Is your phone worth repairing — or should you trade it in?
Broken phone, two options, and strong opinions on both sides. The maths is simpler than it looks — here's the framework we use when customers ask us straight.
Start with the 50% rule
Compare two numbers: the repair quote, and what your phone is worth in working condition. If the repair costs less than about half the working value, repairing is almost always the better deal — you spend £49 to keep something worth £250.
Both numbers are easy to get: our repair pages show fixed prices per model, and our trade-in page gives you an instant offer. Five minutes, decision made.
Repair usually wins when…
- The phone is under three or four years old — it still has years of updates and life left.
- It's a single fault: screen, battery or charging port. These are routine, fast and cheap relative to the phone's value.
- You're happy with the phone. A repair costs a fraction of an upgrade you didn't want.
- It's a flagship — high-end phones hold value, so the repair-to-value ratio stays favourable for years.
Trading in usually wins when…
- There are multiple faults — a cracked screen and a worn battery and a dodgy port stops being one cheap fix.
- The repair quote is close to the phone's working value.
- You wanted to upgrade anyway — put the repair money towards the new phone instead.
- An older device needs board-level work. Technically fixable, but the economics rarely justify it.
The option most people miss: fix it, then trade it in
A working phone is worth far more than a broken one — often by more than the cost of the repair. A £49 screen replacement can add well over £100 to a trade-in offer, which means repairing a phone you don't even want to keep can still be the profitable move.
If you bring a device to any of our shops, we'll run this calculation with you at the counter: repair price, trade-in value broken, trade-in value fixed. Whichever nets you the most, you'll see the numbers before deciding anything. Diagnostics are free either way.
Get an instant trade-in offer →Whichever you choose: back up first
Before a repair, a trade-in or a sale, make sure your photos and messages are backed up and — if you're parting with the device — that it's signed out and erased. If you're not sure how, ask in the shop; helping with a safe wipe or a data transfer is part of the job.
Quick answers
How do I find out what my phone is worth?
Use our Sell Your Device page for an instant offer, or ask in the chat — you'll get a figure for your exact model and condition, no commitment.
Do you buy broken phones?
Yes — cracked, dead or water-damaged. The offer reflects the condition honestly, and we'll tell you if repairing it first would net you more.
Is the diagnostic still free if I decide to trade in instead of repair?
Yes. The diagnostic is free whatever you decide — repair, trade in, or take it home and think about it.
Broken device in hand?
Get a fixed price in the chat, or walk into any of our three Essex shops — diagnostics are free.