How much does a cracked screen affect resale value?

One of the first things sellers ask when they drop their phone is whether they should get the screen fixed before selling. The short answer: probably not. A cracked screen does reduce the offer you will get, typically somewhere in the range of 30 to 50% less than the same model in good condition, but paying for a repair first often leaves you worse off than selling as-is. This post explains why, how graders think about screen damage, and what to do to get the best realistic outcome.

How much does a cracked screen reduce value?

The impact varies with the model, the severity of the damage, and current market demand, so treat any figure as an estimate rather than a guarantee. That said, screen damage is one of the most significant condition factors a grader looks at. As a rough guide:

• Minor crack or chip in a corner, display still fully functional. Typically puts the phone one grade lower. Expect offers in the region of 20 to 35% below a phone in good cosmetic condition.
• Cracked across the screen but still working. Usually two grades down. Offers are often 35 to 50% less than a comparable undamaged device.
• Shattered, display affected, or touch unresponsive. This crosses into faulty territory. The phone still has value, but it is priced as a parts or repair device. You can still sell a broken phone and receive a genuine offer.

To understand exactly how graders assign conditions and how each tier affects price, our complete guide to phone grading covers the full system.

Why does cracked glass affect the offer so much?

The grader's job is to estimate the cost of bringing a phone to a resaleable standard. A cracked screen is a known repair cost, and that cost gets deducted from the offer. There is no way around it because any buyer of a refurbished phone will check the screen condition and pay less if it is damaged.

A screen replacement on an iPhone 15 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S24, for example, can cost £150 to £250 through a reputable repair service. On older mid-range models it is less, but even a £60 repair on a phone worth £80 pre-damage means the economics are tight for whoever carries out the work. Graders price in that reality.

Should you repair the screen before selling?

This is where most sellers expect the answer to be yes. It usually is not.

Consider an illustrative example with rounded figures. Say your iPhone 13 would fetch around £200 in good condition. With a cracked screen it is worth roughly £120. The difference is £80. An official Apple screen repair for an iPhone 13 currently costs £199. A quality third-party repair runs around £80 to £120 depending on the shop.

If you go through Apple and spend £199 to recover £80 of value, you are £119 worse off than selling as-is. Even a £90 third-party repair to recover £80 leaves you £10 behind, before you account for the hassle. The maths only works in narrow circumstances: a high-value recent model with a small crack, where the repair cost is proportionally low and the value difference is large. For most sellers with most phones, selling with the cracked screen and getting the offer adjusted downward is the financially better choice.

There is one exception worth noting. If you have an insurance policy or manufacturer warranty that covers accidental damage, getting the screen repaired at no cost before selling is straightforward and obviously beneficial. But out of pocket, it rarely pays.

Front screen versus back glass

Back glass damage is a different situation. Cracked rear glass on an iPhone or Samsung affects the resale value, but generally less than front screen damage. The reasons are practical: the back does not affect usability, buyers are less sensitive to cosmetic damage they will not see in daily use, and rear glass repair tends to be cheaper.

A cracked back panel on an iPhone 14 or 15 might reduce the offer by 10 to 20% compared with a pristine example, rather than the 30 to 50% typical of front screen damage. If only the back glass is cracked and the screen is fine, the phone will grade much better than one with a damaged display. Sell your cracked screen phone and you will see the difference reflected in the quote.

Other factors that still matter with a cracked screen

A cracked screen does not override everything else. Graders look at the whole device, so these factors still affect what you receive.

• Model and storage. A cracked iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB is worth substantially more than a cracked iPhone 11 64GB, even after the same proportional reduction. Higher-value devices absorb damage deductions better in absolute terms.
• Whether it powers on and functions. A phone with a cracked screen that still works, has a responsive touch layer, and runs its operating system normally is worth significantly more than one that is unresponsive or stuck in a boot loop. If the phone works, make that clear when you describe its condition.
• Battery health. On iPhones, battery health is checked during inspection. A cracked screen combined with low battery health compounds the deductions. If the screen is cracked but the battery is still above 85%, that is worth noting.
• Other cosmetic condition. Scratches, dents, and marks on the frame or back are assessed separately from the screen. A phone with a cracked screen but an otherwise clean body will grade better than one that has been dropped repeatedly.

What to do when you have a cracked screen phone

The honest guidance is straightforward. Describe the damage accurately when getting a quote. Do not try to obscure cracks or present the phone as something it is not. Graders will find it during inspection, which can mean a revised lower offer, which wastes everyone's time.

If the phone arrives in better condition than you described, the offer goes up. That is how Cash My Tech works: describe what you see, post it, and if the grader thinks it is in better shape than the quote assumed, you receive more. There is no penalty for underestimating your phone's condition.

Sell sooner rather than later if you are on the fence. A cracked screen tends to spread. What is a corner chip today can be a shattered display in three months of continued use, which drops the phone into a lower category and a lower offer. The longer you wait, the more likely the damage is to worsen.

Cash My Tech buys cracked screen phones

Cash My Tech is a UK postal buyback service, with no walk-in shop. It buys iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel, and other handsets in any condition, including those with cracked screens, cracked back glass, or more serious damage. You get an instant quote online, held for five days. Post the phone with a free prepaid label and you receive a same-day bank transfer once the device is inspected before 2pm. Every device is data-wiped to UK GDPR and WEEE Regulations 2013 standards.

If your phone arrives in better condition than described, the offer goes up automatically. Cash My Tech is rated 4.8 out of 5 from over 1,250 verified reviews.

You can get a quote for a cracked screen phone now, or browse all buyback prices to see what your model is worth before you decide.