Genuine vs Aftermarket Parts: What's the Real Difference?

Ask three repair shops for a screen replacement quote and you might get three different prices — and the reason is almost always the part, not the labour. Here's what "genuine," "OEM" and "aftermarket" actually mean, and how to tell if the price difference is worth it.

What the terms actually mean

Genuine (or "original") parts are made by the phone manufacturer itself, or under their direct specification, using the exact display technology, touch sensitivity and colour calibration as the part that originally shipped in the phone.

OEM-quality parts come from the same factories that supply manufacturers, built to closely match the original spec, without carrying the manufacturer's own branding or authorisation.

Aftermarket (or "compatible") parts are made by third-party manufacturers to fit and broadly function, at a lower cost — quality varies enormously between suppliers, and this is where most of the horror stories about bad phone repairs come from.

What actually changes with part quality

• Colour accuracy — a cheap aftermarket screen often has a visible blue or yellow tint compared to the rest of the phone's display characteristics.
• Touch sensitivity — genuine and OEM-quality digitisers respond as precisely as the original; cheap aftermarket ones can feel slightly less responsive, especially at the very edges of the screen.
• Brightness and battery drain — a low-quality screen often needs to run brighter to look the same, which drains your battery faster than it should.
• Longevity — this is the big one. A poor-quality battery loses capacity far faster than a genuine or OEM-quality one, meaning a "cheap" repair can need doing again within months.

Why we don't use the cheapest parts available

We use genuine and OEM-quality parts across our repairs, not the lowest-cost aftermarket option on the market. It's part of why we can back every repair with a 365-day warranty — a warranty is only worth something if the part underneath it is actually reliable.

The honest trade-off

Genuine and OEM-quality parts do cost more than the cheapest aftermarket alternative, and that's reflected in the price. But a screen or battery that needs replacing again in six months isn't actually cheaper — it's just a cost you've split into two payments instead of one. If you ever want to know exactly what part we're quoting for a repair, ask — we're happy to tell you.