How Do We Define "Quality?"

“Quality” is a term that has been used in our industry for years, and based on who you ask, you may hear some differing definitions as it relates to replacement parts. Most techs will define something as “high quality” if it turns on and functions properly. Others may perform some baseline testing of their own to measure screen output. For some, quality is more about consistency than anything else.

To Mobile Defenders, “quality” is a mix of all these components in one harmonious balance. One of the main ingredients of this is a positive experience that exceeds the expectations of the end consumer.

We live and breathe by this definition, and that’s why we set out to establish a permanent office in Shenzhen, China in 2017. We knew that in order to maintain this definition of “quality”, we had to partner with factories that had similar goals and capabilities, and custom-manufacture our own screens from the ground up.

This process proved to be difficult from step one, which included finding the perfect factories. We didn’t want to partner with a manufacturer that was too big, as they may not have been interested in changing their baseline product offerings and processes to cater to our fully customized assemblies. On the other hand, a factory that was too small wouldn’t have been able to maintain stock levels. It took a few months of factory visits and meetings to find our perfect partners, whose goals were aligned with ours.

The next step was to effectively communicate all of the exact specifications and components that we were looking for with our partners. This required us to develop a specific and detailed process for communicating build and testing procedures to the factory. Our Director of Quality Assurance had to learn how to use some of his own testing software in Chinese to help with the language barrier issue.

Another challenge was the general mindset of “Is it good enough?” when it comes to aftermarket parts in China. At Mobile Defenders, we’re focused on creating products that are more than just “good enough” -- we want to create the very best products possible. It took some time to communicate the importance of application of the specs we gave the factories. Now that we have been in these partnerships for a few years and have gained each other’s trust, we’re much better aligned on our goals.

One thing that is ingrained in everything we do in China, including product development, is to never take shortcuts. A “shortcut” we strayed from right off the bat was partnering with a large factory that was already producing a set quality screen in mass, and simply requesting some customizations for our “custom-manufactured screen line”. This is something that we have seen often, and it’s what sets SELECT apart from the rest of the mid-grade options in the market. We have truly designed this product starting with the raw materials that WE chose, and have closely monitored its manufacturing processes and testing to ensure it’s created to spec.

As far as the initial development of the screen line, we started with the iPhone 6 models, which were easy. After the release of the iPhone 7, many in the market noticed that the aftermarket technology used for iPhone 6 just wasn’t cutting it for the 7 models. This was due to some differences in the engineering of the device and screen assembly. After some research, two main solutions were released in the market to help with this issue: one was a new build with a different driver IC, and the other was a wide-color gamut backlight. We chose the latter as the solution for the SELECT line. Again, while other companies settled with this solution, we said “This STILL isn’t good enough.” and got to work on how to improve the display even more.

Each and every component of today’s SELECT screen assembly has been carefully selected and tested to make the part perform unlike anything else available. Some examples of these components are Backlight/Brightness Enhancement Films, which help the display use and output as much of the light it receives as possible by “recycling” it, the Prismatic Films in the backlight, which allow the viewer to see accurate colors at all different angles, all the way down to the specific front and back polarizers and how they allow the screens to have good viewing angles, good brightness, accurate colors, and to be viewable through polarized sunglasses with no sacrifices made elsewhere.

Our permanent team in Shenzhen does so much more than procure the best replacement parts for us; they act as a bridge in communication between our team here in the US and our partnered factories overseas. We’re able to give direct and rapid feedback to our partners in terms of quality advancements and any possible defects that may arise. There is a term called “Shenzhen speed” which essentially means that anything that would normally take a week to accomplish in the US would only take a day or two in Shenzhen. Things are moving very quickly and having a team in the middle of it helps us keep an open flow of communication.

Our SELECT screen line was created to be the optimal aftermarket option that would meet or exceed OEM specifications without breaking the bank. Our vision for this screen line remains the same, with one added goal of creating something that maintains consistent, long-term reliability. Now that iPhones have switched to OLED technology, it’s more important than ever to develop a solution that will impress your customer with its performance long after they walk out of your store.

The SELECT line is continuously evolving with better and better advancements in quality. Where others settle with what they have, Mobile Defenders is constantly asking “How can we make it better?” This is how we live out our definition of quality and providing your customers with the best experience possible.