Broken iPhone Screen: Sell Or Fix?

Should you sell or fix an iPhone that has a cracked screen? Flipsy.com helps you decide!

Did your iPhone take a tumble from your hand, shatter in your back pocket, or startle you with an underfoot crunch? No matter how you broke your iPhone screen, you’re now faced with a choice: should you fix it or sell it?

The answers to three critical questions should dictate your decision:

• How long will you keep using your iPhone if it is repaired?

• What is your iPhone worth broken?

• What is your iPhone worth repaired?

Here, Flipsy.com helps you answer each question so you can decide whether to repair your damaged screen or sell your broken iPhone.

How long will you continue to use your iPhone?

First things first: if you fix your iPhone’s cracked screen, how long will you continue to use the device?

If your iPhone is new or you plan on using it for a while – say, a year or longer – then you’re probably better off fixing it. This is especially true if you plan on buying a new iPhone when you sell your current phone. Quite simply, it’s cheaper to fix your iPhone than to buy a brand-new iPhone.

However, if you’ve had your iPhone for some time or you’re otherwise ready to buy a new model anyway, you should focus on maximizing resale value. To do that, you need to know how much your iPhone is worth broken versus repaired.

What is your iPhone worth with a broken screen?

Even with a damaged display, your iPhone has value. Many trade-in companies buy broken iPhones to refurbish and resell.

Use Flipsy.com to find out much your broken iPhone is worth. Simply browse or search for your iPhone model, select “broken” as the condition, and Flipsy will show you the highest-paying trade-in offers for your device. Take note of the best offer.

Here are some example trade-in values for broken iPhone models, as of 12/8/2016:

• iPhone 7 Plus (32GB black Verizon): $100

• iPhone 7 (32GB black Verizon): $75

• iPhone 6s Plus (16GB space gray Verizon): $164

• iPhone 6s (16GB space gray Verizon): $96

• iPhone 6 Plus (16GB gray Verizon): $94

• iPhone 6 (16GB gray Verizon): $103

• iPhone 5s (16GB gray Verizon): $31

• iPhone 5c (16GB white Verizon): $12

• iPhone 5 (16GB black Verizon): $15

Keep in mind these are just a few examples; you can find values for any iPhone model, color, carrier, capacity, and condition combination on Flipsy’s iPhone cash and trade-in price finder page.

What is your iPhone worth repaired?

Now that you know how much your iPhone is worth with a broken screen, you need to find out how much it would be worth repaired. Then, you’ll determine its net value.

iPhone broken screen repair options

You have two options for fixing your cracked iPhone screen: do-it-yourself repair or paid repair services.

DIY iPhone repair is the cheapest option, since you’ll only pay for parts and perhaps a $5 to $10 toolkit; but if you’re inexperienced, the repair can prove difficult and you can risk causing more damage to your device.

Paid iPhone repair services are more expensive, but it’s the easiest option and repair companies typically offer guarantees and warranties.

Here are some example do-it-yourself and paid repair service costs associated with replacing a broken iPhone screen (LCD and digitizer):

Model	DIY repair cost (parts)	Repair service cost
iPhone 7 Plus	• Repairs Universe: $450 • Direct Fix: $290	• Apple $349
iPhone 7	• Repairs Universe: $450 • Direct Fix: $290	• Apple $349
iPhone 6s Plus	• Repairs Universe: $149 • ETrade Supply: $284 • Direct Fix: $129	• Apple: $329 • uBreakiFix: $250 • iResQ: $399
iPhone 6s	• Repairs Universe: $115 • ETrade Supply: $173 • Direct Fix: $100	• Apple: $299 • uBreakiFix: $200 • iResQ: $299
iPhone 6 Plus	• Repairs Universe: $110 • ETrade Supply: $139 • Direct Fix: $48	• Apple: $329 • uBreakiFix: $150 • iResQ: $199
iPhone 6	• Repairs Universe: $80 • ETrade Supply: $79 • Direct Fix: $35	• Apple: $299 • uBreakiFix: $130 • iResQ: $179
iPhone 5s	• Repairs Universe: $32 • ETrade Supply: $55 • Direct Fix: $27	• Apple: $269 • uBreakiFix: $110 • iResQ: $250
iPhone 5c	• Repairs Universe: $40 • ETrade Supply: $34 • Direct Fix: $27	• Apple: $269 • uBreakiFix: $110 • iResQ: $198
iPhone 5	• Repairs Universe: $49 • ETrade Supply: $52 • Direct Fix: $27	• Apple: $269 • uBreakiFix: $110 • iResQ: $199

NOTE: If your iPhone is still covered by AppleCare+, under warranty, or if you have third-party insurance coverage, the cost to have your iPhone repaired can be significantly cheaper. Check with your provider to see how much you’ll pay to file a repair or replacement claim.

Decide whether to replace your own iPhone screen or hire a repair service, then take note of the price. If you decide to go the DIY route, check out these free iPhone cracked screen repair guides.

• iPhone 4 screen replacement guide

• iPhone 5 screen replacement guide

• iPhone 6 screen replacement guide

• iPhone 6 Plus screen replacement guide

Calculate the net value of iPhone repair

You know how much it will cost to fix your iPhone; now, you need to calculate the net value of your iPhone after repair. 

New value of iPhone – Cost of repair = NET VALUE

To calculate the net value, use Flipsy.com to find out how much your iPhone will be worth in “good” condition. Here are some examples, as of 12/8/2016:

• iPhone 7 Plus (32GB black Verizon): $525

• iPhone 7 (32GB black Verizon): $410

• iPhone 6s Plus (16GB space gray Verizon): $300

• iPhone 6s (16GB space gray Verizon): $271

• iPhone 6 Plus (16GB gray Verizon): $250

• iPhone 6 (16GB gray Verizon): $215

• iPhone SE (16GB gray Verizon): $223

• iPhone 5s (16GB gray Verizon): $98

• iPhone 5c (16GB white Verizon): $68

• iPhone 5 (16GB black Verizon): $78

Now, perform your net value calculation based on the repair method you’ve selected. Examples include:

DEVICE	REPAIR METHOD	VALUE IN GOOD CONDITION	– COST OF REPAIR	NET VALUE
iPhone 7 Plus	DIY	$525	$290	$235
iPhone 7 Plus	Repair Service	$525	$349	$176
iPhone 7	DIY	$410	$290	$120
iPhone 7	Repair Service	$410	$349	$61
iPhone 6s Plus	DIY	$300	$129	$171
iPhone 6s Plus	Repair Service	$300	$250	$50
iPhone 6s	DIY	$271	$199	$171
iPhone 6s	Repair Service	$271	$200	$71
iPhone 6 Plus	DIY	$250	$48	$202
iPhone 6 Plus	Repair Service	$250	$150	$100
iPhone 6	DIY	$215	$35	$180
iPhone 6	Repair Service	$215	$130	$85

Compare iPhone values: broken versus repaired

Finally, you need to compare the value of your broken iPhone versus the net value of your iPhone if it were repaired. This makes it easy to see which option maximizes your resale value. Here are some examples: 

DEVICE	REPAIR METHOD	NET VALUE AFTER REPAIR	VALUE AS-IS (BROKEN)	SELL BROKEN OR REPAIR?
iPhone 7 Plus	DIY	$235	$100	Repair
iPhone 7 Plus	Repair Service	$176	$100	Repair
iPhone 7	DIY	$120	$75	Repair
iPhone 7	Repair Service	$61	$75	Sell
iPhone 6s Plus	DIY	$171	$164	Repair
iPhone 6s Plus	Repair Service	$50	$164	Sell
iPhone 6s	DIY	$171	$96	Repair
iPhone 6s	Repair Service	$71	$96	Sell
iPhone 6 Plus	DIY	$202	$94	Repair
iPhone 6 Plus	Repair Service	$100	$94	Repair
iPhone 6	DIY	$180	$103	Repair
iPhone 6	Repair Service	$85	$103	Sell

As you can see, in many cases the only way to earn more resale value via repair is by doing it yourself. If you don’t have the expertise to perform complicated iPhone repairs, it’s probably worth selling your iPhone with a broken screen.

In other cases, repairing your iPhone will actually cost you money; or, the additional value added by repairing your iPhone is so minimal you might want to skip the hassle and simply sell it as-is.

If you decide to sell your iPhone, use Flipsy.com to find the highest-paying buyers for your iPhone in any condition – broken or otherwise.