Quality levels for iPhone/iPad
OEM New
100% original, new LCDs which have been rejected by manufacturers such as Foxconn, Sharp, LG and Toshiba. All of the components are produced and assembled by the original manufacturer.
OEM Refurb
100% original screens which are no longer sold because the glass is broken or there are a lot of scratches on the screen. These screens are refurbished. The front glass is removed using a hot plate and a new polariser is applied. In the case of old devices, the backlight is also replaced.
OEM Pulled
100% original, used screens which, qualitatively, are still good enough to be sold. These screens have little or no dirt or scratches. The screens often come from devices that are returned to providers after the subscription period has expired.
In-cell
Aftermarket LCDs in which all the components are ‘high copy’, or in other words, not original. The way in which In-cell screens differ from Compatible screens is that with Compatible screens, all the separate elements of the digitiser and the LCD are glued together. In the case of In-cell screens, the digitiser is already integrated in the LCD. These screens are more stable than Compatible screens, raster lines do not show up in the digitiser, the colour is brighter and they have the same resolution as OEM screens.
Compatible
Aftermarket LCDs of which all the components are high copy, or in other words, not original. Large manufacturers imitate components such as screens, flex cables, touch, glass plates, frames etc. Because each factory focuses on a single step in the production process, the quality is high. This creates a specialist area per component.
Beware of FOG and Full Refurb!
Aftermarket LCDs of which all the components are high copy, or in other words, not original. Large manufacturers imitate components such as screens, flex cables, touch, glass plates, frames etc. There are two other quality levels on the market: FOG & Full Refurb. We do not supply these qualities because, in our opinion, the price and quality ratio is poor and we would be unable to provide you, the customer, with the best service. Read more about these qualities opposite.
Full Refurb
The flex cable is replaced on the FULL Refurb, as it is with OEM Refurb. Full Refurb screens are not produced by the original manufacturer. The Full Refurb quality is the same as the FOG quality, because original components glued together by an aftermarket factory are used for both screens. However, new LCDs are used for FOG and only used ones for Full Refurb. Aftermarket flex cables are also often used for Full Refurb.
FOG
100% original, new screens which have not been produced by the original manufacturer. The parts come from the original manufacturer as separate components. Special after-market factories glue the components together. FOGs are used as an alternative to OEM new.
The biggest loss in both qualities is the way the flex cable is installed. Certified manufacturers use fully automated machines to install the flex cable and the screen. Aftermarket factories, on the other hand, attach the flex cable to the screen very precisely by hand.