Why Soft OLED costs more, and when it is worth it
Soft OLED is the closest aftermarket match to the screen your phone left the factory with, and the price difference comes down to one thing: how the driver chip is attached.
On a Soft OLED panel the chip is folded around and tucked behind the display. That method is called COP, and it is what Apple uses. It is harder to manufacture, which is why it costs more, and it is why the bezel can sit as tight as the original. Hard OLED uses COF instead, mounting the chip on a film beside the panel, which is cheaper and works well, but is not how the phone was built.
| Feature | Soft OLED | Hard OLED | Incell / LCD |
|---|
| Bonding | COP, the driver chip folded behind the panel | COF, the driver chip on a film beside the panel | Backlit LCD |
| Construction | The same method Apple uses | A lower-cost alternative | Different technology entirely |
| Refresh rate on this model | 120Hz, matches original | 90Hz, short of the original | 60Hz |
| Black level | True black | True black | Dark grey |
| Bezel | As narrow as the original | Can sit marginally thicker | Thicker again |
| Price | Higher | Lower | Lowest |
| Best suited to | Repairs that should match the original exactly | OLED quality at a lower cost | Budget repairs where cost decides |
Neither grade is a bad part. The question is whether you want the repair to match the original or to cost less, and on this page you are looking at the one that matches.
iPhone 15 Pro Max 120Hz Soft OLED replacement screen overview
This iPhone 15 Pro Max 120Hz Soft OLED replacement screen is a complete front display assembly, fitting models A2849, A3105, A3106 and A3108. It replaces a cracked, blacked-out or unresponsive screen with a flexible OLED panel built the same way as the original.
Released in 2023 with the tetraprism telephoto camera, which takes up noticeably more room inside the chassis than the 15 Pro’s.
Important information
- This is an aftermarket replacement display, not an Apple original part.
- GA Tech NZ is not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by Apple Inc.
- Apple, iPhone, ProMotion, Super Retina XDR, True Tone, Face ID and Haptic Touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., used here only to identify the device this part fits.
What you get on the iPhone 15 Pro Max
Your iPhone 15 Pro Max left the factory with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display at 1290 x 2796, around 460 pixels per inch. This panel matches all three.
This is where the grade earns its price on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Your phone shipped with ProMotion running at up to 120Hz, and this panel matches it. A Hard OLED replacement for the same model tops out at 90Hz: smoother than a 60Hz panel, but you would feel the difference against what the phone left the factory doing. If you want the screen to behave exactly as it did before it broke, this is the grade that does that.
OLED lights each pixel on its own, so black is genuinely black rather than a backlight showing through. An Incell or LCD replacement lights the whole panel from behind, which lifts blacks to grey and washes out when you tilt the phone. Both OLED grades avoid that. Soft OLED goes further by matching the construction as well as the technology.
Which faults this screen fixes
Replace the display when the panel itself has failed:
- Cracked or shattered glass, whether or not touch still responds
- A black screen on a phone that still rings, vibrates or charges
- Dead zones, or touch landing in the wrong place
- Green, pink or white vertical lines
- Burn-in, blotching, or one area permanently dimmer than the rest
- Flickering that survives a restart and a software update
- Glass lifting away from the frame
Rule out first: a phone with no sign of life at all, no vibration, no charging light, no sound, is more likely a battery or logic board fault than a display one. Glass that has lifted without being dropped usually means a swollen battery pushing the screen out of the frame.
iPhone 15 Pro Max 120Hz Soft OLED replacement screen specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|
| Product type | Replacement front display assembly |
| Grade | Soft OLED, flexible panel |
| Bonding structure | COP, the same method used on the original |
| Compatible model | iPhone 15 Pro Max (A2849, A3105, A3106, A3108) |
| Display size | 6.7-inch |
| Resolution | 1290 x 2796 pixels |
| Pixel density | Approximately 460 ppi |
| Refresh rate | Up to 120Hz, the same as the original panel |
| Brightness | 800 ± 50 cd/m² |
| Colour temperature | 7000 ± 500 K |
| Touch | Haptic Touch |
| True Tone | Retained via True Tone write-in |
| Display IC transfer | Supported |
| Surface | Oleophobic coating, polarised glass readable through sunglasses at any angle |
| Transfers from your old screen | Front camera, earpiece, sensor assembly |
| Display adhesive | Not included, sold separately |
| Warranty | 12 months against manufacturing defects |
| Dispatch | Same day on weekday orders before 2pm, NZ stock |
Will my iPhone report an unknown part?
That depends on the repair, not on the panel. The display IC carries your phone’s original display data, and this assembly supports moving that chip across from your broken screen. Do it and iOS treats the new display exactly as it treated the old one.
| What Settings shows | Why | What it means for you |
|---|
| Nothing unusual under Parts and Service History | The display IC was transferred from your original screen | Your iPhone treats the display as genuine, and True Tone stays available |
| An “Unknown part” entry, and a note that the display cannot be verified | The display IC was not transferred | A message only. The screen works fully, but the notice stays until the chip is moved across |
It is the most common complaint after a cheap screen repair, and it comes down entirely to whether whoever fits it does that step.
Compatible iPhone 15 Pro Max model numbers
This screen fits A2849, A3105, A3106 and A3108. They are the same phone sold in different regions, sharing identical panel dimensions, so one screen covers all of them.
It does not fit the iPhone 15, 15 Plus or 15 Pro. The 15 Plus is the same size but has no ProMotion and a different assembly. The closest thing to it in the range is the iPhone 15 Pro, which shares the same titanium frame and the same 120Hz panel. It runs 1179 x 2556 on a 6.1-inch panel against this one’s 1290 x 2796 on 6.7 inches, so the two never substitute. Check your model number in Settings > General > About before ordering.
Who this screen suits
Owners who want the phone back as it was. Same construction, same panel spec, same refresh rate. Nothing about the screen tells you it has been repaired.
Repair shops offering a top tier. A part you can stand behind when the customer asks what the difference is, with display IC transfer supported.
Anyone reselling the phone afterwards. A screen that matches the original specification is easier to describe honestly when the phone changes hands.
How to fit the iPhone 15 Pro Max 120Hz Soft OLED replacement screen
For reference if you are doing it yourself. Work on a clean bench with proper tools, and take your time on steps three and four, because that is where most repairs are lost.
- Prepare the workspace. A clean, dust-free surface, a precision screwdriver set, plastic picks and a suction cup.
- Open the phone. Warm the edges of the display to soften the adhesive, then lift with suction and work picks around the perimeter.
- Transfer the sensor assembly. Move the front camera, earpiece and sensor bracket from the broken panel to this one without straining the flex cables.
- Transfer the display IC. Move the display chip across with a heat gun and BGA tools so the phone keeps its original display data.
- Write in True Tone. Copy the True Tone data to the new panel with a programmer.
- Handle the panel by its edges. A COP panel is thinner and more flexible than a Hard OLED one, so support it flat, connect the display flex, test the screen, Face ID and Haptic Touch, then apply fresh adhesive and close the phone.
With the camera module crowding the top of the case there is less slack behind the display, so lift shallow and keep the panel flat.
We recommend having it fitted unless you have done this model before. In-house iPhone 15 Pro Max screen replacement is available if you would rather hand it over, and we stock the iPhone accessories you will want afterwards.
NZ stock and dispatch
GA Tech NZ has supplied phone parts and repairs since 2017, from stock held in New Zealand. Weekday orders placed before 2pm ship the same day, with tracked overnight delivery nationwide.
What is in the box
- 1 x iPhone 15 Pro Max 120Hz Soft OLED replacement screen, front display assembly
Tools, display adhesive, the front camera, the earpiece and the sensor assembly are not supplied. Those components transfer from your existing screen.
Warranty and returns
Supplied with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects. That covers faults in the panel itself, so it does not cover physical damage after delivery, mistakes made during fitting, damage caused while transferring components, water damage, or wear from repeated removal and refitting.
Change-of-mind returns are accepted on unopened parts in new, unused condition within 7 days of delivery, in line with our terms and conditions. If there is any chance you will return it, leave it sealed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the actual difference between Soft OLED and Hard OLED?
Where the driver chip sits. Soft OLED folds it behind the panel, which is the method Apple uses and is called COP. Hard OLED puts it on a film beside the panel, called COF. Both are real OLED with true blacks. COP is harder to make, costs more, allows a tighter bezel, and on this model it is the only one of the two that reaches the original refresh rate.
Does this screen run at the full 120Hz?
Yes. The iPhone 15 Pro Max shipped with ProMotion at up to 120Hz and this panel matches it, which is the main reason to choose Soft OLED over Hard OLED on this model. A Hard OLED replacement reaches 90Hz.
Will my iPhone show an Unknown part warning after this screen is fitted?
Not if the display IC is transferred from your original screen. This panel supports that transfer. Without it, iOS lists an unknown part under Parts and Service History and reports that it cannot verify a genuine Apple display. The screen still works either way, but the message stays.
Will True Tone still work?
Yes. The panel supports True Tone write-in, which copies the setting across to the new display during the repair.
Will Face ID still work?
Yes. Face ID depends on the front sensor assembly, which is attached to the back of your original display and paired to your phone rather than to the screen. Transfer it undamaged and Face ID carries on working.
Is this a genuine Apple screen?
No. It is an aftermarket panel built using the same COP construction Apple uses, which is why it matches the original so closely, but it is not an Apple part and we do not sell it as one.
Will this screen fit my iPhone 15 Pro Max?
If your model number is A2849, A3105, A3106 or A3108, yes. Check it in Settings, then General, then About.
Do I need anything else to complete the repair?
Display adhesive for this model, which is not included, plus a programmer if you want True Tone written across. Tools if you do not already have them.
Can I fit this myself?
If you have replaced an iPhone screen before, yes. The component transfer is the hard part rather than the panel. A COP panel is thinner and more flexible than a Hard OLED one, so keep it supported and handle it by the edges.
What warranty comes with it?
12 months against manufacturing defects, plus change-of-mind returns on unopened parts within 7 days. Fitting damage, physical damage and water damage are not covered, so check the panel before you install it.
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