Choosing an iPhone replacement screen
What fails on a dropped phone is rarely the glass alone. The glass, the digitiser that reads touch and the display panel behind it are bonded into a single assembly, so an iPhone screen replacement means fitting the whole assembly, not re-glazing the front.
Assemblies are listed per model here, because nothing crosses between generations. Flex cable routing and the notch or island cutout change often enough that a screen from a neighbouring model will not seat, even when the two phones look the same size.
Which grade should you choose?
Three grades are stocked. The real difference is how the driver chip is bonded to the panel, which is what decides how closely the replacement matches the original.
| Grade | Bonding | Black level | Refresh rate | Best suited to |
|---|
| Soft OLED | COP, the same construction Apple uses | True black | Matches the original, including 120Hz on ProMotion models | Repairs that should match the factory screen |
| Hard OLED | COF | True black | Does not reach the original 120Hz on ProMotion models | OLED quality at lower cost, best on models that were never ProMotion |
| Incell / LCD | Backlit LCD | Dark grey | Matches the original on 60Hz models | Budget repairs on older phones |
COP folds the driver chip behind the panel, which is how Apple keeps the bottom bezel as narrow as it is. COF leaves the chip on a film extending past the panel. Both give you true OLED blacks, but COP is the construction the phone was built with, which is why Soft OLED sits above Hard OLED rather than below it.
On the iPhone 13 Pro and later the gap widens, because those phones shipped with ProMotion and no Hard OLED panel matches it. On everything older the original is 60Hz and both grades match it, so the decision comes down to budget.
Incell and LCD are cheaper and perfectly serviceable, but blacks read grey and colour shifts when the phone is tilted. On a phone that originally used LCD, that trade-off does not arise at all.
What to check before ordering
- Identify the model from Settings, then General, then About, rather than from the box. Visually similar phones take different assemblies.
- Order the matching screen adhesive at the same time. The original seal does not survive the phone being opened.
- Check whether the job also needs a proximity sensor or sensor bracket transfer, which some assemblies require and others include.
- Confirm whether the listing supports display IC transfer if the owner wants to avoid the unknown part message in iOS.
Buying iPhone screens in New Zealand
Parts are stocked in New Zealand rather than drop-shipped, so an order confirmed before the 2pm weekday cut-off is on its way the same day instead of waiting on an offshore consignment. Tracked overnight delivery covers the country.
Trade accounts are available through wholesale deals, and any screen listed here can be booked as a fitted repair instead of a parts order.
Questions answered
Does the screen come with the small parts fitted?
It varies by listing. Some assemblies include the earpiece mesh and sensor bracket, and others need them transferred from the old screen. Each product page states which applies.
Will Face ID still work after a screen swap?
Yes, provided the front sensor assembly is transferred without damage. That assembly is attached to the back of the original display and carries the Face ID hardware, which is paired to the phone rather than to the screen. Damaging it during the swap is what breaks Face ID, not fitting a replacement panel.
What is the difference between Hard OLED and Soft OLED?
Both are OLED, so both give true blacks. The difference is the bonding. Soft OLED uses COP, where the driver chip folds behind the panel, which is the same construction Apple uses and the reason it costs more. Hard OLED uses COF, where the chip sits on a film extending past the panel. Hard OLED also cannot match the 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate on the models that shipped with it.
Why does my iPhone say Unknown part after a screen replacement?
Because the display IC was not transferred from the original screen. That chip carries the display data iOS checks. The screen still works normally, but the message stays in Parts and Service History until the chip is moved across. Listings that support display IC transfer say so.
Can you fit it for me?
Yes. Booking it as a repair rather than a parts order means the fitting and the part are covered together.
