applying 1 minute of hair dryer heat in this step really helps the separation in this step

good tip! Yes, there is indeed too much flex when removing the screws.

Apply hair dryer for at least 1 minute. I inserted the tip end of a thin mini screwdriver and with some force, pryed it open and inserted my plastic spudger to continue the separation process. It worked, just be patient.

Please wear protective glasses! My iPhone glass was severely cracked, when separating the glass a corner area of broken glass exploded in my face. Apply transparent tape over the broken glass to contain the shards.