Selling a broken or cracked iPhone? Here is what it is worth and how to do it.

What is a broken iPhone worth?

A buyer starts from what the phone would be worth working and unmarked, then subtracts the cost of getting it back to a sellable condition. That means two things matter most:

• Model and storage. A cracked iPhone 15 Pro is still worth far more than a perfect older model, because the working value is so much higher. More storage adds value too.
• What is actually wrong. Each fault is deducted separately. A cracked screen, cracked back glass, a weak battery and a faulty camera each lower the offer by a different amount.

Second-hand prices follow the market and usually fall over time, so a broken phone sitting in a drawer tends to lose value month by month. If you are not going to repair it, selling sooner normally gets a better result.

How does each type of damage change the offer?

These are the situations we see most often and how each one generally affects the price:

• Light scratches or scuffs: a small difference compared with an unmarked phone. Heavy wear such as dents and deep scratches reduces it further.
• Battery health below 80% or a "Service" message: deducted, because the battery needs replacing before resale.
• Cracked camera lens only: a small fixed deduction if the camera still works.
• Cracked back glass: deducted, because the back glass needs replacing before resale.
• Cracked screen or display fault: usually the biggest single deduction on a phone that still works, because a replacement screen is the most expensive common repair.
• Does not turn on: priced for parts value only, which is a small fraction of the working value. This applies only to phones without liquid damage.
• Liquid damage or account lock: we cannot pay for these. A locked phone can be sold once the lock is removed.

Non-genuine parts also matter. If an earlier repair used an aftermarket screen or battery, say so in the quote: we still buy the phone, but deduct what it costs to fit a quality replacement.

What should you do before selling a broken iPhone?

Work through this checklist so the sale is quick and the offer does not change on inspection:

1. Back up your data if the screen still works well enough. Every phone we buy is erased and the data cannot be recovered afterwards.
2. Sign out of iCloud and turn off Find My. This is the step most often missed. A locked phone cannot be paid for.
3. Erase the phone (Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings).
4. Remove your SIM card and any eSIM, plus the case and screen protector.
5. Check battery health in Settings, Battery, if the screen allows it. If you cannot see it, choose "Not sure" and we check it on arrival.
6. Describe every fault honestly. We test the screen, cameras, Face ID, battery, buttons, speakers, charging and signal, and check whether parts have been replaced.
7. Have photo ID ready. Queensland second-hand dealer law requires us to record who we buy from.

The phone also needs to be yours, fully paid off and not reported lost, stolen or blocked. Every device is checked against the Australian lost and stolen register.

Should you repair the iPhone first or sell it as-is?

For most people with a cracked iPhone they no longer want, selling as-is is simpler. A buyer already allows for the repair in the offer, so paying for a screen yourself and then selling often leaves you little or no better off, and it adds time.

Repairing makes more sense when you plan to keep the phone. At our workshop, iPhone screen replacement is a guide price from $205 for an iPhone 13 or iPhone 14 with an Incell screen, or from $275 with a Soft OLED screen, which is closer to the original in colour and battery use. An iPhone 15 Soft OLED screen is from $280. Compare that with the cost of a replacement phone before deciding. Our iPhone screen repair guide explains the screen options in more detail.

If you want to sell the broken phone and step into something newer, a refurbished iPhone with a 12-month warranty is one way to keep the total cost down.

Selling a broken iPhone to our Maroochydore workshop

Essential Tech Repairs buys iPhones Australia-wide from our workshop at Shop 11/102 Wises Rd, Maroochydore QLD 4558. Here is how it works:

• Instant quote: choose your model and storage, answer a few condition questions and see your price. Your offer is locked in for 14 days.
• Free postage: accept the offer and we email a prepaid Express Post label. Drop it into any Express Post box or post office. Offers under $50 are drop-off only, because postage would cost more than the phone is worth.
• Or drop it off: on the Sunshine Coast, bring it to the workshop and we can usually pay you on the spot once inspection is done.
• Inspection and payment: we inspect within one business day of receiving it and pay by PayID or bank transfer within 1 to 2 business days of it passing. If something does not match your answers, you get a revised offer with the reason and can decline and have the phone posted back free.
• Damaged Device Price Beat: if another Australian buyer gives you a higher written cash offer for the same cracked, damaged or faulty phone, send it to us before we pay and we will beat it by $10. See the price beat terms.

Our online quote covers iPhone 12 and newer. You can also see today's offers for every model we buy on our devices we buy page. For an older iPhone, Samsung, iPad or anything not listed, send us the details and we will reply with an offer.