Quick answer: For most repairs, the real choice you'll make isn't between exotic display technologies — it's between an Original/genuine-pull OLED screen (best colour accuracy, true blacks, full brightness, higher price) and an Incell LCD screen (good image quality, lower price, not available for every model). Soft and hard OLED are manufacturing distinctions that mostly affect durability and cost, not something you'll usually see as a separate buying option — this guide explains what each term actually means so you know what you're paying for.
The four terms explained properly
What is Incell LCD?
Incell LCD screens integrate the touch-sensing layer directly into the LCD panel itself, rather than as a separate layer glued on top. This makes the screen thinner and cheaper to produce than older on-cell or GFF LCD designs. Incell LCD is what most iPhones from the iPhone 6 through iPhone 14 (non-Pro models) shipped with from the factory, so a well-made Incell replacement is a like-for-like technology match, not a downgrade in kind — the difference from OLED is in the display technology itself, not the touch layer.
What is OLED (and "Original" grade)?
OLED panels produce their own light at the pixel level, meaning each pixel can switch off completely for a true black, unlike LCD which relies on a backlight shining through a liquid crystal layer. This gives OLED better contrast, deeper blacks, and typically better colour accuracy. "Original" or "genuine-pull" OLED screens are removed from donor devices or sourced through the original supply chain, so they match factory specifications for brightness, colour calibration, and touch response.
What's the difference between soft OLED and hard OLED?
This is a manufacturing and durability distinction, not a separate consumer product tier in most cases:
- Hard OLED uses a rigid glass substrate. It's less flexible and more prone to cracking on impact, but it's cheaper to manufacture — this is typically found in budget and mid-range Android phones.
- Soft OLED (sometimes called flexible OLED) uses a plastic (polyimide) substrate instead of glass, making the panel thinner, lighter, and more impact-resistant. This is what Apple and most flagship Android manufacturers use in current premium phones.
In practice, when you're buying a replacement screen for a flagship phone like an iPhone or a Galaxy S-series device, you're almost always buying a soft OLED panel already, because that's what shipped in the phone originally — the "soft vs hard" question mostly matters when you're choosing between grades of aftermarket screen for older or budget models, where a cheaper hard-OLED substitute might be offered in place of the original soft-OLED panel.
Comparison table
| Screen type | Image quality | Impact resistance | Power use | Typical price range (GBP) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original/genuine-pull OLED | Highest — factory colour and brightness | Good (soft OLED substrate on flagship models) | Lower (true blacks use less power) | £75–£165 | Flagship phones where display quality and Face ID/biometric compatibility matter |
| Soft OLED (aftermarket) | Very good, some colour variance vs original | Good | Lower | £60–£140 | Buyers wanting OLED quality at a lower cost than genuine-pull |
| Hard OLED (aftermarket) | Good, more visible colour/brightness variance | Lower — glass substrate cracks more easily | Lower | £40–£100 | Budget OLED repairs on older or mid-range devices |
| Incell LCD | Good, accurate but without true blacks | Comparable to original if factory spec used this technology | Higher (backlight always on) | £19–£47 | Models that originally shipped with LCD, or budget-conscious repairs |
Prices above are ranges we see across current model listings — check the specific product page for your exact model, since pricing varies significantly by phone generation and screen size.
Real screens we stock, by grade
Original OLED (iPhone 16 series):
- iPhone 16 Original Super Retina XDR OLED Screen — from £139.98
- iPhone 16 Plus Original Super Retina XDR OLED Screen — from £145.98
- iPhone 16 Pro Original LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED Screen — from £149.98
Incell LCD (iPhone 13/14/16 Plus):
- iPhone 16 Plus Incell LCD screen — from £34.98
- iPhone 14 FHD LCD screen — from £18.99
- iPhone 14 Plus FHD LCD screen — from £23.00
- iPhone 14 Pro FHD LCD screen — from £39.98
- iPhone 13 FHD LCD screen — from £18.98
- iPhone 13 Pro Max FHD LCD screen — from £32.98
Samsung Galaxy OLED screens:
- Samsung Galaxy A36 OLED screen with frame — from £46.99
- Samsung Galaxy A26 OLED screen with frame — from £45.98
- Samsung Galaxy A15 OLED screen (no frame) — from £28.99
Browse the full range for your exact model in our Samsung screen replacement collection.
Why "OEM" is a term worth being suspicious of
You'll see "OEM" used loosely across the phone parts industry to describe almost any screen grade, which makes it close to meaningless as a buying signal on its own. Strictly, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) should mean a part made by, or to the exact specification of, the company that built the original component — but it's frequently used as a marketing term for aftermarket parts that simply look similar to the original. When you're comparing screens, look past the word "OEM" and check for a clear statement of whether the panel is:
- Genuine new — unused, sourced through Apple/Samsung's official parts channel (rare and expensive for third-party retailers to access)
- Genuine pulled/refurbished original — a real factory panel removed from a donor device and tested
- Aftermarket, premium grade — newly manufactured to match original specs, from a reputable panel manufacturer
- Aftermarket, budget grade — newly manufactured, cheaper components, wider quality variance
Apple's own guidance states that non-genuine displays can create compatibility or performance issues, including with touch response, brightness, colour calibration, and features like True Tone — this is a real consideration on iPhone specifically, since Apple's software actively checks display authenticity on some models and can show a warning message with non-genuine parts, even when the display works completely normally.
Does screen grade affect Face ID, True Tone, or biometrics?
On iPhone, this depends on the model and repair method:
- Face ID is controlled by the TrueDepth camera module, not the screen itself, so a screen replacement alone shouldn't disable Face ID if the camera assembly and its components are left undisturbed and properly reconnected.
- True Tone (which adjusts white balance to ambient light) can be affected by screen replacements on models where Apple ties True Tone to a paired sensor calibration. A genuine or properly-calibrated original screen is far less likely to lose this feature than a budget aftermarket panel.
- "Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine display" message can appear with non-Apple-paired screens on newer models. This is a software notice, not a functional fault — the screen will still work.
How to test a replacement screen before you commit to installing it
Most phone screen assemblies can be connected and tested while still outside the housing, before you apply adhesive and seal everything back up. This ten-minute check catches the large majority of faulty or mismatched panels before they become a returns headache:
- Connect the display cable and power on the phone without fully closing the case. Check for uniform backlight — no dark patches, no flickering, no colour banding across the panel.
- Run a full-white and full-black test image. On LCD, check for backlight bleed at the edges. On OLED, check for visible pixel-level defects, which show up more clearly on a solid black screen.
- Test touch response across the entire panel, including right at the very edges and corners, where budget aftermarket digitizers are most likely to show reduced sensitivity.
- Check True Tone and Face ID status (iPhone) if your model supports biometric or ambient-light calibration, so you know before final assembly whether a warning message will appear.
- Compare brightness and colour temperature side-by-side with the phone's original screen if you still have it, even if damaged — this is the fastest way to spot a mismatched panel.
If anything fails at this stage, you can address it with the supplier before the screen is permanently fitted, which is far simpler than a return after full reassembly.
How to choose the right grade for your situation
- Check what your phone shipped with. If it's an LCD model from the factory, an Incell LCD replacement is a genuine like-for-like match, not a downgrade — you don't need to pay OLED prices to match original quality.
- Decide your budget ceiling first. Original/genuine-pull OLED sits at the top of the price range; Incell LCD sits at the bottom. Aftermarket OLED sits in between and varies significantly by manufacturer.
- Check for a warranty and returns policy on the specific listing — this matters more than the grade label itself, since it tells you how confident the seller is in consistent quality.
- If you're reselling the phone, favour original or premium aftermarket grades — buyers and marketplaces increasingly ask about screen authenticity, and a budget hard-OLED substitute is more likely to be flagged in a pre-sale inspection.
- If the phone is a daily-use device you plan to keep, prioritise touch accuracy and colour consistency over price — you'll notice a poor-quality panel every time you use the phone.
Frequently asked questions
Is Incell LCD worse than OLED?
Not necessarily worse — different. Incell LCD can't produce true blacks the way OLED can, and it uses slightly more power because the backlight is always on, but a good Incell panel is sharp, colour-accurate, and reliable. If your phone originally shipped with LCD, an Incell replacement is a like-for-like match, not a downgrade.
Can I tell soft OLED from hard OLED just by looking?
Not reliably without specification information from the seller — both can look identical in normal use. The practical difference shows up in durability testing (soft OLED typically survives drops better) and sometimes in slight colour or brightness variance. Ask the seller directly which substrate type a specific listing uses if it isn't stated.
Will a cheap aftermarket screen work fine?
Often yes, for basic functionality — but quality control varies far more at the budget end of the market. Common budget-screen issues include slightly inaccurate touch registration at the very edges, colour temperature that doesn't quite match the rest of the phone, and lower peak brightness in direct sunlight. None of these are dealbreakers for everyone, but they're worth knowing about before you buy.
Does replacing my screen void my warranty?
If your phone is still under manufacturer warranty, having a third party open it and fit a non-original screen will typically void the remaining warranty — check your specific terms first. This consideration disappears once a phone is out of warranty.
Why is the same model's screen priced so differently between listings?
Grade is the biggest driver — genuine-pull and original screens cost significantly more to source than newly-manufactured aftermarket panels. Beyond that, whether the screen includes a mounting frame, digitizer assembly, and pre-installed components (like the earpiece speaker or proximity sensor) also affects price and should be checked before comparing two listings as if they're identical.
Is a more expensive screen always better?
Usually, but not automatically — price correlates with grade and sourcing cost, not with a guaranteed outcome. A well-reviewed premium aftermarket panel can outperform a poorly-stored genuine-pull screen that's been sitting in inventory for years. Check the specific listing's condition grading, warranty length, and return policy rather than assuming the highest price is always the safest choice.
Summary
Soft and hard OLED describe the physical substrate a panel is built on — soft is thinner and more impact-resistant, hard is cheaper and more brittle. For most repairs, your real decision is between Original/genuine-pull OLED (best quality, highest price), aftermarket OLED (a middle ground that varies by manufacturer), and Incell LCD (accurate, affordable, and a genuine match if that's what your phone shipped with). Match the grade to your phone's original technology and your budget, and always check the seller's stated grade and warranty rather than relying on the word "OEM" alone. Testing the panel before final assembly takes ten minutes and catches the majority of problems before they become a returns dispute — it's worth doing on every screen replacement, regardless of grade or price.