how to fix black lcd screen on phone made in china

Maybe your significant other tossed your phone off the balcony after discovering flirty texts with a certain coworker, or maybe you were just blackout drunk and dropped your phone on the club’s tile washroom floor while taking a shameless mirror selfie. Either way, your mobile’s glass screen likely looks like a drunken spider’s web.

Luckily for you, smartphone repairs in China are both affordable and fast. But before you venture off to your city’s electronics sales and repair market, we encourage you to browse these six helpful tips for repairing your phone screen:

As with damage to just about any electronic product, knowing the extent of the destruction will go a long way towards ensuring your trusty repairman doesn’t try and pull a fast one by over-quoting or overstating the damage.

In the case of phone glass and the LCD – or more recently AMOLED – screen underneath, it helps to know whether just one, or both, of these elements needs replacing (particularly so you can better estimate the cost).

While broken glass on the front of your mobile is obvious and easy to diagnose, a damaged screen (the part that actually displays all the programs and interface) can be a bit trickier to identify. Look for black spots, discolored areas, new lines and out-of-place patterns on your screen, as any of these may indicate a problem with the screen. Naturally, a totally black screen is a pretty good indicator that something is amiss.

One way to test your screen is to hold down on an app on your phone’s ‘desktop area’ until it starts vibrating, allowing you the move the app to new locations on your screen. Move the app to all parts of your display, if the app is unable to reach a certain area, this is a good indication that you’ll be fixing more than just broken glass.

From our experience, this may very likely be the most important step of all. When having your device"s screen or glass fixed, be sure to show the person doing the repair that all of its key components are in working order. In particular, be sure to demonstrate that both your front and rear cameras work, as well as the speaker and microphone.

We cannot count how many times we have heard of a phone being returned after a repair only for the owner to discover that the phone’s microphone (key for, you know, speaking on the phone) or cameras are no longer working. Also from experience: most repair people are unlikely to take your word that your camera was fine before you handed it over to them.

This should probably go without saying, but here we go anyway: having your mobile device repaired by someone other than a company technician from your phone’s particular brand will likely (like basically 100 percent) result in your warranty being voided.

Not every repair shop will give you the option of watching your phone’s crushed glass be replaced. This is because many smaller shops, particularly in electronics markets, will have your phone sent to an offsite repair area and tell you to come back in a few hours to collect it.

If possible, try and find a shop that will complete the repair in front of you. The main reason we encourage this is because we have heard several unfortunate stories where costumers have had their fully-functioning phone battery swapped out for one that can only hold a two-hour charge. Sad!

The price of having your phone’s glass or LCD screen replaced will depend greatly on the make and model of your phone, the honesty of the person fixing it and – like all things in Asia – your bargaining skills. If your local smartphone repair person wants RMB300 to replace your iPhone 6’s shattered glass, lowball them and offer RMB150. From our experience, repair people seem more inclined to budge on price when it comes to older model phones, meaning your brand new iPhone Xs Plus or Huawei P20 will likely have a higher price point and less discount wiggle-room.

Finding a good repair shop with honest staff who do repairs at a high quality and reasonable price can sometimes be difficult. If you manage to track down a good phone-fixing location, be sure to recommend it to your friends to save them the potentially costly and annoying trial-and-error process when having their glass or screen replaced.

The wiring connections to the screen would have to match between the old display and the new. By that I mean that the wires coming from the system board would have to perform the same functions when connected to the same points on the new display. For this you would have to know the internal wiring details of both the old and the new display panels. It would also have to have the same type of cable connector as well.

One way that might possibly work is to open the phone and see if there is a part number printed on the back of the LCD panel itself. Using just the number try searching online to see if you get results.

Most LCD panels be it for TV, Monitors , Phones etc., are made by specialist LCD panel manufacturers who make to order for the device manufacturer. Also don"t be surprised that even if you find the manufacturer that you will not be able to purchase it directly from them.

You could also search places like Ebay etc where your particular model phone may be offered for sale as faulty good for parts where it appears that the LCD screen is undamaged and possibly still working but cannot verify as the phone doesn"t work at all. You could always contact the seller and ask was it working before the phone failed, was the phone dropped etc., and hope for honest answers. Then it depends on how much you are prepared to gamble, money wise, hoping that the LCD is at least OK, so that you can swap it over.

If you have two identical phones, one with a faulty screen and the other with a working screen but not working otherwise then you could swap the good into the faulty but to re-purpose it between different brands or even different models you would have to know its" input wiring connections so that it would be suitable to use somewhere else.

As you can see from the schematic (scroll down a bit) in the link below the example shows the LCD having 16 input leads. There is no standard as to what function goes onto what input as the LCD manufacturer would make to order from the device manufacturer to suit whatever particular requirements.

The best that I can suggest is that you offer it for sale (or for free) as faulty -good for parts, LCD works on places such as Ebay, Gumtree, etc. to minimize the amount going to landfill. You might be surprised at the response as usually the major problem with devices is a broken screen which is hard to source, especially on the lesser known brands. So if it is re -usable by someone else you have minimized, as best you can, the amount going to landfill (the other phone is repaired instead of replaced, again with less landfill and your phone has less parts being sent to landfill by the new owner - basically one completely faulty phone being sent instead of two partially faulty), and also perhaps you have recouped a little cash towards the purchase of a new phone.

Many times we have observed that suddenly the display of our mobile phone or smartphone goes blank or black. Sometimes it happens because the mobile phone is wet for some reason and sometimes the it becomes blank or black when the phone is too hot.

There are situation when a mobile cell phone of any brand including Samsung, Nokia, LG, iPhone, Micromax, China Mobile Phones etc may give problems such as No LCD Indication or Blank LCD.

If the problem is not solved then you may have to replace the LCD. The LCD may be damaged. Remember, the LCD screen of modern phones, especially cheaper phones get damaged too quickly and very easily.

hi, my phone got into water. i had it dried on hair dryer, rice and silica gel for several days. when i try to turn it on, it vibrates but the screen is black. if i charge it, the only thing that shows is the percentage but remains unresponsive. which part of the screen should i change? thank you

Sir, Last evening Im using FB app and suddenly within a minute my phone screen turns black and everything inside working but black screen remains the same. From last 1.5 years, I didn’t let my mobile fall from hand. Need your assist and advice.

I have a Nokia 6.1 (TA-1045). It’s screen started to come off due to swollen a battery. I followed YouTube videos to use a hair dryer to carefully remove the screen and fix the battery issue. When I reinstalled the screen the lights on the side come on but the screen is black with a small gray area on the left bottom side of the display. Phone turns on and receives calls and appears to be working properly but does not show anything on the screen. I don’t know if I too much heat while trying to remove the screen.

Could it be a problem with the screen, flat cable or main board? Is there anything I could do to test if the LCD has gone bad or entire screen with digitizer has to be replaced?

Thank you. The battery issue is resolved but my Nokia 6.1 display is not working. It has a black screen with a small gray area. I replaced the display with a new one but I still have a black screen (no gray area). My phone turns on and appears to work fine other than no display. The touch screen is also working. Can this be a problem with the main board of the phone or a loose connection?

Sir, My mobile was broken due to a bike pass over the phone, the display does not work it shows some colour but the phone rang during calls and phone connected on the PC. I want to know wheather the display is broken or motherboard is broken. Shall i change the display or motherboard.

sir, my phone Vivo y71 have problem, the display turn to be like red, pink, white, blue, green, and etc screen. i can hear the notification sound, what is the problem? the display is new and it work fine until 3 day later it turn to have the problem.

Sir I have a samsung j7 2016 phone it fell down from me display is cracked but I don’t know if the phone is really working because I heard vibration sound and everything except display as it showed lines and black screen sir please tell my smartphone is working or not

Dear Sir, I have become your fan.. Such a great contents, you truely diserve a salute and lots of respect. your efforts are so useful to begginers like me. I really impressed and learning mobile repairing.

My redmi note 7 phone was immersed in water I took out immediately tried to switch it off it did not got off but after few sec display is gone and screen is black I hv dried it completely I am able to recive phone through ear phone .is it display problem or motherboard issue as local shopkeeper said it’s a motherboard issue

Hello sir, my mobile was vivo Y95 . While I’m using phone gets suddenly strucks and then dead and there is not sound while charging or while pressing lock and volume buttons also. what might be the problem of mobile

When i increases my phone brightness above 20 then display shows black screen with dim backlight and when i decreases phone brightness below 20 then its works correctly. Sometimes its works on full brightness when charger is plugged in and battery is fully charged only at 100.

I have already hard rest my phone and also downloaded firmware again in my oppo a57 but problem persists. When i power on or reboot my phone its does not show OPPO logo on screen because at that time screen works at full brightness and after certain loading when brightness comes to default setting its start displaying.

My Samsung note4 phone have only light and when I press the power button it have sound and its previous features. What is the problem sir? please help.

Hello Santosh, I was using my phone and charging my xiaomi 9T when all of a sudden the screen died! I can still hear the sound of charging and my daily alarm. Touch screen seem fine also when i try to swap away the alarm. No display on screen despite multiple restart/reboot. What could possibly be wrong with the phone?

Did the Phone Fall anytime? There could be 2 Reasons: 1) The connector of the Display is Lose in the Main PCB of the Phone. Remember that the Display and Touchscreen and two different things. The Touchscreen has different Connector to the Main Board. (2) The Display has gone Faulty and needs Replacement.

hello sir, the wire that connects the display with the motherboard is a little broken. can it be fixed or replaced without changing the whole display?

hello sir, my vivo y66 phone screen has cracked and display has gone complete black, can still hear message and call notifications and if someone calls , I am still been able to pickup calls by just swiping down but nothing is visible.

My mobile,.J8, slipped down, since then display is black. But if someone calls it is.ringing but unable to see anything on the screen. When I approach samsung authorised centre they claimed faulty mother board. Totally confused, if it is board related supposed not to receive any calls.. Isn’t it.

The PCB Needs proper Cleaning with IPA, Flux and Hot Air. If cleaning doesn’t works then you may have to replace the display. If you are not a technician then better get it done by some experienced local technician.

hello sir, thanks for helping with our queries i have a problem with my display of vivo Y95 mobile phone it is an Lcd display but sir the display is working but its pixels is being reduced i mean it is working but the display appears to be a older picture tube display with lesser pixels i did not drop the phone too it changed this way from the day i slept outdoor last night and their is some water collected on the display in morning due to fog.

Sir i have Samsung galaxy j2.it always sounds like if the battery has turned low.and sounds when it is kept on charge but the screen is full black.and the touch screen doesn’t work.the power and volume button work only when the phone is kept on charge.

Sir my phone is on but the display is not showing and sometimes I watch video and playing games and suddenly turning off but the sound can still hear and after few seconds it will turn on again and sometimes when I switch on my phone the display won’t show but the phone is on , and I have two blue lines in screen, but I don’t have any idea how to fix it all, but sir can you give me reason what is the reason in all of this

Get the Phone checked and see if the Display Connector is Fixed Properly. If it is Properly Fixed and the Problem is Still there then maybe you have to Replace the Display.

Your Touchscreen is OK. The Display is Gone Faulty. Replace with Combo Set. Also Install a Protective Gorilla Glass of the Duplicate Combo for Safety as they are very delicate.

You mean you Replaced the Old Display with New One and it is still not working. If yes, then there is serious problem with the Board. It is better to get Rid of such a Phone and Buy a New One.

Sir,mera phone Lenovo K8note hai,screen pahle aadhi hokar,linings aati thi,phir Black Hokar bandh ho rahi thi, maine combo naya lagvay ,par problem solve nahi hua,ab mujhe Kya solution de sakte hai,Kya karna chahiye .

sir i have spice phone suddely screen of my phone start blinking and than switched off when i tried nto switch on my phone its working but display of my phone is blank?

Don’t switch ON the Phone it Shorting May Happen. Disassemble the Phone Completely and Clean with Tinner or IPA Properly. Assemble Back and Check. If the Problem is NOT Solved then Disassemble again and Apply Liquid Flux All Over and Board and Give Heat. Assemble Back and Check. If the Problem is still NOT Solved then the Phone is Short. It must be Checked Properly by some Experienced Technician if you have No Experience.

I have moto x play. Purchased two years back. Phone’s display went blank but touch works fine. display is totally black. i dont know whether it is display(lcd) problem or backlight( battery or motherboard) problem? awaiting for your reply. thank you in advance.

Huawei Y520-U22 connecting and disconnecting constantly while connecting to the computer by USB cable and the mobile phone also vibrating constantly when it is on but no display.

if you can see everything very clearly on the Display and can feet the Crack on the Touchscreen then only the Touchscreen is Broken. You can also use an App called Mobile Doctor Plus. Check the Video Here: https://youtu.be/wu1PwXKJWSs

when i switched off and turned back again, the whole screen got divided in two parts Motorola logo appears both in upper nd lower half plus as boot up progresses the boot up screen shows images with slow fps(in both half) like missing some images in between, at password screen the top half screen is blank and whole display is contricted in lower half, touch is working fine, like where it should normally work even in the blank part. ..

My lenovo k8 plus suddenly gone blank and barely I can see the display under any bright light only.. everything is working fine but only the display gone black / dim.. like it is not visible.. moreover the battery is non removeable…

hello santosh iam having iphone 4s today morning i woke up i switch on my phone it was working fine the battery was low so i connected with cable after some time i noticed display showing blur and lines and withing 2 min it was all blank i tried to rest it so it gets back to normal stage but still it was blank plzz guide me the solution

Sir please inform me my lg Nexus display not working its like when i press lock key display show and when i put my password and press right key then display off so what the actual problem..? please reply soon… Thanks

sir mera mobile ka display tut gaya so mene display change karwan ke liye dia hai leken prbm yai ki mere sare person info usmai hai so kya dispaly change hoga tab mere securites bhi unlock hojai gi…??

sir, i m using moto e2 second generation phone. it was working well. suddenly, display went blank but touch works fine. display is totally black. i dont know whether it is display(lcd) problem or backlight( battery or motherboard) problem? i m ready to replace the display. but i m afraid even after replacing the display, what if it is still blank due to some than problem rather than display itself, like battery or motherboard. kindly evaluate and say whether i can order a new display for my phone or not. thank you in advance. awaiting for your reply.

Sir I bought a mobile phone (brand new). After a week or more it gave me a problem that it automatically restarts. I gave it to its authorised customer care centre for repairing. They refreshed its software but now it is giving me another problem which is that whenever I use it on full brightness its screen starts flickering but after a close observation I observed that it only flickers at grey colour family area i.e where ever there is grey colour on my lcd it flickers at maximum brightness. Is it a lcd issue or a board issue or a software issue and also all the rest colour work perfrctly and this issue is only innmax brightness. Plz guide me as soon as possible

hello santosh iam having iphone 4s today morning i woke up i switch on my phone it was working fine the battery was low so i connected with cable after some time i noticed display showing blur and lines and withing 2 min it was all blank i tried to rest it so it gets back to normal stage but still it was blank plzz guide me the solution iam facing problem

Sir I bought a mobile phone (brand new). After a week or more it gave me a problem that it automatically restarts. I gave it to its authorised customer care centre for repairing. They refreshed its software but now it is giving me another problem which is that whenever I use it on full brightness its screen starts flickering but after a close observation I observed that it only flickers at grey colour family area i.e where ever there is grey colour on my lcd it flickers at maximum brightness. Is it a lcd issue or a board issue or a software issu??? Plz guide me as soon as possible

Sir my phone is fell in water then I put it 3 hours in rice then use 7/8 hours without any problem but next day when I wake display colors are faded …..Please tell me the problem.

Sir mere pas s6 edge plus ha jab may on karta ho tu on ho jata ha aur achi tarha kam b karta ha magar jub led light of ho jay tu per on nahe hoti jub tak power batan 20 ya is se b ziada bar dabao tu kam start karta ha kia masla ho sakta ha

My zenfone max lcd not working I have checked new lcd but not working. phone starts completely and when I start my phone then lcd flat belt get very hot please give me solution

Sir my smartphone fall in water for few second and I switch off it immediately but it vibrating for 2 minute, after that I put my phone in sunlight for 4-5 hours.

sir, when I switch on the phone a blank page will appear and the phn rings when some one calls and some times it shows the symbol of the phn .can u suggest a solution plz

My HTC desire828 screen appears smtimes with white Nd black shades especially while switching on d phone.whether it’s a display problem or bcz of Nt updating software

Sir actually my phone starts recognising unnecessary touch wen exposed to light and wen brightness is increased…Things happen itself….How to overcome dis….I’m using Moto g4 plus….

My htc desire 828’s screen’s display is half black and half good working.As i use it for 5-10 minutes it starts to work properly but when screen locked n opened again again same problem.please help..

My Redmi Note has fallen on ground, on its full brightness it’s shows very dim display, rest all functions are working good, screen is visible but very less, touch is OK, pls solve the problem

I have a HTC516 dual SIM. After charging the phone I saw it working properly. Then I tried to restart the mobile. Then onward the display is not working. It is ringing call is coming. I can receive the call also.

Disassemble the phone and clean the display connector and the connector point with IPA. Assemble back and check if it is working or not. If not, then the display is gone. It need to be replaced.

Hello,my moto e screen is half visible while half screen has black and red stries over it.what can i do to it. is there any solution or i have to take it to authourised service center?

hello..i have an old sony k530i which has been broken for a long time,.my phone problem is,went i ON the power,it just show white display only at my phone until its off by it self,also its keep vibrate when i press the ON button..do you think its a software problem???please help me show how to repair it..

Sir my micromax unite 2 A106 model while pressing power button to check sms or calls display goes blank only only touch buttons blinks to see display again i have to remove battery and insert it and ON power butpleasedaily it happen for 3-4 times please help me

Display is not appearing in my mobile Nokia Lumia 610. When I was dialling a number, screen blinked and fluctuated and disappeared and now there is no display at all.

suddenly there is a sparking sound in my phone,remove the battery and sim card. After that I inserted sim and battery and ON the mobile, the SAMSUNG logo appears and then SWITCH OFF. Automatic ON and OFF repeats. please tell me about the problem and can i repair this phone?

Replace the battery and check. If the mobile phone gets ON then change the battery. Otherwise, there is problem in the power section of the mobile phone. Take it to Samsung Service Center.

Lately, there have been complaints from Samsung users about their device screen going black without giving any sign. Well, this error is usually a result of crashed system, outdated Android version, drained battery, etc.

Anyway, there are several ways you can get rid of the Samsung black screen of death issue without requiring any technical knowledge. Yes, in this article, we"ve discussed 11 different simple solutions you can employ to fix the Samsung phone"s black screen.

A system crash might occur for numerous reasons, like insufficient storage, incompatible apps, and more. And most of the time, the crashed system could result in the Samsung phone suddenly going black screen.

Insufficient storage can lead to a system crash. However, sometimes, when the Samsung device has insufficient storage, it could simply stop responding, thus, causing the screen to become unresponsive, and often go dark.

If you do not update your Android version for a long time, there is a good chance that the system might become unresponsive. For instance, Google no longer supports Android 7.0 Nougat.

Sometimes, buttons of the Samsung device may be jammed, thus, causing your device to experience a black screen of death. If that is the case, ensure to unjam the buttons of the Samsung phone and try again. Once the button starts responding, reboot the device to get the device working again.

If your Samsung device"s charging port is filled with liquid or dirt, then chances are it won"t charge properly, thus causing a black screen error to occur.  In this case, we recommend cleaning the phone charging pot and leaving it to dry perfectly.

A solution for Samsung devices with removable batteries only!  You can deal with the black screen on Samsung phones by simply removing the battery for 1 minute and then reinserting it. There is a good chance that your screen will work again.

SD cards can be incompatible with the Samsung device most of the time, especially if you are not utilizing a Samsung SD card. To review whether the SD card causes the black screen on the Samsung phone, simply remove the card. Shut down the device and restart it again.

If your Samsung device has a non-removable battery, you can wait until the batteries die completely and then charge it again. Most of the time, software problems cause the Samsung Galaxy black screen of death issue. And a simple reboot after the batteries die entirely could effectively restore your device to a normal state after the restart.

A soft reset is nothing but simply turning off the Samsung phone and restarting it using the power button. Ensure to charge the Samsung device before you perform a soft reset.

To soft reset, you can try pressing the power button and volume down button simultaneously for more than seven seconds. This may restart the device and get the screen to a normal state again.

Another primary cause for the Samsung Galaxy phone displaying a black screen is the loose or improper LCD connections. To rectify the issue, you can remove the back cover of the Samsung phone and gently press the Samsung phone on all sides while pressing the front and back together. If the poor LCD connection is the cause, this method should get the phone working again. Additionally, you can take the Samsung device to an authorized repair shop to reset the connections properly and avoid future mishaps.

You can fix the Samsung black screen issue by rebooting your device into safe mode. What this does is, it returns all settings on your Samsung device to default. Thus, enabling you to detect if an installed app is causing your phone to display a black screen, freeze, or perform operations slowly.

There is a good chance that some incompatible apps may have messed up with the software, which resulted in the Samsung phone"s black screen of death. So, you can opt for Factory Reset remotely via Find my device.

Of course, if all these methods do not work, contact the Samsung support center. Better yet, visit the nearest service center and let the professionals repair the phone for you. A door service is also available, which you can book from the official Samsung device.

With methods mentioned above, you can fix the black screen issue of your samsung now. However,to avoid data loss when you encounter issues like the black screen on a Samsung phone in the future, ensure to backup the device regularly. Since the discontinuation of services like Samsung cloud for media, it"s becoming difficult for users to backup the contents on Samsung devices. Nevertheless, you could utilize third-party applications like MobileTrans and backup your Samsung device with a click.

Step 3.Once you click on the Start option, MobileTrans will start restoring the selected file types on the Samsung device. You can also tick the Clear data before copy option, which will erase the chosen files after restoring them to your Samsung device.

Samsung phone black screen issues are not common, but they can happen. And as mentioned already, the Samsung phone"s black screen of death is often caused by small issues like incompatible apps and insufficient storage. And a simple reset or one of the solutions mentioned in this guide can effectively get the screen working again. However, it is critical to note that sometimes the cause can be significant. And you may have to perform a Factory reset to deal with the black screen on a Samsung phone. That is why it is essential to backup your Samsung device regularly using the best tools like MobileTrans. As mentioned, you can also restore the backups efficiently using MobileTrans.

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Theoretical max speeds based on 5G mmwave technology and eight channel carrier aggregation (8cc). Actual speeds vary based on many factors including network configuration, signal strength, network congestion, physical obstructions, and weather. 5G network coverage (available in certain areas in 2020, expanding after that).

* Exclusions and limitations apply. Please read the terms and conditions for details that include exclusions, limitations, how to make a claim, cancel coverage, and list of coverage providers. For a complete list of exclusions, read the detailed terms and conditions here.

‡ Secure deposit required for advance exchange. Subject to device availability and terms. You will receive a certified refurbished, like-new device that has passed stringent software and hardware tests.

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“Original” screens are those containing LCDs manufactured for Apple. “Copy” screens are compatible replacements entirely designed and manufactured by third-party companies not associated with Apple.

LCD display panel can have poorer resolution (i.e. looks “coarser”), worse brightness, contrast and vibrancy and reduced refresh rate amongst other problems.

Changes in specification from original can result in battery and performance issues. Certain badly-engineered screens could even damage the backlight circuitry.

Customers who bring their iPhones to us for a screen repair are offered two choices of replacement- an original or a “copy” screen. The most common response is “Is there a difference- and which one would you recommend?”

Originals are those screens containing LCDs that were manufactured for Apple. So-called “copy” screens are compatible replacements, but designed and manufactured entirely independently by third-party companies, typically in China.

Our answer is simple- the original screen is the one we’d go for ourselves, every time. Some people think we make more money on them, but this isn’t the case. We recommend originals because they’re far higher quality and the price difference is fairly small.

We’d rather only fit original screens. The only reason we don’t is that many people will shop around and choose purely on price. As such, we need to offer the cheaper copy screens to remain competitive and avoid losing these customers. In some cases, they didn’t even know there was a difference in the first place- especially since it’s not in some shops’ interest to draw people’s attention to the issue!

This may well be the worst copy screen we’ve ever come across. As a result, the unfortunate customer has ended up paying twice to have their screen replaced- we’re sure that had they been properly informed, they would have chosen an original in the first place.

While the difference in price between copies and originals can vary across devices, it’s generally around £10 – £14 extra to have an original screen fitted. This really isn’t a lot considering the improved quality and reliability.

We compare our prices to our competitors- and we know that we come out of it favourably. While we have to offer copy screens to remain competitive, we always advise customers to go for the original.

When you’ve spent- directly or indirectly- several hundred pounds for an iPhone with a Retina display, it doesn’t make sense to replace it with a lower-quality screen that can make a £400 phone look like a £40 one! Not only that, but you’re likely to have fewer issues, and a longer-lasting screen.

There’s nothing stopping any random person without training or experience opening up a smartphone repair shop. As a result, the industry is full of companies with little skill or experience who are only interested in getting hold of your money and installing the cheapest parts they can find.

Many- if not most- don’t even acknowledge the existence of copy screens, let alone explain the difference to the customer. Hardly in their interest to do so if they only fit cheap, low-quality copies. Some of them can hardly be blamed- they know so little, they’re not even clear on the differences between OEM, non-OEM and copy displays themselves! Others can be more deliberately misleading… and some outright lie.

Generally, these shops are looking for the cheapest price on replacement screens.. When offered a copy at a half or a third of a price of the original, they’re going to go for that. That might be fine if they offered the customer a cheaper price- what we disagree with is selling “supermarket beans” (i.e. the copy screens) at “Heinz beans” prices!

Heading towards the “blatantly fraudulent”, we’re aware of companies that shamelessly fit copy screens while claiming them to be original. Worse, they’ll take your broken original screen and sell that to a recycler for more than they paid for your copy!

Obtained or manufactured “off the clock” via the same production line that produced them for Apple- in some cases, from the stockpile of parts that didn’t meet Apple’s standards, or

Apple tightened up their supply chain around 2015, which reduced the number of screens available for repairs and increased their price dramatically. A lot of companies went bankrupt, and Chinese manufacturers responded by making their own “copy” screens from scratch. At first, these weren’t much cheaper than the Apple ones, but the price soon fell.

We should be clear that- despite the name- “copy” screens aren’t direct copies of the Apple originals. Rather, they’re compatible replacements that have been designed from scratch and- as a result- vary in some respects that have an effect on usability and quality.

One of the most important differences between an original and a “copy” screen is how the digitizer (touch sensor) is designed. Apple has it manufactured as part of the LCD itself, whereas the copies have it on the glass.

Although there are only a small number of manufacturers of the bare LCDs themselves, these are then bought by countless other companies who add the remaining components needed to turn these into a complete working screen. As a result, you could easily end up with an LCD from the best “copy” manufacturer, but the digitizer/touch (as part of the separately-manufactured glass) from the worst.

There are countless digitizers out there, and you can only take the supplier’s word that the quality is good. Many ship good ones at first, then switch to cheaper parts to make more profit. This is particularly bad with the iPhone 6S and 6S+, since Apple moved the chips responsible for touch processing onto the LCD itself. As a result, you’re not just getting a copy screen- you’re getting copy chips too.

The performance specification (power drain, etc.) of most copy screens isn’t identical to the originals. As a result, they can drain the battery more quickly and mislead the operating system which was optimised for the original screen design.

It’s even possible that this mismatch could damage your backlight. We do a lot of subcontracted repairs for less-experienced shops, and get backlight repairs in almost every day. We’ve had cases where we fixed the circuit, fitted the new copy screen to test it, and had it break the circuit again!

Copy screens can disrupt the touch ID fingerprint reader. With the 6S, 6S+, 7 and 7+, the home button- part of the 3D touch- is part of the screen assembly. Frequently the home button flexes on aftermarket designs don’t work properly and stop the touch ID working- annoying if you use it to unlock the phone or log in to your bank.

We’ve seen many lift away from the frame that holds them in place. This usually results in the flex cable getting torn, and the screen needing replacing. You don’t even need to have dropped the phone- this often happens through general everyday wear and tear.

That brings us to another major issue with the copies. When you drop an Apple original, the glass often breaks, but if the LCD itself is intact, you can continue to use it until it’s fixed. With the copies, the touch/digitizer is on the glass and stops working when that’s broken. Even worse, the LCD itself is more likely to break due to the thinner and more fragile glass.

We’re not convinced this will happen, since Apple recently changed their repair policy to accept iPhones with third-party screens. However, it is possible that copy screens could be stopped from working via an iOS update, since those make a number of security checks.

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Model numbers: A2651 (United States, Puerto Rico), A2893 (Canada, Guam, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and U.S. Virgin Islands), A2896 (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), A2895 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2894 (other countries and regions)

Details: iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is premium matte glass, and there"s a flat-edge stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Main, and Telephoto. There"s a LiDAR Scanner on the back. There"s an LED True Tone flash on the back. In the United States, there is no SIM tray. In other countries or regions, there"s a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card.

Model numbers: A2659 (United States, Puerto Rico), A2889 (Canada, Guam, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and U.S. Virgin Islands), A2892 (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), A2891 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2890 (other countries and regions)

Details: iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is premium matte glass, and there"s a flat-edge stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Main, and Telephoto. There"s a LiDAR Scanner on the back. There"s an LED True Tone flash on the back. In the United States, there is no SIM tray. In other countries or regions, there"s a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card.

Model numbers: A2632 (United States, Puerto Rico), A2885 (Canada, Guam, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and U.S. Virgin Islands), A2888 (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), A2887 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2886 (other countries and regions)

Details: The iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7 inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is glass, and there"s a flat-edged anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are two cameras on the back: Ultra Wide and Main. In the United States, there is no SIM tray. In other countries or regions, there"s a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card.

Model numbers: A2649 (United States, Puerto Rico), A2881 (Canada, Guam, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and U.S. Virgin Islands), A2884 (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), A2883 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2882 (other countries and regions)

Details: The iPhone 14 has a 6.1 inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is glass, and there"s a flat-edged anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are two cameras on the back: Ultra Wide and Main. In the United States, there is no SIM tray. In other countries or regions, there"s a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card.

Model numbers: A2595 (United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Mexico, Saudi Arabia), A2782 (Japan), A2784 (Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan), A2785 (China), A2783 (other countries and regions)

Details: The display is 4.7 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat with curved edges. The back is glass, and there"s an anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. The device has a solid-state Home button with Touch ID. There"s a 12 MP Wide camera on the back. There"s an LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Model numbers: A2484 (United States), A2641 (Canada, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia), A2644 (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), A2645 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2643 (other countries and regions)

Details: iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion. The back is textured matte glass, and there"s a flat-edge stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto. There"s a LiDAR Scanner on the back. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Model numbers: A2483 (United States), A2636 (Canada, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia), A2639 (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), A2640 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2638 (other countries and regions)

Details: iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion. The back is textured matte glass, and there"s a flat-edge stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto. There"s a LiDAR Scanner on the back. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Model numbers: A2482 (United States), A2631 (Canada, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia), A2634 (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), A2635 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2633 (other countires and regions)

Details: iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is glass, and there"s a flat-edged anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are two 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide and Wide. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Model numbers: A2481 (United States), A2626 (Canada, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia), A2629 (China mainland), A2630 (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia), A2628 (other countries and regions)

Details: iPhone 13 mini has a 5.4-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is glass, and there"s a flat-edged anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are two 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide and Wide. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is textured matte glass, and there"s a flat-edge stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto. There"s a LiDAR Scanner on the back. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone 12 Pro has a 6.1-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is textured matte glass, and there"s a flat-edge stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto. There"s a LiDAR Scanner on the back. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is glass, and there"s a flat-edged anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are two 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide and Wide. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is glass, and there"s a flat-edged anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are two 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide and Wide. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the left side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 4.7 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat with curved edges. The back is glass, and there"s an anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. The device has a solid-state Home button with Touch ID. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone 11 Pro has a 5.8-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is textured matte glass, and there"s a stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 6.5-inch1 all-screen Super Retina XDR display. The back is textured matte glass, and there"s a stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are three 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone 11 has a 6.1-inch1 Liquid Retina display. The back is glass, and there"s an anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are two 12 MP cameras on the back: Ultra Wide and Wide. There"s a Dual-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch1all-screen Super Retina display. The back is glass, and there"s a stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are 12 MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras on the back. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone XS Max has a 6.5-inch1all-screen Super Retina display. The back is glass, and there"s a stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are 12 MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras on the back. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card.

Details: iPhone XR has a 6.1-inch1 Liquid Retina display. The back is glass, and there"s an anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There is a 12 MP wide-angle camera on the back. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: iPhone X has a 5.8-inch1all-screen Super Retina display. The back is glass, and there"s a stainless steel band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. There are 12 MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras on the back. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 4.7 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat with curved edges. The back is glass, and there"s an anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. The device has a solid-state Home button with Touch ID. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 5.5 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat with curved edges. The back is glass, and there"s an anodized aluminum band around the frame. The side button is on the right side of the device. The device has a solid-state Home button with Touch ID. There are 12 MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras on the back. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 4.7 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat with curved edges. The back is anodized aluminum. The Sleep/Wake button is on the right side of the device. The device has a solid-state Home button with Touch ID. There"s a Quad-LEDTrue Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 5.5 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat with curved edges. The back is anodized aluminum. The Sleep/Wake button is on the right side of the device. The device has a solid-state Home button with Touch ID. There are dual 12 MP cameras on the back. There"s a Quad-LED True Tone flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 4 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat. The back is anodized aluminum with matte chamfered edges and a stainless steel inset logo. The Sleep/Wake button is on the top of the device. The Home button has Touch ID. There"s a True Tone LED flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the back cover.

Details: The display is 4.7 inches (diagonal). The glass front is flat with curved edges. The back is anodized aluminum with a laser-etched "S". The Sleep/Wake button is on the right side of the device. The Home button has Touch ID. There"s a True Tone LED flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 5.5 inches (diagonal). The front is flat with curved edges and is made of glass. The back is anodized aluminum with a laser-etched "S". The Sleep/Wake button is on the right side of the device. The Home button has Touch ID. There"s a True Tone LED flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the SIM tray.

Details: The display is 4.7 inches (diagonal). The front is flat with curved edges and is made of glass. The back is anodized aluminum. The Sleep/Wake button is on the right side of the device. The Home button has Touch ID. There"s a True Tone LED flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the back cover.

Details: The display is 5.5 inches (diagonal). The front has curved edges and is made of glass. The back is anodized aluminum. The Sleep/Wake button is on the right side of the device. The Home button has Touch ID. There"s a True Tone LED flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the back cover.

Details: The front is flat and made of glass. The back is anodized aluminum. The Home button contains Touch ID. There"s a True Tone LED flash on the back and a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the back cover.

Details: The front is flat and made of glass. The back is hard-coated polycarbonate (plastic). There"s a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the back cover.

Details: The front is flat and made of glass. The back is anodized aluminum. There"s a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "fourth form factor" (4FF) nano-SIM card. The IMEI is etched on the back cover.

Details: The front and back are flat and made of glass, and there"s a stainless steel band around the edges. The volume up and down buttons are marked with a "+" and "-" sign. There"s a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "third form factor" (3FF) micro-SIM card.

Details: The front and back are flat and made of glass, and there"s a stainless steel band around the edges. The volume up and down buttons are marked with a "+" and "-" sign. There"s a SIM tray on the right side that holds a "third form factor" (3FF) micro-SIM card. The CDMA model has no SIM tray.

Details: The back housing is made of plastic. The imprint on the back case is the same bright and shiny silver as the Apple logo. There"s a SIM tray on the top side that holds a "second form factor" (2FF) mini-SIM. The serial number is printed on the SIM tray.

Details: The back housing is made of plastic. The imprint on the back of the phone is less shiny than the Apple logo above it. There"s a SIM tray on the top side that holds a "second form factor" (2FF) mini-SIM. The serial number is printed on the SIM tray.

Details: The back housing is made of anodized aluminum. There"s a SIM tray on the top side that holds a "second form factor" (2FF) mini-SIM. The serial number is etched in the back case.

The display has rounded corners that follow a beautiful curved design, and these corners are within a standard rectangle. When measured as a standard rectangular shape, the screen is 5.42 inches (iPhone 12 mini), 5.85 inches (iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone 11 Pro), 6.06 inches (iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, and iPhone XR), 6.46 inches (iPhone XS Max and iPhone 11 Pro Max), and 6.68 inches (iPhone 12 Pro Max) diagonally. Actual viewable area is less.

Ever had your TV showing nothing but a black screen even if the audio was working? Unfortunately, that’s a common issue with low/middle-end LCD/LED TVs these days… Even more frustrating, this issue often comes from a rather tiny and cheap component that can be easily replaced. Most common issues are:

One of my relatives had this exact symptom happening all of a sudden. This problem on low-end TVs often occurs within the first couple years. As the repair costs for that kind of TV is pretty low, considering repairing it yourself might be a good idea!

The first step into repair is to find the root cause of the issue. As backlight failure is a very common issue, this is the first thing to test. To do so, the easiest way is to power on your screen, put a flashlight very close to it and check if you can see the image through. The image would be very dark, like turning the brightness of the screen very very low.

That implies disassembling the TV to access the backlight which is between the LCD screen in the front and the boards in the rear. In my case, with a Samsung F5000, I had to process as follows:

First we have to remove the back housing to reveal the boards (from left to right: main board, T-CON, power supply) and disconnect the LCD panel from the T-CON board.

Note: Older TVs have neon tubes for backlight, which is thicker and less exposed to this kind of failure. LED backlight is the most common thing these days, but do not mistake an LED TV with an OLED TV. The first one is a classic LCD panel with a LED backlight, whereas the second is an OLED panel that doesn’t need any backlight as it is integrated in each pixels (making the spare parts much more expensive by the way).

As we can see, the backlight system is made of 5 LED strips. First thing to do is look for burnt LEDs. Most LED backlight systems have strips set in series, meaning that if one of the them fails, all the system goes dark…

Using a multimeter, we can confirm that the strips are indeed set in series, so now we have to test each strip individually. Professionals use LED testers such as this one (about 40$ on amazon) but as I didn’t had one at the time, I decided to make one, McGyver style!