Incell vs Hard OLED vs Soft OLED: Which iPhone Replacement Screen Should You Use?

Every iPhone from the iPhone X onwards (except the XR and 11) ships with an OLED display. When that screen breaks, you have four realistic replacement options — and the one you pick decides how happy your customer is with the repair.

The short version

• Genuine OLED (Pulled or Refurbished) — original Apple panel. Best colour, brightness and battery life. Highest cost.
• Soft OLED — aftermarket flexible OLED. Closest to original for the price; thin and power-efficient.
• Hard OLED — aftermarket rigid OLED. True blacks, but slightly thicker with a larger bottom bezel on some models.
• Incell LCD — an LCD panel with built-in touch. Cheapest, but thicker, dimmer blacks and higher battery use.

See our Quality Grading Guide for how we grade every part.

Incell LCD screens

An Incell screen replaces the OLED panel with an LCD that has the touch layer built into the display. Because an LCD needs a backlight, blacks look grey rather than truly black, the screen is a little thicker, and battery life is usually shorter than with OLED.

Incell is a sensible choice when the customer's priority is the lowest price — for example an older phone they plan to sell or hand down. We also stock HD Plus LCDs, an improved LCD option with better clarity than standard Incell.

Hard OLED vs Soft OLED

Both are aftermarket OLED panels, so they keep the deep blacks and lower power use of the original technology.

• Hard OLED uses a rigid panel. It is cheaper, but the bottom edge of the display can be slightly wider and the assembly a little thicker than the original.
• Soft OLED uses a flexible panel like Apple's own. It matches the original's thickness and bezel more closely and is the best aftermarket option for most repairs.

Genuine OLED: Pulled and Refurbished

If the customer wants the original look, a genuine panel is the answer:

• Pulled — an original screen taken from a working phone. Original display quality, possible light cosmetic wear.
• Refurbished — an original display panel rebuilt with new front glass. Original image quality at a lower price than a new genuine screen.

Which one should your shop stock?

1. Soft OLED as your default for most customers.
2. Incell / HD Plus for price-sensitive repairs.
3. Pulled or Refurbished OLED for premium customers and newer models.

Offering two or three options at the counter, with the trade-offs explained in one sentence each, usually lifts the average repair value.