OEM vs aftermarket phone screens: what changes besides the price

For many phones we list more than one screen price. The gap between them can be large, so it’s fair to ask what the extra money buys. The short answer is the part itself: who made the panel, and how closely it matches the one you had.

What OEM and aftermarket mean on our price list

• OEM is the manufacturer’s own panel, with the same colour, brightness and touch response as the screen you had.
• Aftermarket is a third-party panel. Good ones are very close to the original. Cheaper ones can be dimmer, less colour-accurate or slightly less responsive. Some models list more than one aftermarket option, at different prices.

We quote OEM and aftermarket separately so you can see the difference in price, and you choose. Both carry the same 90-day warranty on the work.

What you might notice: brightness, colour and touch

Apple publishes a list of what can go wrong with a display that isn’t a genuine part. It says a nongenuine iPhone display might show (About genuine iPhone displays):

• Touch problems: parts of the screen not responding, missed touches or touches landing in the wrong place, accidental edge or palm touches, and touches registering during a phone call.
• Brightness and colour problems: a lower maximum brightness, uneven brightness, True Tone not working correctly, auto-brightness dimming or brightening wrongly, and colour that looks too yellow or too blue.
• Other effects: the display not turning off during calls, and battery drain.

Apple also says a nongenuine display might develop compatibility problems later, for example after an iOS update that includes display changes. “Might” is the right word: these are the risks Apple lists, not a description of every aftermarket screen.

Display messages on an iPhone

On iOS 15.2 and later, a repaired iPhone shows a Parts and Service History section under Settings > General > About. For the display it appears on the iPhone 11 and later. Next to the part it shows one of these (iPhone Parts and Service History):

• Genuine: the repair used genuine Apple parts and Apple’s processes.
• Unknown: for example, the part isn’t a genuine Apple part, isn’t working as expected, hasn’t been verified and linked to the iPhone after the repair, or can’t otherwise be verified.
• Used: the part was already used or installed in another iPhone.

Apple says these messages don’t affect your ability to use the iPhone, but that an Unknown part might affect its trade-in value. When an Unknown part is detected, the iPhone shows a notification the first time you unlock it after the repair and again five days later.

If that label matters to you, because you plan to trade the phone in, say, raise it before you choose an option, not after.

Check for a manufacturer repair programme first

If the screen isn’t cracked but shows lines or flickers, check whether the manufacturer covers it before you pay anyone, us included.

• Google runs an Extended Repair Program for Pixel 8 phones with a vertical line or flickering display: one free display replacement for eligible phones, for three years from the original purchase. Google says a cracked display or cover glass, or liquid damage, may disqualify a phone (Extended Repair Program for Pixel 8). The same help section lists programmes for other models, each for its own fault, so check which one a programme covers: the Pixel 7a’s is for battery swelling, not the display (Extended Repair Program for Pixel 7a).
• Apple replaces iPhone displays in or out of warranty through Apple Stores, Apple Authorized Service Providers and its mail-in repair centres, and repairs done there are covered by Apple’s warranty (iPhone Parts and Service History). If your iPhone is under warranty or AppleCare, find out what Apple would charge first.

If you’d rather repair it yourself, Google sells genuine Pixel parts through iFixit, with repair manuals for the Pixel 6a and newer, though it recommends self-repair only to people with the technical experience for it (Repair your own Pixel device).

Folding phones: inner and outer screens

A Galaxy Z Fold or Z Flip has two displays, priced separately. The inner screen is the folding display you see with the phone open; the outer screen is the one you see with it closed. Some models list more than one option for a screen. Tell us which display is damaged, and whether the hinge still opens normally, because a screen repair doesn’t fix a damaged hinge. Every model’s prices are on the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip screen repair page.

Which one makes sense for you

It mostly comes down to how long you’ll keep the phone:

• Keeping it for years, or relying on brightness and colour (photos, working outdoors): OEM is the one that matches what you had.
• Replacing it within a year or so: aftermarket is often the sensible call.
• Selling or trading in an iPhone soon: weigh Apple’s note that an Unknown part might affect trade-in value against the saving.
• The phone has another fault too, such as a tired battery or a charging port you hold at an angle: price everything together before choosing any of it. Is a cracked screen worth repairing? covers when the total stops making sense.

Before you book

Look up the screen options for your exact model on its price page, or on the iPhone screen repair page. Back the phone up if it still works. When you book, tell us the model, which option you want, what the display shows and whether the frame was damaged in the same fall. On a Pixel 3 or later, Google’s Pixel Repair Diagnostics app (open the Phone app and dial *#*#7287#*#* while connected to the internet) can check the phone before and after a repair (Repair your own Pixel device).

Repair diagnostics are $50, credited toward your repair, and the 90-day warranty on repairs excludes physical and liquid damage. Every model’s price is in repair prices by model.