Sell Your Cracked iPhone Screen and Still Get Cash

That cracked iPhone in your pocket is not worthless. Not even close.

You already know the feeling. You pick it up, see the web of cracks spreading from one corner, and think: "Well, that's that." Maybe you even Googled "sell cracked iPhone" and saw a few dodgy-looking sites offering what seemed like insultingly low numbers. So you shoved it back in a drawer and moved on.

Here is the thing nobody tells you: a cracked screen typically reduces an iPhone's value by 30 to 40 percent, not 100 percent. That means your "ruined" phone is still worth 60 to 70 percent of what a perfect one would fetch. On a recent model, that is real money. An iPhone 15 Pro Max with a cracked screen? Still worth £300 to £420. A cracked iPhone 14? £170 to £250.

Those numbers surprise most people, and that surprise is costing UK consumers a fortune. Millions of cracked iPhones sit in drawers across the country because their owners assume they are worthless. They are not. They are inventory for a billion-pound refurbishment industry that is desperate for stock.

Let us break down exactly why your cracked iPhone still has value, how different types of screen damage affect the price, and how to get the most money for it.

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Why Cracked iPhones Still Have Serious Value

To understand why someone will pay good money for your cracked iPhone, you need to understand what happens to it after you sell it.

The Refurbishment Economy Is Enormous

The UK refurbished phone market exceeded £1.2 billion in 2025 and is still growing. Professional refurbishment operations buy damaged iPhones, repair them with certified parts, and resell them as refurbished devices at 20 to 40 percent below retail. For these businesses, your cracked iPhone is not a broken thing. It is raw material.

A cracked screen is one of the simplest and cheapest repairs in the industry. A professional technician with wholesale parts can replace an iPhone screen in 15 to 25 minutes. The parts cost the refurbisher a fraction of what Apple charges retail customers. So when they buy your cracked iPhone at 60 to 70 percent of its working value, they are not being generous. They are making a margin that works for both sides.

The Component Market Does Not Care About Your Screen

Even if a cracked iPhone is not economically worth refurbishing as a whole unit, its individual parts have value. The logic board, cameras, Face ID module, battery, speakers, and chassis are all worth money. A single rear camera module from a recent iPhone can fetch £20 to £40 on the component market. The logic board alone can be worth half the phone's total value.

Your screen is one component. A broken screen does not contaminate the other parts.

Apple's Repair Pricing Creates the Incentive

Apple charges extraordinary prices for screen repairs. An out-of-warranty screen replacement for an iPhone 15 Pro Max costs £379 from Apple. For an iPhone 14 Pro, it is £339. These prices create a massive gap between what a cracked iPhone is worth and what it costs to fix it through official channels.

That gap is where the entire cracked-iPhone market lives. Buy cheap, repair cheap (with wholesale parts), and sell at a price that undercuts Apple but still turns a profit. As long as Apple keeps its repair prices high, your cracked iPhone has value.

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Types of Screen Damage and How They Affect Price

Not all cracks are created equal. The type and severity of your screen damage directly determines how much your iPhone is worth. Here is what you need to know.

The Damage Spectrum

Screen damage exists on a spectrum, and where your phone falls on that spectrum determines the price reduction.

The critical distinction is between glass damage and display damage. If your screen is cracked but still shows a perfect image and responds to touch, you are looking at the lower end of the price reduction. If the display itself is affected (dead pixels, colour issues, flickering, black patches), the reduction is steeper because the entire display panel needs replacing, not just the glass.

How to Assess Your Own Screen Damage

Before you get a quote, spend 30 seconds checking these things:

1. Touch response: Can you tap and swipe everywhere on the screen, including the corners and edges? If touch works everywhere, your damage is likely glass-only.
2. Display quality: Look at a white screen (open the Notes app). Do you see any discolouration, dark patches, or lines? If the display is clean despite the cracks, that is good news for your price.
3. Bleeding or spots: Dark or bright spots, especially near the cracks, indicate display panel damage.
4. Flickering: If the screen flickers or changes brightness unexpectedly, the display is damaged.

Being honest about these details when you get a TechLoop quote means no surprises when your device is assessed. You get the price you were quoted, and the whole process is faster.

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Price Ranges for Cracked iPhones by Model

Here is what you can realistically expect to receive for a cracked iPhone in the UK in 2026. These are buyback service prices, meaning cash in your bank account, not aspirational eBay listings.

Cracked Screen, Touch Still Works

This is the most common scenario. The glass is cracked, but the phone is fully usable.

Cracked Screen with Display Damage

If your display is also affected (dead pixels, colour issues, flickering, unresponsive areas), expect lower numbers.

These prices change regularly based on supply and demand. The fastest way to see what your specific cracked iPhone is worth right now is to get an instant quote on TechLoop. It takes under 60 seconds, and your price is locked for 7 days so you have time to decide.

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Should You Repair Your Screen Before Selling?

This is one of the most common questions people ask, and the answer surprises most of them.

The Short Answer: Almost Always No

Here is the maths. Take an iPhone 14 Pro as an example:

• Cracked screen buyback value: approximately £235
• Working condition buyback value: approximately £370
• Difference: £135

Now look at the cost of repair:

• Apple official screen replacement: £339
• Third-party repair shop: £150-£220
• DIY repair kit: £60-£100 (plus your time and risk of further damage)

Even with the cheapest third-party repair at £150, you are spending £150 to gain £135 in resale value. You end up losing money. With an Apple repair at £339, you are losing over £200. The maths almost never works in your favour.

The Cost-Benefit Breakdown by Model

The only scenario where repair might make financial sense is if you have a very recent, high-value model and access to a genuinely cheap third-party repair. But even then, you are taking on risk. If the repair introduces a problem (non-original parts, recalibration issues, a damaged flex cable), the buyback service may grade the device lower than expected, wiping out your margin.

There Is Also the Time Factor

A repair takes time. Finding a reputable shop, dropping off the device, waiting for the repair, picking it up. That is an afternoon you are not getting back. Meanwhile, your iPhone continues to depreciate. If the repair takes a week (not uncommon for mail-in services), you have lost another £3 to £5 in value just from waiting.

The Exception: If You Want to Keep Using It

The only good reason to repair a cracked screen is if you plan to keep using the phone. If you are selling it, skip the repair and sell it as-is. The buyback service has access to wholesale parts and professional technicians. They can fix it for a fraction of what you would pay, and they factor that into the quote they give you.

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Where to Sell Your Cracked iPhone

You have several options for selling a cracked iPhone in the UK, and they are not all equal.

Buyback Services (Best for Cracked Devices)

Online buyback services like TechLoop are almost always the best option for cracked iPhones. Here is why:

• They specialise in damaged devices. This is their business model. They buy cracked phones at a fair price, repair them at wholesale cost, and resell them. They are not doing you a favour; they are making a profit that works for both sides.
• Fixed price, no negotiation. You describe the condition, get a quote, and that is the price you receive (assuming the description matches the device). No haggling, no lowball offers, no time-wasters.
• Free postage. You do not pay to send the device. TechLoop provides a free shipping label.
• Same-day payment. Once your device is received and inspected, you get paid the same day. Most customers see funds within 24 hours of posting.
• 7-day price lock. Your quote is guaranteed for a week, so you have time to think without losing money to depreciation.

eBay and Facebook Marketplace

Selling a cracked iPhone privately can sometimes net slightly more than a buyback service, but the downsides are significant:

• Buyers are wary of cracked devices. You will get more low-ball offers and suspicious messages than with a working phone.
• eBay fees eat into your profit. After the 12.8% final value fee and PayPal/payment processing, that "higher price" shrinks fast.
• Returns and disputes. If a buyer claims the damage is worse than described, eBay almost always sides with the buyer. This is especially risky with cracked devices where "cracked" can mean different things to different people.
• Time. Writing the listing, taking photos, responding to messages, packing and posting. For a cracked phone, the time investment rarely justifies the marginal price difference.

High Street Shops

CeX and similar shops accept cracked iPhones, but typically pay 15 to 30 percent less than online buyback services for damaged devices. The advantage is instant cash in hand. The disadvantage is a noticeably lower price. If you can wait 3 to 5 days, selling online pays more.

Apple Trade-In

Apple accepts cracked iPhones through their trade-in programme, but the quotes for damaged devices are notoriously low. Apple's trade-in is designed to encourage upgrades, not to give you the best price for your old device. For a cracked iPhone, independent buyback services consistently pay significantly more.

The Recommendation

For cracked iPhones specifically, a dedicated buyback service is the clear winner. They handle damaged devices every day, their pricing reflects the actual market value (not a lowball offer designed to maximise someone else's margin), and the process takes minutes rather than days. Get a TechLoop quote and see what your cracked iPhone is actually worth.

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How to Get the Best Price for Your Cracked iPhone

Even with a cracked screen, there are things you can do to maximise your payout.

1. Describe the Damage Accurately

This is the single most important thing. When you get a quote on TechLoop, describe your screen damage honestly. Is the touch working? Are there display issues? Is the glass cracked or shattered?

If you downplay the damage and the device arrives in worse condition than described, you will receive a revised (lower) offer. If you are honest upfront, you get the quoted price with no surprises.

2. Do Not Attempt DIY Repairs

A botched DIY repair can actually reduce your iPhone's value below what a cracked screen would have fetched. Non-original screens, poorly reconnected flex cables, and stripped screws are red flags for buyback services. If you have already attempted a repair that did not go well, be upfront about it.

3. Check Everything Else Works

Test all the other functions of your iPhone before getting a quote. Does Face ID work? Do the cameras work? Does the phone charge? Is the battery health above 80 percent? A cracked screen with everything else working is worth significantly more than a cracked screen with additional issues.

If there are other problems, mention them when you get your quote. Honesty saves time and avoids revised offers.

4. Remove Your Personal Data

Before selling, back up your phone and factory reset it. If your screen is cracked but still functional, you can do this directly on the device. Go to Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone, then Erase All Content and Settings.

If your screen is too damaged to navigate, you can remove your iCloud account remotely via icloud.com/find. Sign in, select your device, click Erase iPhone, then Remove from Account. This clears Activation Lock so the buyer can process the device without delays.

TechLoop also performs a certified GDPR-compliant data wipe on every device received, so your data is erased regardless. But doing it yourself first speeds up processing and payment.

5. Include Accessories If You Have Them

The original box, charging cable, and any other accessories can add a small amount to your total payout. They are not worth much on their own (maybe £5 to £10), but they cost you nothing to include and can bump your quote slightly.

6. Sell Sooner Rather Than Later

Your cracked iPhone is depreciating right now. Phones lose roughly £2 to £4 in value per week, and that depreciation does not pause just because the screen is broken. Every week you wait is money lost. If you are going to sell, sell now.

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What About AppleCare and Insurance?

If your iPhone is still covered by AppleCare+ or a phone insurance policy, check your options before selling.

AppleCare+

AppleCare+ covers accidental damage, including cracked screens, for a service fee of £25 for screen damage. If your AppleCare+ is still active, getting the screen repaired through Apple for £25 and then selling the phone as a working device will almost certainly net you more money than selling it cracked.

Check your coverage at Settings, then General, then About, then look for the Coverage section. Or check on mysupport.apple.com.

Phone Insurance

If you have phone insurance through your mobile provider or a separate policy, a cracked screen may be covered. The excess varies (typically £50 to £100), but if repairing through insurance and selling as working nets you more than selling cracked, it is worth the claim.

Do the maths. Working value minus insurance excess versus cracked value. If the difference is positive and worth your time, claim. If not, sell as-is.

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Common Myths About Selling Cracked iPhones

"Nobody wants a cracked phone"

The UK refurbished phone market buys hundreds of thousands of cracked phones every year. It is literally the foundation of their supply chain. Your cracked phone is in demand.

"I should wait until I upgrade to sell my old one"

No. Your phone is losing value every single week. If you know you are going to sell it, sell it now. You can always sell a phone you are not using. You do not need to have a replacement in hand first.

"Selling online is risky with a damaged phone"

Using a reputable buyback service like TechLoop is not risky at all. You get a guaranteed quote, free postage, and same-day payment. There is no negotiation, no strangers, and no chance of disputes. If your device is assessed at a lower value than quoted, you can have it returned free of charge. You are never locked in.

"My cracked phone is too old to be worth anything"

Even an iPhone 11 with a cracked screen is worth £40 to £65. An iPhone SE (2nd generation) with a cracked screen is worth £25 to £40. These are not life-changing amounts, but they are real money for a device that is otherwise doing nothing. And selling it is better for the environment than leaving it in a drawer.

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The Bottom Line

A cracked screen feels like the end of your iPhone's useful life. It is not. It is a 30 to 40 percent reduction in value, which means 60 to 70 percent of the value is still there, waiting for you to claim it.

The refurbishment industry wants your cracked iPhone. They have the tools, parts, and expertise to fix it at a fraction of the retail repair cost, and they will pay you a fair price for the privilege.

Do not repair it yourself. Do not let it depreciate in a drawer. Do not assume it is worthless.

Get a quote on TechLoop, see what it is actually worth, and make a decision based on real numbers. The price is locked for 7 days, the postage is free, and you get paid the same day. Your cracked iPhone deserves better than a drawer.