The reason to use original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts is simple: You know that they’ll work perfectly with your phone. Here at Cell Mechanics, we have access to OEM parts as well as aftermarket parts.
What’s the difference? When should you use OEM parts? When should you use non-OEM parts? These are the questions we’re going to answer in this article:
What Are OEM Parts?
OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. OEM parts are parts manufactured by the same company that manufactured your phone—Apple, Samsung, LG, and other cell phone manufacturers are all OEMs.
This means that OEM parts are genuine parts; you might see OEM parts described as “genuine Apple parts” or “genuine Samsung parts”. These parts are new; they haven’t been used in any other phone.
The main benefit of using OEM parts is that they are designed to work seamlessly with the other parts in your phone. When you replace a broken camera with an OEM camera designed for the same phone, you’re essentially replacing your camera with a new version that’s the exact same model of the part.
What Are the Differences Between Aftermarket and OEM Parts?
OEM parts aren’t the only parts available for cell phone repairs; repair shops will also use aftermarket parts. These parts are distinct from OEM parts; here’s how:
Aftermarket Parts
Aftermarket parts are manufactured by third-party companies that aren’t associated with your phone’s manufacturer. These parts may not be manufactured to the same standards as official parts, though good quality aftermarket parts do exist. Repair shops like ours experiment with a number of different aftermarket parts to find the best manufacturers for our clients.
Here at Cell Mechanics, we’ve established relationships with various reputable aftermarket parts manufacturers. The goal of purchasing aftermarket parts is to give our clients more options when it comes to fixing their cell phones. OEM and aftermarket parts are both viable for repairing your phone.
Why Do Some People Use Non-OEM Parts?
With the quality control and guaranteed compatibility of OEM parts, it’s worth asking why anyone would choose to use non-OEM replacement parts.
The answer is simple: It’s cheaper.
When you’re looking for budget-friendly repairs, opting for aftermarket parts can save you money. While these are less expensive parts, they don’t necessarily offer a noticeable decline in quality; we’ve replaced broken screens with aftermarket screens that are just as good as OEM screens.
Original parts are the most surefire way to repair your phone without any issues, but the team at Cell Mechanics knows where and when you can use aftermarket parts to achieve the same effect. Talk to us when you bring your cell phone in for repairs; we can help you determine whether or not non-OEM parts are viable for the repairs you need.
Are OEM Parts Available for All Makes and Models?
Another reason that people choose to buy aftermarket parts instead of OEM parts is that OEM parts are not available for all makes and models.
Manufacturing mobile phones takes a lot of resources; resources that can be put into manufacturing newer models. For this reason, every original equipment manufacturer will eventually drop official support for its older models; it’ll stop releasing software updates and stop manufacturing the phone and its associated parts.
There are some parts that are cross-compatible between different phones released by the same manufacturer (especially across the same generation), but eventually, it can become almost impossible to find OEM parts.
Should I Be Concerned if My Phone Does Not Have OEM Parts?
Concerned is a strong word, but it may apply—depending on how your phone ended up with non-OEM parts. Concern could be justified if:
- You purchased a used phone with non-OEM parts
- Your phone has more non-OEM parts than OEM parts
In either of these circumstances, we recommend visiting us here at Cell Mechanics. We can test your phone to ensure that your non-OEM parts are compatible. We can also check the quality of any non-OEM parts.
On the other hand, if you purchase aftermarket parts directly from Cell Mechanics, and we use those parts when repairing your phone, you have nothing to worry about! We only use high-quality parts, whether they were purchased from the OEM or not.
How Can I Check if My Phone Has Non-OEM Parts?
Apple makes it easy to verify whether or not your phone has been repaired using genuine Apple parts. Simply go to Settings > General > About. When a part on your iPhone has been repaired or replaced, it will appear in a section known as “Parts and Service History”. Each item will be tagged as either “Genuine Apple Part” or “Unknown Part”.
Finding out whether or not your phone has been repaired using OEM parts is more difficult with Android phones; Android is an operating system (OS) that is used on many different models of phones, all with different manufacturers. As such, the best way of knowing whether or not a non-Apple phone has non-OEM parts is by visiting a cell phone repair centre like Cell Mechanics.
Cell Mechanics Is a Samsung Authorized Service Centre and an Apple Independent Repair Provider
What does it mean to be a Samsung Authorized Service Centre? For one, it means we have access to genuine parts for Samsung Galaxy repair; it also means that our technicians are fully trained in using those Samsung genuine parts for repairs. We have access to high-quality diagnostic tools, repair tools, and more.
We’re also an Apple Independent Repair Provider; this means we have access to genuine Apple parts and diagnostic tools.
Looking for OEM parts for your cell phone repair? Visit us at Cell Mechanics today, and get high-quality, original parts for your phone. Want to save a bit of money while still using high-quality parts? We also have excellent aftermarket parts available.
