Breaking your phone’s screen is an unfortunate, but rather common thing that happens to the best of us, and in an attempt to save a few bucks you might be tempted to take your device to a third-party shop instead of the costlier official repair centre to get it fixed.
If you own the recently-released iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max, however, you’re going to want to avoid doing that.
In an official statement titled About Genuine iPhone Displays, Apple has warned that screen replacements not performed by Apple certified technicians could result in “improper function or issues with display quality of safety.”
“The iPhone display is engineered together with iOS software for optimal performance and quality. A nongenuine display might cause compatibility or performance issues,” Apple said.
So what do these issues entail, exactly? According to Apple, installing a third-party screen on the 2019 iPhones might result in the following:
- Multi-Touch might not respond on parts of the screen
- Degraded Multi-Touch performance, such as missed screen touches or touches not registering in the right location
- Touches might unexpectedly register during a phone call
- Display might not turn off during phone calls
- Accidental edge or palm touches might register
On top of that, the phone’s brightness and colour might be affected too:
- True Tone display doesn’t function correctly
- Lost or degraded function of the ambient light sensor, causing the screen to dim or brighten incorrectly
- Incorrect display color calibration, such as the display to appearing too yellow or blue
- Display isn’t uniformly bright
- Lower maximum brightness
- Unintentional battery drain
If you do end up getting third-party screen anyway, a notification in the settings (Settings > General > About) will notify you that Apple is “Unable to verify (if) this iPhone has a genuine display”.
You’ll still be able to use your phone, but there’s a high chance that it won’t work as efficiently as it should.
So what are you supposed to do in the event that your screen cracks? In the biggest no-brainer ever, Apple recommends that you take your phone to their official stores in Orchard Road and Jewel Changi to get checked by certified technicians.
It’ll no doubt cost more than it would if you went to…say, Sim Lim Square, but considering the risks we’re going to say that the peace of mind is worth the extra dough.
Feature Image Credit: Apple