What does LCD burn-in, ghost imaging, LCD blemishes, dead pixels, bright spots, and LCD tint/hue mean?

If you received a Revised Offer for an LCD issue that you were not aware of, the email might have contained some terms that you are not familiar with. The name “burn in” is a little misleading, as there’s no actual burning or heat involved. Instead, this term is used to describe a display that’s suffering from permanent discoloration across any part of the panel. 

LCD burn-in, ghost-imaging and major LCD blemishes such as dead pixels, and LCD tint or hue are permanent discoloration of any areas on the screen due to icons or images which remain "burned in" when a user switches to a different view on the phone or device. This may take the form of a text or image outline, fading of colors, or other noticeable patches or patterns on the display. The display still works as normal, but there’s a noticeable ghost image or discoloration that persists when the screen is on. Often times, if there is an LCD tint or hue, the LCD will appear to be pink or yellow in certain areas. This can also occur as a result of a screen replacement when a third-party uses a non-OEM screen. That being said, it can be quite difficult and rare to notice unless you know what you’re looking for. In smartphones, screen burn in is most typically associated with the navigation buttons, keyboard areas, and the notification status bar sections.

The best way to check for burn-in is against a plain, bright white background because it will show any bright spots or areas that are affected. The LCD may be tinted, hued or otherwise blemished with pixel discoloration. Our technicians are trained to check all LCD screens against a bright white background and we encourage you to do the same BEFORE grading and sending your device in too in order to avoid any unexpected requotes. 

Certain manufacturers and devices display this as a more common issue than others and we just want to make you more aware of the various possibilities when it comes to us diagnosing screen defects during our inspection process. Please see some common example LCD issue images below for further guidance:

As always, if you do receive a Revised Offer due to an LCD issue and you are not completely satisfied, we are more than happy to send your device back free of charge. Remember, there is never any risk involved with selling your device to us and that's all part of The BuyBackWorld Guarantee!