Selling a cracked or broken phone

A phone that won't turn on still has a screen, a camera array, a logic board and a housing that are worth money to someone. The drawer is the only place it's worth nothing.

Should I repair it first?

Almost always no, and the arithmetic is simple. A third-party screen replacement on a recent iPhone runs $150–$300. The difference between our Broken and Fair grades is usually less than that. You'd be spending money to make slightly more money, and taking the repair risk yourself.

There's a second reason: on modern iPhones a non-genuine screen or battery triggers a persistent warning and can disable Face ID or True Tone. A repaired phone can be worth less than the same phone honestly sold as broken.

What counts as broken

• Cracked or shattered screen glass
• Cracked back glass
• Screen works but shows dead pixels, lines or heavy burn-in
• Won't hold a charge or shuts down unexpectedly
• Camera, speaker, microphone or Face ID failed
• Won't power on at all

What still needs to be true

Broken is fine. These are not:

• Still locked to your iCloud or Google account. An activation-locked phone has no resale value to anyone. If it won't power on, remove it from your account remotely — iCloud.com or google.com/android/find — without touching the device.
• Reported lost or stolen, or carrier-blacklisted. We don't buy these at any price.

Water damage

Tell us. A phone that took a swim and currently works may fail a week later, and inspection will find the moisture indicator. Declared water damage prices as Broken and everyone moves on. Undeclared, it becomes a revised offer and a delay.

How to ship a phone with a cracked screen

Tape across the glass — masking or clear tape, right over the crack — so shards don't move in transit. Then wrap and box it as usual. Packing guidance here.

Get the actual number

Pick your model, choose Broken, and the quote is live. It's usually more than people expect, particularly on Pro models where the camera array alone carries value.