Thanks for your replies, guys. The phone in question is still brand new in the box, as I mentioned in the first post. I haven't even opened the box. I've been on the fence about keeping it/using it at all, because I heard about the screen issues (and lack of screen protectors) only after I bought the phone. If I'd bought it at a retail store, I'd just return it, likely.
So, these aren't the answers I'd "like" to hear, haha. I was hoping to not have to put stock google android back on the phone, just to get the screen replaced if and more realistically when this issue happens. That kinda sucks. I've been using a galaxy s7 with stock os for so long now. I have twrp on it. As far as I remember, there's nothing on GOS like this, for backups, possibly be design - for security and safety.
It sounds weird to me that a repair shop will just install/re-install an os on your phone, for whatever reason. It sounds weird to me that it can be done, with GOS on the phone... but I guess that has little to do with security and privacy, right? Because the data on the phone isn't accessible, it's just that they can... write over it all by installing something else over it..?
I suspect the phone was listed for sale because of the known potential for these screen issues. I should've just bought the 7 (not 7a or 7pro) refurbished for $250 cad instead. I wanted the longer GOS support.
What phones are most of us (graphene users) here using? Any idea/feedback on this? Are the display panels in the pixel 9 versions "fixed" or different, so as not to have this display failure issue? They're still too expensive now, but curious.
Thanks.