iPhone 12 iPhone LCD screen replacement vs. OLED screen replacement

[DigitalAR]

My iPhone 12 screen broke.

I see on eBay iPhone 12 screen replacements.

About $20 for the LCD screen replacement and about $60 for the OLED version.

Does it matter aside from blacker blacks?

I just want a working iPhone and would love to be able to wait to purchase a new iPhone overall when the larger capacity RAM iPhone 17 is released this September. Or if I could survive with my iPhone 12 until Jony Ive and Sam Altman release their new IO device in 2027.

 

[baconcat_8964]

From iFixit's guide:

If your phone's original screen is an OLED, you can still replace it with an LCD multitouch display. They offer an economical option for those trying to save while still wanting a quality product. The screen will be a little darker, the resolution a little lower, and will not have the distinct color of an OLED display. The downgrade in screen tech can save fixers, on average, $200 dollars when compared to using Apple's repair service.

 

[maerz001]

Don’t expect anything near your original display quality.

I had it once. 30€ LCD from ebay. It was much dimmer, colors washed out, bezel thicker and it used more battery.

Check reviews. There is a range of qualities on the market. But also 3rd party OLED can be bad.

 

[JPack]

Go for OLED. Even the OLED stuff varies much in quality, between rigid and flexible OLED.

Back in 2017-2019, maybe you would opt for LCD replacement. These days, OLED is so cheap.

 

[SmOgER]

My iPhone 12 screen broke.

I see on eBay iPhone 12 screen replacements.

About $20 for the LCD screen replacement and about $60 for the OLED version.

Does it matter aside from blacker blacks?

I just want a working iPhone and would love to be able to wait to purchase a new iPhone overall when the larger capacity RAM iPhone 17 is released this September. Or if I could survive with my iPhone 12 until Jony Ive and Sam Altman release their new IO device in 2027.

It matters a ton actually. With a LCD you are much more likely to get a really bad chin (bigger bezel) as well, which could just ruin your experience of using that phone entirely and completely destroy any hope of reselling.. Not to mention screen brightness and other stats manufacturers of those screens typically do not care about at all.

 

[DigitalAR]

It matters a ton actually. With a LCD you are much more likely to get a really bad chin (bigger bezel) as well, which could just ruin your experience of using that phone entirely and completely destroy any hope of reselling.. Not to mention screen brightness and other stats manufacturers of those screens typically do not care about at all.

the LCD worth $20 arrives tomorrow and I’m planning on replacing the broken screen then. I’ll report back how it goes.

Just hoping I have a usable phone until I upgrade sometime in September. It’s gonna have to be miles ahead of the crappy SE Im using now that has a literally screen dangling away from the body.

 

[maerz001]

the LCD worth $20 arrives tomorrow and I’m planning on replacing the broken screen then. I’ll report back how it goes.

Just hoping I have a usable phone until I upgrade sometime in September. It’s gonna have to be miles ahead of the crappy SE Im using now that has a literally screen dangling away from the body.

Typical ask for opinions and do the opposite. Good luck

 

[JPack]

$20 means it probably sells for $6 in China. Good luck indeed.

 

[maerz001]

Now let us know. How is it?

 

[Aoligei]

Now let us know. How is it?

I don't know if I should bring this thread back, but I don't feel like to start a new thread.

I did recently replace one of the iPhone 13 that had damaged screen with cheap $25CAD LCD part. Here are what I found.

1) LCD panels are physically thicker than OLEDs because they require a dedicated backlight layer. This can cause the screen to sit proud of the frame, potentially making tight-fitting cases incompatible.

2) While the screen looks acceptable head-on, it shifts toward a reddish hue when viewed from the side. So, don't expect good viewing angle. Any angle beside head-on looks terrible.

3) The LCD is much more yellowish when compare with original OLED screen.

Compared to the original OLED, the LCD appears noticeably more yellowish, lacking the crisp whites and deep blacks of the original tech. (Left is iPhone 13 with LCD screen and right is iPhone 13 with OLED screen).

4) The screen has visible light leak.

LCD backlights often "bleed" around the edges. This is especially noticeable around the notch and the bottom chin, resulting in an uneven, non-unified look.

5) LCDs require the backlight to be on constantly, regardless of what is on the screen (aka, LCD screen will consumes more power). On older devices with degraded battery health, this takes a significantly higher toll on daily longevity.

6) If you use an LCD on a Pro model (iPhone 14 Pro or newer), disabling Always-On Display is necessary. Leaving AOD active on an LCD will drain the battery rapidly since the entire panel must remain powered.

7) The maximum brightness is worse than original OLED screen.

But if you are sensitive to OLED's PWM flickering, LCD replacement might be the only option for you. But you will have to tolerate the trade off.

If you aren't sensitive to OLED PWM flickering, a aftermarket soft OLED is the clear winner for most repairs. These panels offer a massive jump in quality over budget LCDs for only a small increase in price. While Apple OEM displays (sourced from donor devices or Apple directly) provide the absolute best performance, they carry a premium price tag that may not fit your budgets.

 

[Aoligei]

$20 means it probably sells for $6 in China. Good luck indeed.

Not really. The cheapest that I can found on JD.com or Taobao.com is around 82RMB, which is around $11USD. If you want some good quality, it cost roughly double of this.

 

[Zwhaler]

My iPhone 12 screen broke.

I see on eBay iPhone 12 screen replacements.

About $20 for the LCD screen replacement and about $60 for the OLED version.

Does it matter aside from blacker blacks?

I just want a working iPhone and would love to be able to wait to purchase a new iPhone overall when the larger capacity RAM iPhone 17 is released this September. Or if I could survive with my iPhone 12 until Jony Ive and Sam Altman release their new IO device in 2027.

$20 screen from ebay is going to be horrendous. I bought an official "medium" quality iPhone 14 Pro screen replacement from Mobile Enzo and the bezels were thicker and quality was noticeably slightly worse. They had a more expensive OLED version that I skipped. They cost much more than $20 and $60 so I expect your ebay ones to be terrible honestly. Just be prepared for that.

Edit: I just realized how old this thread is.

 

[Aoligei]

$20 screen from ebay is going to be horrendous. I bought an official "medium" quality iPhone 14 Pro screen replacement from Mobile Enzo and the bezels were thicker and quality was noticeably slightly worse. They had a more expensive OLED version that I skipped. They cost much more than $20 and $60 so I expect your ebay ones to be terrible honestly. Just be prepared for that.

Edit: I just realized how old this thread is.

I consider Mobilecentrix’s parts are good quality, so it is not random eBay parts.

Any LCD display will have thicker borders and thicker, it is just how it is. Any LCD display will have some light bleeds around notch and chin.

So unless LCD is must due to the eye strains, replacement soft OLED is best bet. $50-$70 you can get decent quality soft OLED screen.

I am brought the LCD screen temporarily and will swap out with OLED one. The store just installed it for me temporarily, once they get the parts, this LCD goes back to them.

 

[Zwhaler]

View attachment 2614532
I consider Mobilecentrix’s parts are good quality, so it is not random eBay parts.

Any LCD display will have thicker borders and thicker, it is just how it is. Any LCD display will have some light bleeds around notch and chin.

So unless LCD is must due to the eye strains, replacement soft OLED is best bet. $50-$70 you can get decent quality soft OLED screen.

I am brought the LCD screen temporarily and will swap out with OLED one. The store just installed it for me temporarily, once they get the parts, this LCD goes back to them.

Fair enough. I may have overpaid for my 14 Pro screen replacement. Good to see that these parts are available for a bargain price! 🙂