Premium OLED or Budget LCD Screen – which is right for you?

Many people get confused between OLED and LCD screens, which is not surprising as the topic can be puzzling. With this in mind, let’s look at both screens, their differences and which one is right for you.

OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology has been used by Samsung for some time and is now being used in Apple devices too. The result is a higher price,  which you will already know if you own an iPhone X, XS, XS Max, 11 Pro, Max 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, Max 13, 13 Pro or the 13 Pro Max; all of these have the OLED screen.

But what exactly is OLED and how is it different from LCD found in the later models of the iPhone XR and 11?

Premium OLED screen vs. budget LCD screen

If you don’t own one of the OLED model phones shown above, you may come across it when having your phone repaired. Premium OLED and aftermarket budget LCD screens are used to fix phones at third party repair centres, such as The Gadget Clinic.

Let’s look at how the two compare to each other:

Budget LCD (liquid crystal display)

LCD screen technology has been around for a long time and certainly ever since the creation of the iPhone. Apple still uses it on their lower-priced phones such as the iPhone XR and iPhone 11.  Visually, LCD and OLED look similar but the budget LCD screen costs a lot less. 

Advantages

• Longer lifetime and more durable
• Cheaper as easier to manufacture
• Provides more accurate colours and no image burn-in
• Cheaper to replace if damaged

Disadvantages

• Limited contrast
• Backlight ‘leakage’
• Issues with sensitivity
• Backlight uses a lot of power, causing higher battery usage

Found in these phones:

• iPhone 11
• iPhone XR
• iPhone 8 Range
• iPhone 7 Range
• iPhone 6/6s Range
• iPhone 5/5s Range
• iPhone SE 2020

Premium OLED (organic light-emitting diode)

This is produced using a flexible plastic substrate; hence, the screen has a much longer life. It will withstand more impact and provide its own illumination via OLEDs. It is also a much better fit into the casing of the iPhone.

Advantages

• Improved image quality
• Better contrast
• Higher level of brightness
• Fuller viewing angle
• Wider colour range
• Faster refresh rates
• Backlight is not required so less power is required, saving battery life
• Screen is thinner
• A more flexible and transparent display
• Good viewing angle with little colour shift off-axis

Disadvantages

• Screen costs more to repair if damaged or broken
• Possibility of image burn-in, dead pixels or poor colour reproduction
• Wear and tear is much higher with flexible panel
• Expensive to manufacture

Found in these phones:

• iPhone X 
• iPhone XS 
• iPhone XS Max 
• iPhone 11 Pro 
• iPhone 11 Pro Max 
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Mini 
• iPhone 12 Pro 
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max

Which is the best screen for me?

Which screen you choose depends upon your priorities and budget. Do you want to spend as little as possible on a phone or is your budget flexible? Do you have a habit of dropping or damaging your phone and want one that is simple to repair? How often do you use your phone daily? Are you office-based or mobile? Maybe you are looking for a phone just to get you to the end of your contract or you want to sell your old device and want to get it refurbished to get a better price?

Here at The Gadget Clinic, we believe that whichever phone you choose, you shouldn’t end up paying twice which is why adding longevity to your mobile is what we do best. We can provide customers with a choice of options, which is why many people use us regularly.

If the new OLED screens were not a better option, Apple would not be using them and instead would choose to half their production costs.

Contact us

If you would like to discuss your phone or LCD/OLED screen with us, get in touch today by phoning 01527 337017 or send us an email at [email protected].

The Gadget Clinic in Worcester repairs mobile phones, tablets and laptops.