hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: That their smartphone's screen is flickering and…
A user reports that their smartphone's screen is flickering and has vertical lines. The phone has not been dropped or exposed to water. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this issue?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The display cable is loose or damaged
Screen flickering and vertical lines are classic symptoms of a failing display or a loose internal display cable. Since there was no physical trauma, a loose connection or a manufacturing defect in the display assembly is the most probable cause.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A software glitch caused by a recent app update
Why it's wrong here
Software glitches primarily affect the operating system's rendering pipeline or application logic, leading to freezes, crashes, or incorrect UI elements. They typically do not manifest as persistent, hardware-level visual artifacts like screen flickering or distinct vertical lines, which indicate an issue with the display's physical connection or panel integrity rather than software instruction errors.
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The battery is swelling and pressing against the display
Why it's wrong here
A swollen battery exerts physical pressure on internal components, which can lead to display damage such as cracks, light bleed, or complete failure if the pressure is severe enough. However, it is less likely to cause intermittent flickering or specific vertical lines without other visible signs of physical distortion or damage to the screen itself, as the primary issue is mechanical stress, not an electrical signal interruption.
- ✓
The display cable is loose or damaged
Why this is correct
A loose or damaged display cable is a common cause of screen flickering and vertical lines because it directly transmits the video signals and power to the display panel. Intermittent or corrupted data transmission due to a poor connection or physical damage to the cable's conductors results in the display receiving incomplete or garbled information, manifesting as visual anomalies like flickering, color distortion, or persistent lines on the screen.
- ✗
The phone's processor is overheating
Why it's wrong here
Processor overheating primarily triggers thermal throttling mechanisms to reduce performance or initiates an automatic shutdown to prevent hardware damage. While extreme heat can indirectly affect nearby components, it rarely causes specific, consistent display artifacts such as flickering or vertical lines. These symptoms are more indicative of a problem within the display subsystem itself, rather than the CPU's thermal state.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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