Why are there different screens at all?
Phone makers sell their own screens mainly through their own repair networks (Apple Stores and Apple Authorised Service Providers, Samsung's service centres). Some sell genuine parts more widely: genuine Google Pixel parts, for example, are sold in Australia through iFixit. Most independent repair shops fit aftermarket screens: screens made by other manufacturers to fit the same phone. They vary from excellent to poor, which is why it pays to know the names.
What types of replacement screen are there?
| Type | What it is | Picture | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genuine | Made for the phone's maker, fitted by its service network | As new | Highest price; on iPhone, no "unknown part" message when fitted through Apple's process |
| Refurbished original | An original display panel with new cover glass | As new | Quality depends on the refurbisher |
| Soft OLED (flexible OLED) | Aftermarket OLED built like the original | Very close to the original | Thin, true blacks, in-screen fingerprint usually works |
| Hard OLED (rigid OLED) | Aftermarket OLED on a rigid base | Close, slightly different colour | A little thicker at the bottom edge; cheaper than soft OLED |
| Incell LCD (or "TFT") | An LCD made to fit a phone that came with OLED | Greyer blacks, less vivid | Cheapest; thicker, uses more battery, in-screen fingerprint usually won't work |
Phones that came with an LCD in the first place (such as the iPhone 11, iPhone XR and many budget phones) are replaced with LCD screens, and the difference between grades there is mostly in brightness and colour accuracy.
What would I notice day to day?
- Blacks and contrast. OLED pixels switch off completely for true black. LCD screens glow slightly, so dark mode and night photos look grey.
- Battery life. OLED uses less power showing dark content. An LCD fitted to an OLED phone can shorten battery life noticeably.
- Thickness and fit. Some cheaper screens sit slightly higher in the frame, which can make cases and screen protectors fit badly.
- Fingerprint unlock. Phones with the fingerprint reader under the display need an OLED screen that lets it work. An LCD replacement usually means no fingerprint unlock.
- Touch and brightness. Good aftermarket screens respond like the original; poor ones can feel less precise or look dim outdoors. If a replacement screen misses taps or taps by itself, here's how to find the cause, and for unlocking, which repairs keep Face ID and Touch ID.
iPhone extras: True Tone and the "unknown part" message
True Tone, which adjusts the screen's colour to the room's light on iPhone 8 and later, switches off after a screen replacement unless the repairer copies the original screen's data to the new one with a programming tool. A good shop does this as part of the job; ask.
On iPhone 11 and later, an iPhone shows a message that it couldn't verify the display is a genuine Apple part when a non-genuine screen is fitted, and lists it in Settings → General → About. The screen still works. Here's what that message means.
What should I ask before any screen repair?
- What type of screen is it? Genuine, OLED (soft or hard) or LCD?
- What's the warranty, and what does it cover?
- Will True Tone, Face ID or the fingerprint reader work afterwards?
- How long will it take?
- What happens if the new screen has a fault?
- Will it affect my warranty with the phone's maker? (Here's what Australian law says.)
A repairer who answers these plainly, before you pay, is a good sign.
Sources
- Apple Support: About iPhone Parts and Service History
- iFixit Australia: a genuine Google Pixel 9 screen, one of the genuine Pixel parts it sells
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