- Cost- OLED screen manufacturing is much more expensive than LED screens. This causes not only the phone to be more expensive to purchase, but it also makes the most common repair the most expensive repair. A Galaxy Note 8 or iPhone X can easily cost $600 to replace the screen. If the screens were LED they could be less than $100 in some cases.
- Quality- There is no argument that OLED screens produce a better image than LED. However, the difference can be nearly indistinguishable during the typical cell phone users most common tasks. Making calls, texting, checking email and similar tasks would be no different. Videos, photos and similar apps do look better, but the difference is not enough to justify a $600 repair.
- Screen Burn- Although OLED screen manufacturers are trying to minimize the occurrence of screen burn, it still happens on OLED screens. What is screen burn? Screen burn is when you see an image of what used to be on the screen, “burned” or stained onto the screen at all times. It doesn’t matter what screen you are on the image is always partially burned into the background. Old plasma TV’s used to do this a lot.
- Breakability- OLED screens seem to break or get damaged when the glass breaks, much more often than LED screens. OLED screens are very thin and that plays a large part in there rigidity. If your phone flexes or gets smashed hard enough, you are likely to be left with a blank screen. Often, you can still hear the phone ring and see buttons light up, but when the OLED screen is damaged it generally goes blank. Most LED screens can be used when the glass breaks, but sometimes they too will break, and leave the user with a blank or discolored screen.
- Supply Shortages- OLED screens are currently only being manufactured by only a couple companies. This naturally increases the costs of OLED screens and results in the end user paying much more for their devices. The shortages also add to the availability troubles for spare parts for repair, increasing the price for repairs as well.
