---
title: "Behind the scenes in Shenzhen: 15 questions for our sourcing manager, Wen"
description: Discover insights from Wen, our sourcing manager in Shenzhen, on how we ensure high-quality aftermarket iPhone parts for repair professionals in Europe.
image: https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hubfs/09-11_1400x800_Blog_shenzhen%20%281%29-1.jpg
---

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# Behind the scenes in Shenzhen: 15 questions for our sourcing manager, Wen

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Updated at: 9 November 2026

![](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/09-11_1400x800_Blog_shenzhen%20%281%29-1.jpg?width=1000&height=600&name=09-11_1400x800_Blog_shenzhen%20%281%29-1.jpg)

**How are aftermarket iPhone parts manufactured, selected and tested before reaching repair professionals in Europe? We asked Wen, our sourcing manager in Shenzhen, about day-to-day operations, quality differences between manufacturers and developments in the Chinese spare parts market.**

### 1. Wen, could you introduce yourself and explain your role at 2Service?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "I am responsible for the sourcing operations of 2Service/Mobileparts.shop in Shenzhen, China. We have been operating here for more than ten years and have built an extensive supplier network over that time.
> 
> My Dutch-Chinese background is an advantage. I speak both Dutch and Chinese, which makes it easy to communicate with our Chinese suppliers and Dutch colleagues. It helps us act quickly and avoid misunderstandings."

*Photo below: Our sourcing manager Wen (bottom right), together with part of his team in China.*

![Image](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/Image.jpg?width=752&height=463&name=Image.jpg)

### 2\. How large is your team in Shenzhen, and what exactly do you do?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "Our team consists of approximately twenty-five full-time employees. We have separate departments for purchasing, quality control, packaging and logistics.
> 
> We mainly focus on aftermarket parts for iPhones and iPads, but we also source parts for MacBooks and other brands such as OPPO, Google and Xiaomi.
> 
> We also keep track of the market for new repair tools, equipment and accessories.
> 
> From Shenzhen, we supply our four European branches in the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Poland. We also handle returns locally when products are sent back to us from Europe."

 

| ![20181017\_182952](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/20181017_182952.jpg?width=400&height=225&name=20181017_182952.jpg) | ![20181017\_182241](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/20181017_182241.jpg?width=400&height=225&name=20181017_182241.jpg) |
| --- | --- |
| ![20181017\_200117](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/20181017_200117.jpg?width=400&height=225&name=20181017_200117.jpg) | ![20181017\_182957](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/20181017_182957.jpg?width=400&height=225&name=20181017_182957.jpg) |
| *Shenzhen, located in southern China, is one of the world's leading hubs for electronics development, manufacturing, and trade. The city is home to a vast network of manufacturers and suppliers of displays, batteries, cameras, and other mobile device components.* *Shenzhen is a major international trading hub for the repair industry. With significant differences in product quality, local market knowledge, reliable suppliers, and thorough quality control are essentia*l. |  |

### 3. How does sourcing an iPhone display work in practice?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "We have been doing this work for more than ten years, so we now have many reliable suppliers with whom we have long-standing relationships.
> 
> When we purchase a display, it is first brought to our own facility in Shenzhen. There, it goes through three quality checks.
> 
> Only after the display has been approved is it packaged, boxed and prepared for shipment to Europe.
> 
> We do not simply buy a display from a factory and ship it straight on. We inspect the products ourselves first."

 

| ![20181017\_170802](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/20181017_170802.jpg?width=400&height=225&name=20181017_170802.jpg) | ![20181017\_164602](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/20181017_164602.jpg?width=400&height=225&name=20181017_164602.jpg) |
| --- | --- |
| ![20181017\_165419](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/20181017_165419.jpg?width=400&height=225&name=20181017_165419.jpg) | *The well-known spare parts markets are playing an increasingly smaller role, and the number of active (re)sellers is declining. This makes it ever more important to know the manufacturers directly and maintain good relationships with them.* |

### 4\. Where do Refurbished, Pulled and Compatible iPhone displays actually come from?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "These are three very different product categories.
> 
> **Refurbished displays** come from buyback programmes around the world, where used displays are collected. As long as the original display panel still works properly, it can be refurbished and reused.
> 
> **Pulled displays** are removed from existing iPhones, for example devices with a faulty motherboard. The display itself may still work perfectly well.
> 
> **Compatible displays** are manufactured entirely in China. These screens do not contain genuine Apple parts.
> 
> Understanding these differences is important, because quality can vary significantly even within the same product category."

 

| ![China display sourcing 2Service](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/China3.jpg?width=337&height=230&name=China3.jpg) | ![China display sourcing Mobileparts.shop](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/China1.jpg?width=372&height=230&name=China1.jpg) |
| --- | --- |
| *Displays are checked no fewer than three times: twice for technical functionality, followed by a final visual inspection. During the final check, we verify that the display is completely clean, has no cosmetic defects and has been carefully fitted with protective film.* | *Pulled cameras are inspected individually according to the four-eyes principle. After one tester approves a part, a second tester carries out another independent inspection.* |

### 5\. Why does 2Service not have its own display production line?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "Having your own brand does not automatically mean that you manufacture displays yourself. Most (and perhaps all) well-known suppliers have their displays made by existing factories and then sell them under their own packaging.
> 
> We have deliberately chosen not to depend on a single factory or production line.
> 
> We know the manufacturers in the Shenzhen region, which allows us to compare products from different suppliers.
> 
> Our goal is to source the best available quality at any given time. That is why we are confident enough to offer a lifetime warranty on these parts.
> 
> It also means we can remain flexible if another manufacturer develops a better product or the quality of an existing supplier changes."

 

### 6. Can two Soft OLED displays for the same iPhone model really be different?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "Yes, absolutely.
> 
> Several factories manufacture OLED displays. The biggest quality difference is usually determined by the OLED panel used.
> 
> There can also be differences in components such as the touch IC and flex cables. These differences are often less immediately visible.
> 
> Two displays may therefore both be sold as Soft OLED, even though they contain different components.
> 
> That is why we look beyond the specifications or product description and focus primarily on the actual product."

### 7\. How do you select a new supplier?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "We always start with small test orders when working with a new supplier.
> 
> We do not immediately order large volumes, even if the price is attractive or the supplier promises good specifications.
> 
> First, we want to see how the product performs in practice and whether the quality meets our requirements. We use various professional tools to assess display quality, including a brightness meter, bend tester and optical thickness gauge.
> 
> If the results are good, we gradually increase the order quantities.
> 
> This allows us to assess a new supplier before purchasing larger volumes."

 

Professional testing equipment we use to test displays.

| Testing equipment | What do we test? |
| --- | --- |
| <https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/KhHA8LhNJh-yIxLoJJRWu6DRXtUZDxBNni48H8oy_kjQsBb7uacvKbVxX7eFI2gdznJ3thCS6VCLenYy8yTHi1IMX6IXigHcGGPGoWRyZZXy5of6U6BfSW82vtpzjzJcj7UkiqXHEX4ucONuRH79hf7tuZ1Fem7gbK-ynKwZwpk?purpose=inline> ![Brightness meter](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/Brightness%20meter.jpeg?width=200&height=200&name=Brightness%20meter.jpeg) | Display Brightness Meter We measure the maximum and minimum brightness of the display in nits (cd/m²). This lets us check whether the brightness meets our quality requirements. |
| ![Colour meter](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/Colour%20meter.jpeg?width=200&height=125&name=Colour%20meter.jpeg) | Display Colorimeter We measure colour temperature, colour accuracy and colour consistency to check whether displays provide natural and uniform colour reproduction. |
| ![Thikness meter](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/Thikness%20meter.jpeg?width=200&height=200&name=Thikness%20meter.jpeg) | Digital Micrometer We accurately measure the total thickness of the display module and individual glass components. This allows us to check whether dimensions fall within the specified tolerances. |

 

### 8. What does your quality control process for an iPhone display look like?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "Every display is checked three times.
> 
> During these checks, we look at the following, among other things:
> 
> - **Dead pixels:** are there any defective pixels in the panel?
> - **Backlight evenness:** is the backlighting of LCD displays uniform?
> - **Touch function:** does the touchscreen work correctly?
> - **Brightness:** does the display brightness function correctly?
> - **Small components:** do the display’s small components work as expected?
> 
> If a display fails any of these checks, we return it to the supplier.
> 
> Checking parts three times takes extra time and money, but we believe it is necessary.
> 
> We want to minimise the chance of a faulty part being discovered only when a repair professional installs it."

### 9\. What are the most common quality issues with iPhone displays?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "The issues we regularly encounter are dead pixels and burn-in.
> 
> With burn-in, for example, certain images or elements remain permanently visible on an OLED panel.
> 
> These are important points to watch out for, especially with refurbished and used displays.
> 
> That is why we thoroughly inspect displays before approving them for shipment."

### 10\. Why do you invest so much effort in testing? Is it not very expensive?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "Yes, it takes more work and makes the sourcing process slightly more expensive.
> 
> But we do not want to depend on a single factory. We can compare products and switch to another supplier when necessary.
> 
> We also test every part three times to minimise the risk of defects.
> 
> Our aim is to keep the RMA rate as low as possible. The current average is below 2.4%, excluding non-technical returns. I believe this may be the lowest rate, but we cannot know for sure because other suppliers do not publish their figures.
> 
> For a repair professional, a faulty display means more than just a defective product. It means contacting the customer again, performing another repair and taking on extra work.
> 
> We want our customers to be able to focus on repairs as much as possible, rather than returns and repeat repairs."

 

### 11. What major developments are you currently seeing in the Chinese spare parts market?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "I see three developments in particular.
> 
> **First, more and more manufacturers are selling directly to repair businesses.** Factories are increasingly trying to offer their products without intermediaries.
> 
> **Second, the functionality of compatible displays is becoming increasingly reliable.** Manufacturers continue to develop their products, while smaller factories using outdated machinery are gradually disappearing from the market.
> 
> **Third, price competition is increasing.** Manufacturers are under pressure to offer their products at lower prices.
> 
> This last development is not always positive. To achieve lower prices, some manufacturers choose cheaper materials.
> 
> A lower price therefore does not automatically mean you are getting the same product for less money."

 

### 12. Why do prices for iPhone parts change so frequently?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "It is mainly a matter of supply and demand.
> 
> When demand for certain parts increases, it can affect both price and availability.
> 
> Chinese customs also play a role. From time to time, inspections of imports of certain components become stricter.
> 
> This can affect the availability of materials and parts that manufacturers need.
> 
> As a result, prices can change even for the same type of display."

### 13\. What are your biggest challenges in the day-to-day sourcing process?

> *Wen's answer:*  
> "The two main challenges are maintaining sufficient stock and keeping quality consistent.
> 
> We need to ensure that we can supply enough parts to our European branches.
> 
> At the same time, we do not want to compromise on quality.
> 
> The market is constantly changing. New suppliers enter, products evolve and prices fluctuate.
> 
> Our job is to respond to these developments and find the right balance between availability and quality."

 

| ![China sourcing 2Service](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/China2.jpg?width=291&height=220&name=China2.jpg) | ![China4](https://blog.mobileparts.shop/hs-fs/hubfs/China4.jpg?width=365&height=220&name=China4.jpg) |
| --- | --- |
| *At our 2Service facility in China, parts are carefully packed in special foam boxes to protect them during transport.* |  |

### 14\. What advice would you give repair professionals buying Refurbished, Pulled or Compatible displays?

> Wen's answer:  
> "Focus on the actual quality of the product, not just its name or price.
> 
> Refurbished displays are a good example.
> 
> There are different ways to refurbish a display:
> 
> - Replacing only the glass.
> - Replacing the glass and touch components.
> - Replacing other components as well, such as flex cables.
> 
> All these products are often simply sold as *Refurbished* displays.
> 
> But the quality differences can be significant. In our experience, the difference in DOA (*Dead on Arrival*) between different refurbishment methods can be as high as 20%.
> 
> This is something repair professionals should be aware of.
> 
> Two suppliers may both offer a refurbished display, but that does not mean you are buying exactly the same product."

### 15\. How do you see the future of aftermarket iPhone parts over the next three to five years?

> Wen's answer:  
> "I do not expect any fundamental changes in the short term.
> 
> As long as genuine Apple parts remain relatively expensive, there will continue to be demand for refurbished, pulled and compatible parts.
> 
> What we will continue to see is manufacturers further developing their products and competing more intensely with each other.
> 
> For us, this means continuing to monitor, compare and test new products and suppliers.
> 
> Ultimately, this is what much of our work in Shenzhen is about: continually looking for reliable parts, checking quality and ensuring that our European branches have sufficient stock."

 

Would you like to learn more about the quality grades sourced by Wen for Mobileparts.shop? View the overview [here](https://www.mobileparts.shop/en/customer-service/quality) .

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