Repair vs. Replace: How to Decide

Your screen cracked. Now what? The repair-vs-replace question is one of the most common things customers ask us. Here's an honest framework for making the decision — from a repair shop that will benefit either way from your trust.

The 50% rule

A common rule of thumb: if the repair cost is less than 50% of what a replacement phone would cost you out of pocket, repair almost always makes sense. A cracked iPhone 14 screen costs $179–$209 to fix. A replacement iPhone 14 costs $500–$700 used. That's well under 50% — repair wins.

When repair is clearly the right call

• The phone is less than 3 years old and otherwise works perfectly
• The repair is a screen or battery — relatively low cost, high impact
• You're on a plan and upgrading would reset it
• You have data, photos, or app setups that would take time to restore

When replacement might make more sense

• The phone has multiple issues at once (screen + battery + charging port)
• The repair cost approaches the phone's resale value
• The phone is 5+ years old and no longer receives iOS/Android updates
• You were already planning to upgrade and this is a convenient push

The battery exception

Battery replacement is almost always worth it regardless of phone age. A $79–$109 battery extends your phone's life by 2–3 years. Even on a 4-year-old phone, that's good math — you're buying time before a planned upgrade without paying $800 now.

Real examples

iPhone 13 cracked screen: Repair = $149–$169. Used iPhone 13 = $350–$450. Repair every time.

iPhone XR (2018) cracked screen: Repair = $119. Phone is 6+ years old, no longer getting major iOS updates. Replacement is worth considering if you were planning to upgrade anyway.

Galaxy S22 battery: Replacement = $89–$109. New Galaxy S24 = $799. Battery replacement extends life 2–3 years. Easy call.