These days given how pervasive smartphone usage is, it’s inevitable that at some point you—or someone you know—is going to crack a screen and need to have it replaced. It happened to me recently with my iPhone 8; and it was my 3rd in the 10+ years I’ve owned an iPhone.
For the iPhone 8, the official Apple price is $150. I found 3rd party repair shops (via Yelp) who will install an Apple OEM screen for $120. I ended up going with with a third party screen for $80.
You get what you pay for. The colors are definitely less saturated than on the OEM screen. I noticed it immediately when I picked up my phone and tested it at the repair shop. It’s almost as if I have a security screen protector on it that prevents people from seeing the screen when looking at it obliquely from thee side. I also noticed after a few days that the battery was draining faster with the 3rd party screen than it did with the original one.
Also the 3D Touch feature no longer worked for me. Thankfully the guys at the shop were cool about it. They tried to repair it and when that didn’t work, they offered to install a proper Apple OEM screen for me. (I half suspect these 3rd party screens don’t even support 3D Touch and most people who get the cheap repair done either don’t notice or don’t care.)
Bottom line: if I had to do it over again I’d definitely pay the extra money go with an OEM screen replacement. I look at this screen for several hours every day and it's worth it not to have that nagging feeling in the back of my head always that the display isn't as bright, sharp and saturated as it could be.
I’m pretty sure the 3rd party shop installation will work as well as the Apple Store, so it is possible to save a bit of money on the labor. But I think next time around I’ll go for the AppleCare. If nothing else, you can always turn in the phone near the end of the 2 year coverage and for $30 you can get a a new screen and battery.
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