice touch.
Charging Port & Subboard: Includes SIM tray, mic, and a few more components. Critical that it matches the motherboard version, different regions use different boards.
Wireless Charging, Speakers, and More: I lucked out and found a 3-in-1 combo pack for this on AliExpress.
Motherboard: The most expensive and most important part. Hopefully untouched. If someone’s already done sketchy repairs on it, the whole build could fail fast.
Battery: Looks… questionable. But it’s a battery. Came with some random iPhone pull tabs too. Thanks, I guess.
Flex Cables: Needed to connect the top and bottom boards.
Back Glass: OEM lookalike. Samsung logo covered (probably to prevent customs drama).
Earpiece Speaker: Had to order this separately because it wasn’t included with anything else. Annoying.
Time to Build: Assembly Begins
I started with the charging port, which slotted in easily. Then came the battery, and pre-applied adhesive made this part smooth.
Earpiece speaker went in next, except I didn’t have the exact screws. I used the shortest generic screws I could find and didn’t tighten them too much to be safe.
Next was the motherboard, but before installing it, I connected all the cameras. Also removed some protective peels, including one labeled “Man Asia” (which I guess voids the warranty). Whoops.
Once the motherboard was in, I connected the S Pen dock, display, and camera modules, then dropped in the front camera.
At this point, the flex cables came into play. These connect the main board to the sub board and say “main” and “up” on them to make installation easier. Also installed the bottom speaker, which includes the vibration motor.
Fun fact: the power and volume buttons only work if contact pads on the frame align perfectly with pins on the back of the board. Otherwise, they won’t work.
After that, I dropped in the wireless charging module (which may also include the temp sensor) and finished connecting the battery.
The Ugly Truth About the Display
Everything looked promising… until I booted it up.
The screen turned on, but wow. It’s ugly. The bezels are massive and uneven. The colors look washed out. It’s probably the worst part of the whole build. But the phone did power on, which was honestly surprising.
The weather widget even defaulted to Beijing, so you know it came straight out of China.
Diagnostics: What Worked and What Didn’t
I ran Samsung’s built-in Device Care diagnostic tool, which checks just about everything on the phone.
The failures?
Vibration motor: Completely dead. It should’ve been built into the bottom speaker, but clearly isn’t working.
S Pen Bluetooth: Yep, confirmed. It’s a dumb stylus now. No air gestures or remote functions.
Total Cost: Was It Cheaper?
Here’s the breakdown in Canadian dollars:
Motherboard: $174
Display + Housing: $96
Everything Else (combined): $132.72
Grand Total: $402.72 CAD
That’s about $100 cheaper than the average refurbished S22 Ultra on the market right now. So technically, yes it was cheaper.
But between the missing Bluetooth, lack of vibration, and hideous screen bezels, it’s not exactly a dream phone.
Final Thoughts
Was this worth it? Honestly, yeah. It worked. It was fun. But it’s definitely not for everyone.
You’re better off buying refurbished unless you’re doing this for the experience (or for YouTube content). The risk of faulty parts is real, and the savings aren’t that huge.
Would you try building your own Samsung phone with AliExpress parts? Or would you rather leave that chaos to me?
Either way, thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you in the next article.
