← Screen quality tiers

Test a replacement screen before you install it

Returns usually depend on the part coming back unused and undamaged, so the cheapest time to catch a bad screen is before the adhesive goes on. Here's a quick bench routine that works for any supplier and any tier.

1. Inspect the box and panel. Before you peel anything, check for crushed packaging, a cracked or chipped corner, scratches under the film, and a bent frame. Photograph the label and the panel as it arrived.
2. Dry-fit and test before sealing. Connect the display (and the touch and sensor flexes on models that have them) and power the phone on with the screen unsealed. Leave the protective film on while you test.
3. Dead-pixel and tint check. Show full-screen white, black, red, green, blue and grey images at a few brightness levels. Look for dead or stuck pixels, a green or pink cast, uneven backlight on LCDs, and burn-in or "ghost" images on OLEDs.
4. Touch across the whole panel. Drag an app icon slowly to every edge and corner, and type along the keyboard's bottom row. Watch for dead zones, jumps, or ghost touches. Test with a case-style grip, since some ghost touch only shows when the frame is squeezed.
5. Brightness, auto-brightness and True Tone. Compare max brightness to a known-good phone if you have one. Note any "unknown part" or "genuine part" message the phone shows, and whether True Tone can be enabled, so your customer isn't surprised.
6. Frame fit and flex. Check that the frame sits flush with no gaps, the earpiece mesh and front camera cutout line up, and the flex isn't kinked or too short to reach the board without strain.
7. Document for an RMA. If anything fails, stop there. Take a short video of the defect with the order number visible, keep the film on and the packaging, and contact the supplier within its return window. Each supplier's window and rules differ, so check its current policy page.

Pick the right tier first

Many "defects" are really tier differences: incell LCDs are thicker, dimmer, and use more battery than OLED, and hard OLEDs are more fragile than soft OLEDs. See screen quality tiers explained and what each tier costs before you blame the part.