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.
The budget option
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.
LCD versus OLED screens: What’s out there
Here’s a quick rundown on your other options (the options we are not selling, testing, or guaranteeing).
“TFT” generally means an LCD screen—though quite possibly a lower-quality LCD than the in-cell models we’re offering.
“Soft OLED” is essentially an aftermarket remake of the original style of display inside the iPhone X line.
“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.
15 opmerkingen
You should have answered that how far are these displays in comparison to the original one that comes with the XR. In terms of the various display attributes. That would instill some more confidence in your offering!
Aditya Arvind - Antwoord
Yeah, i agree with Aditya Arvind! I think you really should give us a comparison table of these LCDs with XR’s LCD and X, XS, and XS Max’s OLED and their other replacement screens that you mentioned. To be honest, even after reading this article comprehensively, i still wary with your offering.
Muhammad Gavin Dirgantara - Antwoord
Yes, it is cheap, but at what cost? I agree that it is a much more viable option than Apple’s or other replacement screen offering, that being said, isn’t screen is a crucial part of our phone since it is the one that we always interact with every time we use our phone, unlike camera, button, speaker, etc.? I myself would rather use Apple’s or other OLED screen considering the long-term investment. Furthermore, you cannot compare these LCDs with the original one with your own eyes which makes me warier (Yeah, i know they put the image of two iPhone Xs where one of them uses soft OLED and the other uses iFixit’s, but you cannot compare camera’s photo quality with your own eyes, can you?) I believe there will be some, if not quite a lot, iPhone X and up users that will be disappointed by these offerings once they used it after two-three days.
Muhammad Gavin Dirgantara - Antwoord
My point is, even the best LCD cannot beat mid-range OLED that featured in Samsung’s A or M series (For those of you who want to learn more about iPhone X’s OLED, please check DisplayMate’s article about it http://www.displaymate.com/iPhoneX_Shoot... )
Muhammad Gavin Dirgantara - Antwoord
I have no any bad intention with my comments, but i think with just those bare information, you can (and will) mislead general consumers (except those tech-savvy people that really know what to expect from your offering)
Muhammad Gavin Dirgantara - Antwoord
I know you guys have worked with Jessa Jones in the past and she’s done a video on why using LCD panels on an OLED phone is not a very good idea. LCDs draw more current compared to OLED, which can cause damage to the connector. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3knepmKx...
Jesse Hooton - Antwoord
I assume that your picture comparison between the two screens is standard marketing fluff in that the best is shown off to potential customers. If this is true then you all have really dropped the ball. That replacement screen is terrible. How could anyone approve of that?
Corey Peek - Antwoord
As someone who suffers from PWM headaches due to the OLED screens, I’m very interested in getting an LCD screen replacement. Do you know if your LCD screen would still utilize PWM to regulate the brightness levels like a normal OLED screen?
Chase - Antwoord
This is very bad idea and will completly destroy the prices of used devices, because nobody will disclose replacement of screen for worse one, people will get scammed and honest sellers who take care of their devices will suffer.
I certainly hope you will prevent reprogramming of serial numbers on screens, so you can’t hide the repair.
Ethan - Antwoord
Im so glad there is a cheap alternative for an older phone. Thanks for your great work.
Ric Stacey - Antwoord
Does this mean that you could eventually replace the LCD screen on the Xr or 11 with an OLED? Could be very intresting
Aidan Comi - Antwoord
Tbh, I prefer the LCD screen to the OLED screen, mainly because I have a really bad case of OCD: I hate burn-ins.
Chu Huy - Antwoord
The whole thing is getting silly with phones that cost more than a television or a used car. I was OK with an iPhone 6, till I lost it. I got an 8 and it’s all the phone I’ll ever need. If/when the battery fails, I’m going back to my slow Galaxy XIIs with a replaceable battery - in fact I use it interchangeably with the iPhone 8. But I do enjoy the money I’m making fixing the newer phones
Thomas Daniel - Antwoord
Thank you so much for posting this info. It saves me so much time explaining what the difference is when customer is asking.
iFIX smartphone - Antwoord
Hey does anyone know if this LCD display option uses PWM to regulate their brightness?
Maliya - Antwoord