How we grade broken screens
Every screen that arrives at FIXNOW is tested individually. That takes 2 to 3 minutes per screen. Below you can read exactly how that test works, where the line between grade A, B and C lies, and how to remove screens without losing value if you run a repair shop. No theory: this is what actually happens at our testing table.
We buy every original screen in our price list; iPhone 15, 16 and 17 pay the most. The condition of the image determines the grade.
The test, step by step
First we look at the breakage. Fine, dense shattering along the edges is a warning sign: that is where black spots on the panel often appear. Then we connect the screen to the tester and put up a white image: on white, black spots and burn-in show immediately. Next we test touch across the whole surface, and finally we check the frame: a heavily damaged frame lowers the grade.
On original iPhone 15, 16 and 17 screens, we also check the upper flex cable and sensors. Keep these parts intact during removal. An intact flex cable counts towards the value; the image itself remains the basis of the grade.
Grade A, B and C: where is the line?
Grade A is an original screen with a perfect image: no spots, no burn-in, touch works everywhere. Cracked glass is not a problem: that is exactly what we replace.
A screen becomes grade B with very heavy shattering: the risk of damaging the polariser while separating the glass is then high. Light burn-in also makes a screen grade B.
On iPhone 15 and 16, a touch fault may qualify as grade C after testing; on models with a separate touch layer we replace that layer ourselves and the screen qualifies as B. Only the iPhone 17 series is the exception for now.
Only screens without a usable image (no image, lines, water damage) and copy screens cannot be bought. Those go back to you, or we recycle them free of charge.
How to remove screens without losing value
Most damage does not happen when a phone drops, but during removal. Our method, which you can copy one to one:
- Use a separator, not a heat gun: heat from a gun escapes straight through the housing. Place the device on the separator at around 100–120 °C and warm the whole device, preferably housing down.
- Insert a thin metal blade into the seam and pour in some alcohol. Move the blade left and right so the alcohol soaks into the adhesive; do the same on both sides.
- Never go in along the bottom or top where the flex cables sit: a blade near the flex causes lines in the image.
- Carefully lift the screen with the blade until you hear a click, first on one side, then on the other. Finish the perimeter with plastic picks.
Original or copy: we see it immediately
We recognise a copy screen without a tester. The clearest sign is the IC chip on the back that drives the touch: an original screen has an Apple logo there, a copy never does. Non-original screens are also often thicker, have a different back plate and a different image colour. We do not buy copies.
What happens to your screen after the sale?
We replace the glass and give the original panel a second life: in repairs for our own customers, or through sales. Our glass-only technique has been refined over the years: the percentage of panels that do not survive the process is minimal. Your screen does not end up in a container: it gets used again.