iPhone 8 Copy Screens Stop Working Under iOS 11.3

Introduction

Whether or not you own an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, you might have heard that copy screens– designed and made from scratch by companies entirely independent of Apple- have been stopped working by the iOS 11.3 update.

For several days after iOS 11.3 came out, Apple still “signed” iOS 11.2 so that iPhone owners could downgrade back to the older version. They’ve now stopped doing this, which means that if you upgrade, you can’t revert back. This is obviously a problem if your screen has stopped working due to the update. Makers of copy LCDs have now had to update the software on their screen’s touch IC so that they work with iOS 11.3

What Happens If I Have This Problem with my iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus?

If your screen was changed quite recently, you should still be covered by the warranty- if you can get the repairer to honour it. Unfortunately, if you’ve cracked the glass or the repair is now out of warranty, you’re probably going to have to pay for another screen replacement.

If the store you had it repaired at isn’t currently aware of this issue, they might test your phone out with a couple of their other screens. Those will, of course, have the same problem, and may well lead to them simply writing off the phone as unrepairable- don’t take their word for this until you’re sure they know it’s not an update compatibility issue.

So- whose fault or responsibility is all this? To be honest, if the shop was clear and upfront about the fact they were fitting a non-original copy screen, and all the potential issues that go along with that… well, that’s your choice- and risk- as an informed customer. The problem is that too many shops don’t make clear that they’re fitting a copy, or even bother to mention that there are different types of screen at all.

If it turns out you’ve had a copy screen fitted without them having been clear about that- or if they’ve been outright dishonest and told you it’s original- we’d consider these highly dubious business practices.

Why We Don’t Agree with Apple on This

It’s true that, for most purposes we’re don’t recommend copy screens if they can be avoided. However, we still don’t agree with Apple doing things this way- our belief is that it’s your device to do what you want with.

Put another way- imagine if a car maker was able to stop yours working because it had been serviced with non-approved parts, or you hadn’t fitted the recommended tyres? We might feel differently if Apple provided replacement screens (etc.) in the first place, but they don’t! While Epson try to push users into using their (very expensive) official inks, they at least make them available. Apple themselves won’t supply replacement screens at all except to their own stores and “Premium Resellers”- who are generally restricted in what they can offer in terms of repairs.

If Apple had their way completely, you’d be entirely at their mercy as to whether your phone was considered “repairable” by them, or whether they’d refuse and offer you the “privilege” of buying a refurbished- but still used- iPhone for a significant percentage of the cost of a new one! We consider the attempted disabling of copy screens- regardless of their quality- as an attempt to coerce the user, and as such, strongly disagree with it.