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.
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.
Screens with the top flex cable and proximity sensor intact are paid extra. On iPhone 13 and newer we buy a screen with an intact sensor flex even with heavy glass damage.
Grade A, B, C or rejected: 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.
With touch problems, the grade depends on the model. On screens where touch is built into the panel itself (iPhone 12 Pro Max, 12 mini and the entire 13 series and newer), a touch defect cannot be repaired: that is grade C. On older models with a separate touch layer we can replace that layer. Then it stays grade B.
A screen is only rejected when the panel itself is dead: large lines, black spots or no image at all.
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.