What a non-original screen or battery does to the price
Most people with a non-original part do not know they have one, because the shop that fitted it did not say.
This is the one thing on a quote that people genuinely do not know about their own phone, because it happened in a shop two years ago and nobody said anything about it.
What counts as non-original
A screen, a battery or a camera fitted by someone other than the manufacturer or one of its authorised service centres. A repair done by Apple, or at a Samsung service centre, is an original part and is not this.
How to find out
On an iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to Parts & Service History. A display or battery fitted outside Apple's network is listed there as an unknown part. The phone reports it whether or not you were told at the time, and it does not go away.
On Android: there is no universal equivalent, so the question is asked directly and the display is looked at during the check. Signs of a third-party screen include colours that shift when you tilt the phone, a slightly different touch response near the edges, glue residue in the seam, or a screen that sits a fraction proud of the frame.
Why it is priced separately
Because it is a different thing from damage. A phone can have a perfectly functional third-party screen and no crack at all — nothing is broken, and the part is not the one the manufacturer put in. It is priced on its own, once, as its own question.
Why it is worth declaring rather than hoping
Because it is one of the things the rider checks. A declared part is in the number you accepted before anybody came to your door. An undeclared one is a change shown to you on your doorstep — which you can accept or decline, but neither of you wanted the conversation.
What it means for a repair you are considering
If you are thinking of repairing a screen to improve the price, this is the reason it usually backfires: the repair removes one deduction and adds another, and costs money in between. The arithmetic in full.
What it does not mean
It does not stop the phone being sold, and it does not make the rest of the quote worse. Everything else — the panel, the body, the battery, the accessories — is priced exactly as it would be otherwise.
See what your iPhone is worth
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Questions people ask
- How do I know if my iPhone has a non-original screen?
- Settings → General → About → Parts & Service History. A display or battery fitted outside Apple or an authorised centre is listed there as an unknown part.
- Does a third-party repair mean you will not buy the phone?
- No. It is a question in the quote and a deduction, like any other. It is not a refusal.
- What about Android phones?
- There is no universal parts report, so the question is asked directly and the display's behaviour is checked at the door. Answer with what you know about the phone's repair history.