Apple warns 2019 iPhone owners not to use third party displays

Apple posted a new support page this week that stresses what it calls "the importance" of using genuine Apple displays to repair cracked or broken screens on the new iPhone models. And as the manufacturer points out, this means that if your new iPhone requires a screen replacement, it needs to be done by Apple, an Apple Authorized Service Providers, or an Independent Repair Provider using genuine Apple parts.

The company notes that its own parts have been tested to meet standards for performance and quality. Apple points out that the features found on its glass displays include "intuitive and responsive Multi-Touch, high brightness, great color accuracy, white balance, and performance for features like True Tone, Night Shift, and Haptic Touch." Third-party displays are unlikely to offer such capabilities and features. In addition, to scare those who might try to save a few bucks or for convenience use a third-party shop, Apple says that those replacements made by uncertified technicians could lead to the use of screens that fit poorly. Other issues, such as the failure to properly replace components like screws and cowlings could cause the phone to overheat, damage the battery, and cause injury to the user.

If these problems aren't enough to scare straight an iPhone user, Apple goes on to list a multitude of performance problems that could be related to the installation of an unofficial display by an un-certified repairman. Multi-touch problems could include failure of the screen to respond in certain spots, touches registering unexpectedly during a phone call, the display staying on during a phone call, and accidental touches made by the palm or on the edge of the screen might register. Brightness and color issues that could surface with an unauthorized screen replacement include lower maximum brightness, a display that isn't uniformly bright or one showing incorrect colors, unintentional battery drain and issues with the ambient light sensor leading the display to brighten or darken incorrectly.

You can see whether your iPhone screen was replaced using genuine Apple parts by going to Settings > General > About on your iPhone 11, iPhone11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max. If such a replacement was made using unauthorized Apple parts, a message will appear on the screen that reads "Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple display." This is similar to a message that pops up on the Battery Health Indicator when iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR users replace the battery on their phone with a third-party part or have the work done by an unauthorized technician. That message reads, "Important Battery Message, Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple battery. Health information not available for this battery."

Back in early 2016, some iPhone units that had a faulty Touch ID button repaired at a third-party shop were getting bricked by an 'Error 53' message. This would appear on the screen if the user updated his iPhone to the latest version of iOS through iTunes; those performing an OTA update were not affected. Apple apologized for the gaffe because this was supposed to be a test conducted at the factory to make sure that Touch ID was working before a particular phone shipped. However, some believed that this was done to punish iPhone users who used non-authorized technicians using third-party parts.

It might not be a popular conclusion, but if you're going to spend the kind of money that a new iPhone costs these days (especially the "Pro" models), why would you look to save a few bucks on a repair when the result is going to degrade your experience using the phone?