which iphone has lcd screen price

Use our “Get an Estimate” tool to review potential costs if you get service directly from Apple. The prices shown here are only for screen repair. If your iPhone needs other service, you’ll pay additional costs.

If you go to another service provider, they can set their own fees, so ask them for an estimate. For service covered by AppleCare+, your fee per incident will be the same regardless of which service provider you choose.

Your country or region offers AppleCare+ for this product. Screen repair (front) is eligible for coverage with a fee by using an incident of accidental damage from handling that comes with your AppleCare+ plan.

The Apple Limited Warranty covers your iPhone and the Apple-branded accessories that come in the box with your product against manufacturing issues for one year from the date you bought them. Apple-branded accessories purchased separately are covered by the Apple Limited Warranty for Accessories. This includes adapters, spare cables, wireless chargers, or cases.

We guarantee our service, including replacement parts, for 90 days or the remaining term of your Apple warranty or AppleCare plan, whichever is longer. This is in addition to your rights provided by consumer law.

iFixit has been offering OLED screens for those who would like to tackle repairs on their own. Those go for around $100 less than what Apple charges for an official screen replacement but now, it’s started offering LCD replacement for iPhone X, XS, and XS Max. It’s an interesting downgrade from OLED but some on a budget with DIY interest might find it’s a great option.

Apple’s screen repair costs jumped considerably with the arrival of the iPhone X. At this point, it costs between $279 and $329 to get an OLED on the X, XS, and 11 Pro.

we’re now offering an LCD screen option for the iPhone X, XS, and XS Max. These LCDs (and their Fix Kits) are less than half the price of the OLED models we sell. They’re a little darker (about 50 nits worth), the resolution is a little lower, and the colors and contrast ratio won’t be quite the same.

But you might remember that, until a couple years ago, most phones had LCD displays, including phones you probably loved. Apple notably stuck with LCD displays while Samsung was experimenting with early OLED, and Apple still uses LCDs in its iPhone 8 and XR models.

Indeed, it’s like turning your X or XS into a XR, display-wise anyway. iFixit’s new LCD options run $75 for the X, $85 for the XS, and then jump up to $165 for the XS Max.

iFixit highlights “these LCD replacements are hand-tested in the USA to our rigorous quality standards, and we back them up with a lifetime warranty.”

The big, bright, edge-to-edge screen on an iPhone X, XS, or XS Max is the best thing about it. Until you drop your phone and look up a replacement screen—then it’s the worst.

A new original screen for your iPhone X, XS, or XS Max can be is-this-worth-it expensive. Researching other options, you’ll find a thicket of letters: LCD, hard OLED, soft OLED, TFT, and more. You just want your phone to look normal again—what should you do?

Until recently, we’ve kept it simple for people wanting to fix their X-model iPhones by offering screens that are as close as possible to Apple’s originals: soft OLED screens that we’ve sourced and tested. They cost $150-$180 for X and XS phones, which is a notable savings from Apple’s $280 non-AppleCare price. But that’s still a lot for a single (if important) part. And it’s probably not clear what’s different about those other acronym options.

So, let’s try to clear that up: we’re now offering an LCD screen option for the iPhone X, XS, and XS Max. These LCDs (and their Fix Kits) are less than half the price of the OLED models we sell. They’re a little darker (about 50 nits worth), the resolution is a little lower, and the colors and contrast ratio won’t be quite the same. But you might remember that, until a couple years ago, most phones had LCD displays, including phones you probably loved. Apple notably stuck with LCD displays while Samsung was experimenting with early OLED, and Apple still uses LCDs in its iPhone 8 and XR models.

As with all our replacement screens, these LCD replacements are hand-tested in the USA to our rigorous quality standards, and we back them up with a lifetime warranty. iFixit picked these in-cell LCD replacements from a wide field of options, looking for thin but durable screens that best fit each iPhone model, with the most responsive digitizers, said Daniel Demeter, quality control specialist at iFixit.

“OLED” in many cases refers to “Hard OLED,” which, like it sounds, is a single, inflexible panel. Hard OLEDs are usually more expensive than LCDs, but less expensive than soft OLEDs. Hard OLEDs have a more limited viewable area, are thicker than soft OLED, and can’t extend all the way to the edge of a screen. Some hard OLED panels try to make up for their viewing-angle and flexibility limits by expanding the bezels around the display or widening the corners—you’ll notice the difference. They’re also more likely to be damaged by a drop or during repair and replacement, due to their hard glass backing.

We’re offering what we think is a reasonable budget option for those with broken screens but working iPhones. Call it a throwback screen, or tell your friends you’re using “Classic Mode”— we’re happy we could help you avoid a far more expensive new phone.

If you’re wondering which iPhones have OLED displays, here’s the answer: every iPhone following the iPhone 12 now ships with an OLED display, including the Pro models inside the iPhone 11 range. Here’s a full breakdown of all the iPhones that have OLED displays:

Short answer: OLED is much better than LCD. Why? Because LCD displays require a backlight panel as big as the display itself to be lit. This means the entire LCD display is lit at all times even if only one portion of the display needs to be.

An OLED display, on the other hand, doesn’t require any backlight. Instead, each pixel has a small amount of organic material that glows when an electrical current flows through it. This means each pixel can light up individually.

The iPhone X was Apple’s first OLED phone. It was also the first iPhone to ship without a Home button, it was replaced by FACE ID. The iPhone X was Apple’s first major design overhaul to its iPhone line-up since 2014’s iPhone 6.

The iPhone X, which is now Apple’s cheapest OLED phone, still serves up plenty of value for money in 2019. If you want that modern iPhone design, but don’t want to pay big bucks for it, the iPhone X could well be what you’ve been looking for.

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max were Apple’s 2018 flagship phones. The ultra-popular iPhone XR joined them later and went on to be the #1 selling iPhone for the 2018/19 period. Why? It was cheap, it looked and functioned great, and it was available in a range of colors.

The iPhone XS/XS Max picked up where Apple’s iPhone X left off, adding in a new processor, Apple’s A12 CPU, and updates to the camera and video. At the time the iPhone XS Max was the biggest phone Apple had ever produced. It set up a new “Pro” niche within the iPhone stable which will be a mainstay from now on.

TheiPhone 11 Pro and iPhone Pro Max are Apple’s latest flagships. They pack in the company’s most recent and most powerful CPU, the A13, feature upgraded, large batteries for all-day usage, and some of the best cameras on the market right now.

Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup of iPhones launched on October 13. The iPhone 12 – which includes theiPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro – will get a release date on October 23.

Apple also updated the entire range with 5G too, and its new A14 CPU. The iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro are the flagships. Both of these phones have had sizeable updates to their cameras: they both now have LIDAR sensors and vastly improved performance and optics.

The base model iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini both feature dual-lens cameras, meaning all of Apple’s modern (meaning latest) iPhones now run multi-sensor cameras. Previous generations, like the iPhone XR, missed out on dual-lens cameras.

Launched in 2021, Apple’s iPhone 13 range of iPhones is made up of the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. All of the models in this series come with OLED displays, 5G support, and an array of storage options, topping out at 1TB on the Pro models.

iPhone 13 gets trickle-down updates from iPhone 12 Pro; it now runs the same 12-megapixel lens with an f/1.6 aperture as 2020’s iPhone 12 Pro. The iPhone 13’s new ultrawide camera also has a faster f/2.4 lens and 120-degree field of view, as well as sensor-shift stabilization technology.

All iPhone 13 models feature Cinematic Mode; this technology will automatically transition focus in real-time which will make all the phones in the range better for shooting video. Apple used a parody of Knives Outto demonstrate how

iPhone 13 has better 5G performance than the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13’s connection to 5G networks is faster, according to Apple, and it will support more than 200 carriers in over 60 countries by the end of 2021.

The iPhone 13 features Apple’s new A15 CPU. Apple says the new A15 chipset, while still a 5nm SoC, is 50% faster than its nearest competitor (the Snapdragon 888), although these claims have not been tested yet.

All three cameras have been updated inside the iPhone 13 Pro lineup; you have better low light performance, thanks to larger sensors, a wider aperture for the ultra-wide lens, and 3x zoom for the telephoto lens. Night Mode is now supported on all three lenses too.

The Pro models also get Cinematic mode but will also benefit from Apple’s new ProRes technology. You can film in 4K up to 30fps with the iPhone 13 Pro models and, with ProRes, a higher quality video format, you can then edit in more detail after footage has been filmed.

Apple has improved the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro’s battery life; the iPhone 13 Pro will last 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max will last 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

The iPhone 14 brings with it a host of updates, notably on the Pro models, although there are meaningful changes on both the entry-level and Pro versions. Check out the links below for more details on how the phones inside Apple’s iPhone 14 series compare:

Apple has updated its support page for iPhone screen repairs with new prices that show the iPhone 12 screen will cost $80 more to fix than the iPhone 11.

An out-of-warranty iPhone 12"s screen will cost $279 for Apple to repair, compared with the iPhone 11"s screen repair cost of $199, marking an $80 difference between the two entry-level iPhone models. However, the iPhone 12 Pro"s repair cost remains the same as the iPhone 11 Pro at $279.

As The Verge notes, the iPhone 12 Pro"s screen repair cost has not increased despite Apple"s new ceramic-hardened display it developed with Corning, which Apple claims has improved drop performance damage by four times compared with last year"s models.

The higher cost of repairing the entry-level iPhone 12 is likely to be because Apple has used more expensive OLED displays across the board for the iPhone 12 series, whereas the iPhone 11 featured an LCD screen.

Apple hasn"t listed out-of-warranty repair costs of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, but these models have historically been about $50 more expensive than the smaller Pro model. Also yet to be revealed is the repair cost for the smaller-screen iPhone 12 mini.

As usual, prices for Apple products and services are higher after taxes than in the US. Apple has listed the screen repair costs for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 in the UK. Both models cost £266.44 ($344) to repair a cracked screen, or £70 more than the iPhone 11"s screen repair cost of £196.44.

In Australia, a damaged screen on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 cost AUD$439 ($309), while the cost of repairing the screen of an iPhone 11 is AUD$309.

How often do you think about your iPhone’s display? Unless you’re a tech nerd (like me), or living with a shattered display (like me in the past), you might not ever give it much thought. Otherwise, it looks nice — what more do you need to know? But you don’t need to be a geek to care about your iPhone’s display. In fact, you might be missing out on some great features if you’re not aware of what kind you have.

Let’s start with the basics. There are basically two different kinds of iPhone displays. The first is LCD, which stands for liquid-crystal display. To simplify the explanation (and this is a significant simplification) let’s look at two of the components that make LCDs work. The first is their pixels, which are what dictate the colours that appear onscreen. Each pixel has three subpixels — one red, one green, and one blue — which each change in intensity. That combination of colours creates the images that appear when you scroll on Instagram, watch a YouTube video, or look at your photos.

The second component with LCDs is the backlight. The backlight is a panel that sits behind the pixels, and shines light through them in order for you to see what you see. When you change the brightness of your display, you’re really controlling the backlight, and it covers the entire display; think of it like a lightbulb — you can’t decide to have one part of the lightbulb getting brighter while another part gets dimmer.

The other type of iPhone display is OLED, short for organic light-emitting diode. The major difference between LCD and OLED displays is that there is no backlight in an OLED panel. Instead, the pixels lightthemselves up. That gives you some significant benefits; for one, you can have more finely detailed images, since each pixel stands out on its own, rather than requiring a backlight that covers all surrounding pixels as well. The biggest benefit, and the one you might see people talk about most, is that OLED pixels can turn themselves off, giving you incredible contrast between light and dark images.

Here’s an example of why that’s great: Let’s say you’re watching a movie on your phone. Anytime there are dark scenes in that movie, those areas of your display will quite literally turn off. A night sky goes completely black; if the movie is widescreen or a square 4:3, the bars that appear top and bottom or left and right are suddenly completely dark. It results in a very good-looking image, especially if you’re watching in a low-lit room.

These benefits are why I love OLED TVs in particular. The image is fantastic, and, when watching in a totally dark room, letterboxing bars just disappear; you only see the part of the screen you should (whether it be super widescreen or the old square format).

When it comes to iPhones, if you compare an LCD iPhone and an OLED iPhone and fill each display with a black rectangle, it would perfectly visualise the difference. The OLED iPhone would look like it was turned off; the LCD iPhone would still appear dark, but the display would be illuminated.

Because OLED pixels can turn themselves off, there are huge implications for battery life. You can save your iPhone some juice just by using dark mode, specifically the kind of dark mode that uses black backgrounds. (Grey ones won’t turn the pixels off, so you really need all-black elements to save your iPhone’s battery from having to power each and every pixel.)

Traditionally, the main flaw with OLED displays is burn-in. You see this a lot with OLED TVs, unfortunately; after an extended period of use, sometimes the “shadow” of static images will always remain on your screen. People who watch a lot of news, for example, complain that they can see the outline of the chyron, news ticker, and outlet logo on their TVs at all times.

That said, Apple has done a good job to prevent burn-in on OLED iPhones and it just isn’t a common complaint with these devices. The first OLED iPhone — the X — has been out since 2017, and in those four years, residual images haven’t been a noted issue. That’s to say, you don’t need to go out of your way to choose an LCD iPhone if you’re afraid of burn-in.

Below, I’ve listed each and every iPhone that Apple has ever made, complete with their display type. Some of these iPhones are quite old, but I’d love to know if you’re still rocking them. I should note that there are no new LCD iPhones; the last one Apple produced was the 2020 iPhone SE, and the iPhone 11 before that. The entire iPhone 12 and 13 lineups are made using OLED displays.

iPhone (2007), iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE (1st Gen), iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone SE (2nd Gen).

iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max.

This brand new iPhone X OLED and Touch Screen Replacement (Premium) will fix your broken or damaged iPhone X. You can repair your iPhone and restore its original look all by yourself. If your screen is cracked or non-responsive our 5.8 inch display will fix that problem. Get rid of dead pixels so you can get back to watching videos in hi-def resolution. (Disclaimer: Connect the top cable first and then the bottom cable. Doing otherwise will result in a black screen.)

We have fast shipping options. If you place your order before 5pm PST, Monday-Friday, it will be shipped out that same day. Plus with your purchase of a repair part, you will also receive a pry tool and adhesive strip for free.

Need help or have questions about your repair? Contact us on our email or live chat tech support and we will assist you. We also have a free iPhone X Screen repair guide to help you out as well.

The new iPhone 12 comes with Ceramic Shield technology, which Apple says quadruples drop performance to make the phone more resistant to screen cracks. If the screen does crack, though, be prepared to spend a hefty $279 on repairs.

The $80 price increase is likely due to the OLED display, which is now included in the base iPhone 12, and was part of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max last year. Apple says OLED has deeper blacks and brighter colors than LCD screens like those on the iPhone 11. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple has not yet released repair price information for the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Mini, which will be available to preorder on November 6. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro are already available to preorder, and will ship on October 23. The iPhone 12 will start at $799, and the 12 Mini will start at $699. The Pro models are more expensive, with the iPhone 12 Pro at $999, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max at $1,099.

Of all the new phones announced at Apple’s September iPhone event, the iPhone XR is arguably the most interesting. Compared to the significantly more expensive iPhone XS and XS Max, the XR is eerily similar.

Sure, it doesn’t have a dual-lens camera. But Google has shown what single-lens cameras are capable of. If Apple’s software improvements are as good as what the company claims, the XR will be no slouch in photography.

Beyond that, there aren’t many significant differences. All three devices use the same A12 Bionic processor. They all have Face ID and support for wireless charging. The XR has IP67 water resistance compared to the IP68 in the XS and XS Max.

It’s the type of display. The XS OLED panel against the XR’s LCD. With the base model of the XS and XS Max models starting at $350 and $490 more respectively, that’s a lot of money for an OLED panel.

We’ll start with a quick look at the actual statistics. The XS models both have 458 pixel-per-inch (ppi) displays. The XR has a 326ppi display. In other words, the XS devices have higher resolution displays.

It’s worth noting that OLED or LCD doesn’t affect the resolution of the display. Regardless, higher resolution means higher image quality. However, more pixels means more power usage.

The XS models also have 3D Touch. Again, not related to the type of display — the 7 and 8 had the feature with LCD displays. However, the XR has Haptic Touch, a sort of ‘press-and-hold’ variation that borrows the haptic feedback of MacBook trackpads.

Finally, the XS models have significantly higher contrast ratios. Apple’s website lists both XS devices with 1,000,000:1 contrast, compared to the XR’s 1,400:1. This is where the OLED and LCD differences come in.

It all comes down to how the displays work. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) has a constant backlight. A panel the same size as the display creates a steady white light that illuminates the display. Manufacturers layer polarizers and filters in front of the backlight control the amount of light that shines through. Additionally, they shape the images you see on the screen.

LCD isn’t bad by any stretch. It’s been the go-to flat-panel display technology for some time. But it has some drawbacks when it comes to mobile devices — most related to that backlight.

That difference is visible in the image above. The iPhone 7 Plus with an LCD panel (left) next to the iPhone X with an OLED shows the contrast difference. There’s more detail in the Earth image, specifically on the dark side of the planet. Furthermore, the lights on the continent are sharper on the OLED. It’s hard to see in the photo, but the black is deeper as well.

Getting rid of the backlight has other advantages as well. It makes the display thinner overall, allowing for thinner phones or phones with more stuff inside — like a bigger battery.

Furthermore, OLED can save battery. With OLED screens, dim colours use less power. Black uses no power at all. This could counteract the extra battery drain from having a high-res display like the XS has.

Because they’re often static, those bright spots wear faster than other parts of the screen. When those elements go away, for example when watching a full-screen video, users often notice the burn-in.

Software has gotten pretty good at mitigating wear, however. My Pixel 2 XL, despite havingan LG display prone to burn-in, exhibits almost no sign of burn-in. After almost a year of heavy use, my phone has less burn-in than my first-gen Pixel after the same period of use.

This ultimately comes down to personal preference. I’d take an OLED over anything because I love the vivid colours and contrast. However, when it comes to the new iPhones, an extra $350 is a lot to ask for an OLED screen.

Considering that every iPhone except 2017’s iPhone X had an LCD display — and great looking LCDs at that — I think most people will be more than happy with the XR.

OLEDs are great, but I don’t think they’re $350 great. If you’re that interested in OLED, it’d be worth looking at Android options like the S9. For just a little more than the iPhone XR, you can get an S9+ with one of the best OLED displays in a phone right now.

A cracked LCD can be fixed with a replacement screen. You can find an iPhone screen replacement kit on eBay. There are many kits available to get your phone back to full functionality. Here are a few things to take into consideration before making your purchase.Should you replace both the LCD screen and digitizer?

When you purchase an iPhone screen replacement screen, you can get your device back to full functionality. You need to determine if only the screen needs replacing or if you need a digitizer replacement, too. The digitizer is a critical component for any iPhone as your touch converts into a digital pulse with this part. If your screen is cracked and still responds to your touch commands, you can purchase an LCD replacement, doing so with a few simple steps. If the screen fails to respond, you need to buy the screen and the digitizer. A replacement kit usually contains both components for your phone. Even if your digitizer works, it is recommended to replace it. You never know if there was damage to the digitizer along with the screen. It is better to replace both components with one repair.How do you find a compatible iPhone screen replacement?

Apple products all look the same, but they are slightly different from each other. You want to make sure you find the right iPhone replacement screen for your device. Any replacement part needs the right fit, so the home button and camera can still function. You can find the model number of your device on the back of the iPhone. Once you have that number, you can find a replacement screen to fix your cracked device.Is the screen replaceable on all iPhones?

You can replace the glass screen of most Apple products. Gorilla Glass has been the standard glass component since the first iPhones hit the marketplace. You can find iPhone screen replacement kits for the following models:iPhone 5/5s/5c

Once you have finished your repairs, you want to protect the screen. It is critical to attach a screen protector on the glass, as it can protect the device from scratches and drops. You should also consider purchasing a case for the phone. They usually have bumpers that can limit any direct damage to your iPhone.Content provided for informational purposes only. eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.

We always replace only full Glass (digitizer) + LCD assembly so if your iPhone screen has any issues such as: doesn’t respond to touch or register touch by itself, has lines, jumping image or bleedings – ifix technicians will be able to fix it.

“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.

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!

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.