Repair or replace? How to decide if your phone is worth fixing
A cracked screen or dying battery doesn't have to mean a new phone — but sometimes replacing is the better call. Here's a simple way to decide, without the sales pressure.
The quick rule of thumb
If the repair costs less than about half of what the phone is worth (or what a comparable replacement would cost), repairing is usually the smart, cheaper and more sustainable choice. Most single-issue repairs — a screen, a battery, a port — fall well under that line.
Four things to weigh up
- What's broken? A screen, battery or charging port is a straightforward, good-value fix. Multiple major faults at once (e.g. board damage plus a smashed screen) shift the maths toward replacing.
- How old is it? A 1–3 year-old phone is well worth repairing. A 6+ year-old phone that no longer gets software updates is closer to end-of-life.
- What's it worth to you? If you love the phone, it's paid off, and it still does everything you need — fixing it beats spending $1,000+ on a new one.
- Your data. A repair keeps everything in place. Replacing means migrating (and a backup you'll wish you'd done).
When replacing makes more sense
If the phone is very old, has several serious faults, or the repair genuinely approaches the price of a good second-hand replacement, we'll tell you straight — we'd rather give you an honest answer than sell you a repair that isn't worth it.
Not sure? Get a quick quote
Tell us your model and what's wrong and we'll give you an upfront price, so you can make the call with real numbers in front of you. No deposit, no obligation.