Update on my earlier post: my replacement display panel (pre-owned) appears to be a different construction to my original display panel in that the AMOLED panel, digitizer and glass panel are bonded together in some way, so they appear to be a single component. I guess it is possible that my original display panel could have been like this at first, and that I managed to separate the AMOLED panel from the digitizer as I removed the display panel from the phone, but there is no sign of any adhesive.

The display panel consists of two components. The outer component is a glass panel with a digitizer fused onto it, and the second component is a fragile AMOLED panel with electronic circuitry and a ribbon cable that connects it to the phone internals. The digitizer and AMOLED panel both extend to within 1.5mm of the sides of the glass panel. To avoid destroying the AMOLED panel when removing the display panel, start at the bottom (Steps 3 and 4) and do not insert any opening or cutting tools deeper than 1.5mm at the sides or 9mm at the top or bottom (Steps 4 and 5). [Maybe add this text to Step 2 to help prevent others destroying the AMOLED panel].

Would it be possible to use a specially made opening pick that is protruding no more than 1.5mm from a thicker section that could run along the sides and top of the device to help ensure that the pick would not penetrate more than 1.5mm into the device? If suitably designed, it could probably be made of metal. Are any such specially made opening picks available from iFixit or elsewhere?