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Advantages and Disadvantages of Screen Panel Only Replacement

 

Replacing just the screen panel has its advantages, as well as disadvantages, and this page is in place to educate customers before they use any repair company to replace the screen on their MacBook.

Most repair shops which replace the screen on a MacBook will either offer a genuine new full lid assembly (ordered from Apple direct is the only source of these, expensive) or a 3rd party new full lid assembly, which is the cheaper option. We replace just the screen panel by default, reusing the lid, to give the best quality possible at a cheaper price compared to Apple. We recommend steering clear of repair shops fitting 3rd party new full lid assemblies, due to the vast number of quality issues, and you can find details of issues these suffer from by clicking here. If you have had the full lid assembly replaced before with a 3rd party assembly, we recommend reading the linked page since although we can reuse the 3rd party lid assembly and replace the screen panel, you will not have genuine backlight sheets, hinges, etc.

Below is a list of advantages and disadvantages to replacing the screen panel on a MacBook, reusing the original aluminium lid.


Advantages

  • The most cost effective option; significantly cheaper compared to going through Apple, since they only offer full lid assemblies as an option (with pricing to push customers toward buying a new MacBook).
  • Brand new genuine screen panel. We buy these directly from the source where they are manufactured, before they are assembled into the lid. Contrary to popular belief, Apple do not manufacture screens for any devices they sell, and they instead ask companies to manufacture proprietary panels for them. For MacBooks, screen panels are usually manufactured by LG, Sharp or BOE, with some models being manufactured by Samsung and Toshiba. The only way to find out which panel you have, is by removing this from the lid and checking for markings on the panel.
  • Exactly the same brightness as the original screen. Brightness is controlled by the LEDs built into the lid, not the screen panel itself, so this is unaffected since we reuse the original lid, backlight sheets and LED strip/grid array.
  • True Tone functionality is not lost, since we keep the original camera/ambient light sensor. On Apple Silicon models, the camera is paired to the logic board and if replaced/mismatched/faulty, the True Tone feature is disabled.
  • On MacBook Pro 14”/16” models, if running Mac OS Sequoia 15.2 or higher, these will no longer require the firmware chips to be soldered from the old panel to the new one, to retain the factory pairing, which was the only way to perform this repair in the past. We still do this as long as the panel manufacturer is still available for your model (LG/Sharp panel chips cannot be transferred to BOE panels, and vice versa) to keep the factory pairing. On newer models, if you have an LG or Sharp panel, we will usually fit BOE without transferring the chips across, since BOE panels are incompatible on older 14"/16" models (LG/Sharp variants are scarce in availability, no longer manufactured and Apple used these in newer models to use up old stock, so we reserve our stock for the older models currently to ensure we can offer repairs for these). If you are on an OS version older than Mac OS Sequoia 15.2, and we have to change the manufacturer of the panel due to unavailability, we will contact you and update the OS to ensure this works correctly with the new screen panel.
  • The more ‘green’ option; replacing just the damaged screen panel, reusing your working lid. It is a lot more wasteful to replace the full lid assembly, disposing of the old part, when the lid (and parts like the camera) are fully functional.


Disadvantages

  • Originally the screen assemblies are assembled in extremely expensive dust-free factories by robots, since these are mass produced at a global scale, and it is feasible for Apple to invest in this. For consumer level repair, we have equipment to try and replicate this (Laminar Flow Cabinets to filter dust from the air), but it is possible for dust to become trapped underneath the screen panel or in between backlight sheet layers during removal of the broken screen, and this is a trade-off for a cheaper repair option. If this occurs, dust or debris will be visible when looking for it on a white or pale screen, however we remove any we notice prior to closing up the screen. The average user will never notice this, especially considering most of the damaged screens are covered in fingerprints and grime prior to repair! If you need a picture perfect screen (graphic design, etc), we recommend spending the extra to replace the whole lid assembly through Apple direct, or us, ordering one from Apple.
  • If the aluminium lid is dented in at sides/corners, or bent out of shape (not straight/flat), we usually can’t replace just the screen panel. Chips and cosmetic marks are fine. Please close the lid and check all sides to make sure it is flat all the way around, and look at the sides/corners when looking directly at the screen, to make sure it looks in shape. We can usually correct bends in the aluminium if not severe, but please contact us with pictures prior to booking, if the lid is not straight or is out of shape.
  • More complicated process and a longer repair compared to just replacing the full lid assembly, but it is a lot cheaper, and the quality is the same as the original, unlike repair shops fitting a 3rd party lid replacement.
  • With the release of Mac OS Tahoe, Apple have introduced a detection system when certain parts are replaced (screen panels included) based on hidden serialisation/pairing of parts to the logic board. This doesn’t impact repair or functionality, but Apple Silicon models will detect the screen panel has been replaced outside of Apple. You can find more details by clicking here.