Sell broken iPhone Bristol locals trust — that’s exactly what Phone Craft has been doing for years…
Should you repair or sell my phone when something goes wrong? It’s one of the most common questions we hear at Phone Craft in Bristol — and the honest answer depends on a few key numbers most people never bother to calculate.
A cracked screen, a dying battery, or a dodgy charging port doesn’t always mean it’s time for a new phone. But sometimes, pouring £200 into a repair is the worst decision you can make. This guide walks you through the simple maths of repair vs sell — using real 2026 Bristol prices — so you walk out with more money in your pocket, not less.
💷 Get an Instant Sell Quote 🔧 Book a Repair
Before we dive in, here’s the rule of thumb we share with every Bristol customer:
If the repair costs more than 50% of the phone’s current resale value, sell it. If the repair costs less than 50% of the phone’s working value, fix it.
Sounds simple? It is. But you’d be amazed how many people pay £180 to repair a phone that’s only worth £220 working — when they could have sold the broken phone for £100 and put that toward a much better device.
Let’s go deeper and work out exactly what to repair or sell my phone to do.
Before anything else, find out what your phone would sell for if it were fully functional. This is your baseline.
You can check this in 60 seconds on our Sell Your Device page — just select your model, storage and a Grade A condition to see the working value.
Here are some rough Bristol resale figures for Grade A devices in mid-2026:
| Model (working, Grade A) | Approximate cash value |
|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB | £700–£800 |
| iPhone 17 Pro 256GB | £600–£700 |
| iPhone 17 / 17 Air | £450–£550 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | £550–£650 |
| iPhone 16 / 16 Plus | £350–£450 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | £400–£500 |
| iPhone 15 / 15 Plus | £250–£350 |
| iPhone 14 / 14 Pro | £180–£350 |
| iPhone 13 series | £130–£280 |
| iPhone 12 series | £90–£200 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | £400–£550 |
| Samsung Galaxy S23/S22 | £200–£350 |
| Google Pixel 8 Pro | £300–£400 |
Final offers depend on condition, battery health and storage.
See My Phone’s Working Value →
Now get a realistic repair quote. Here are typical 2026 prices at Phone Craft in Bristol for the most common faults:
| Repair | iPhone 11-13 | iPhone 14-15 | iPhone 16-17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen replacement | £75–£140 | £130–£220 | £200–£330 |
| Battery replacement | £45–£70 | £55–£85 | £75–£110 |
| Charging port repair | £40–£75 | £55–£95 | £70–£120 |
| Back glass repair | £55–£110 | £80–£170 | £130–£240 |
| Water damage diagnosis | £25 (refunded if repaired) | £25 | £25 |
| Camera lens replacement | £40–£90 | £55–£120 | £80–£160 |
| Repair | Galaxy A series | Galaxy S series | Galaxy Z Fold/Flip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen replacement | £75–£150 | £180–£300 | £300–£550 |
| Battery replacement | £45–£75 | £60–£90 | £90–£140 |
| Charging port | £40–£70 | £55–£90 | £75–£110 |
Need an exact quote for your model? Book a free repair diagnosis — no obligation, takes 5 minutes.
Now do the simple maths:
Working value × 50% = your repair break-even point.
If the repair costs more than that, sell. If the repair costs less, fix it.
After repair, you’ve got a fully working phone worth £220 — for £100. Net gain: £120.
You’d lose money fixing this phone. Sell it broken for £30–£50, put the cash toward something newer.
The phone is still high-value enough to justify the repair.
There are a few situations where the maths almost always says repair:
These hold so much value that even £200+ repairs are usually worth it.
A cracked back glass with no functional damage? Fix it cheaply and the phone looks brand new.
A £55–£85 battery swap on an iPhone 14 or 15 instantly adds years of life and significantly boosts resale value if you sell later.
Sometimes the right answer isn’t about money. If the phone suits you, fix it and keep using it.
Book a Repair at Phone Craft Bristol →
On the flip side, these are the situations where selling is almost always the smarter play:
Screen + battery + charging port? The combined repair often exceeds the phone’s value. Sell it broken and move on.
iPhone X, iPhone 8, Galaxy S10 or older — these are at or near the end of their software support life. A repair won’t extend that.
If a water-damaged phone is showing screen flickers, sound issues or charging problems, internal corrosion is likely. Repair costs become unpredictable. Sell it for parts value.
These are expensive to fix and often come back. If you’ve been quoted £150+ for an internal logic-board repair on a mid-range phone, sell it.
If you’d buy a new phone next month anyway, don’t sink money into the old one first. Sell as-is.
A non-working phone still has cash value. Here’s what we typically pay at Phone Craft Bristol for broken/dead devices in 2026:
| Model | Working Grade A | Broken / Dead |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | £750 | £250–£400 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | £500 | £180–£280 |
| iPhone 15 Pro | £450 | £150–£250 |
| iPhone 14 / 14 Pro | £250 | £80–£160 |
| iPhone 13 | £200 | £60–£120 |
| iPhone 12 | £150 | £40–£80 |
| iPhone 11 | £100 | £20–£50 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | £500 | £150–£250 |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 | £280 | £80–£140 |
A broken iPhone 14 Pro for £160 cash is a far better outcome than dumping it in a drawer or paying £250+ to repair it. We even buy phones that won’t turn on, so don’t assume yours is worthless.
Most people only compare repair cost vs phone value. They forget these:
When one thing breaks, others often follow. A 2-year-old phone with a new battery and screen can still die from a different fault next month.
You’re without your phone during repair. That’s typically a few hours for screen replacements, longer for complex jobs.
A repaired phone has slightly lower resale value than an untouched one — buyers prefer “never repaired” devices. Worth factoring in if you’ll sell later.
Even after a battery swap, the phone’s overall lifespan is finite. A 4-year-old phone with a fresh battery is still a 4-year-old phone in terms of software support.
When you’re weighing repair or sell my phone, where you go matters as much as what you choose.
| Phone Craft (Bristol) | Online services | |
|---|---|---|
| Repair turnaround | Same day (most jobs) | 5–10 days incl. posting |
| Sell payment | Instant cash or bank transfer | 5–10 working days |
| Quote accuracy | What you see is what you get | Often reduced after inspection |
| Warranty (repairs) | 12-month warranty on parts | Varies, often hidden in T&Cs |
| Trust | 4.9★ on Google + Trustpilot, real shop | No accountability if issues |
We’re at 58A Union Street, Bristol BS1 2DL — open 7 days a week, with technicians on-site for repairs and instant payments for sales. One trip, whichever option you choose.
Run the numbers: if the screen repair costs less than 50% of the working value, repair it. If more, sell the phone broken — we still pay competitive cash for cracked-screen devices.
Usually no, unless the repair is very cheap (under £50). Older iPhones lose software support and resale value rapidly, so pouring repair money into them rarely pays off. Selling broken makes more sense.
At Phone Craft Bristol, screen replacements range from £75 for older iPhones to £330 for the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max. Get a free quote on our Repair page.
Yes. We buy dead and non-working phones for their parts value. An iPhone 14 Pro that won’t turn on can still fetch £80–£160 cash in Bristol. Get a quote here.
Slightly. Phones with original (un-repaired) parts fetch the highest prices. A professional repair using quality parts has minimal impact, but a botched repair can drop resale value significantly. Always use a trusted shop.
Most common repairs — screens, batteries, charging ports — are completed the same day, often within 30–60 minutes. Complex repairs may take longer; we’ll always give you an honest timeframe.
Yes — 12-month warranty on all our standard repairs, covering parts and workmanship.
Sell it. Water damage often causes hidden corrosion that resurfaces weeks later, even after a repair. The smart play is to sell as-faulty and put the cash toward a new device.
Yes — our online quote tool gives a real, honest valuation in 60 seconds, with no email signup. Use it before deciding to repair.
Walk into 58A Union Street, Bristol BS1 2DL and we’ll give you both numbers — the repair cost AND the cash offer — so you can compare them on the spot. No pressure, no obligation, no fee for the diagnosis.
💷 Get a Sell Quote 🔧 Book a Repair 📞 Call 07780 048166 💬 WhatsApp Us
Phone Craft — Bristol’s trusted phone shop. 58A Union Street, Bristol BS1 2DL · Open 7 days · 4.9★ on Google & Trustpilot. Proudly serving Bristol City Centre, Clifton, Bedminster, Easton, Fishponds and beyond.
