Sell a broken phone UK 2026 — prices and guide
A broken phone is not worthless. Whether it will not turn on, has a shattered screen, water damage or a faulty sensor, UK recyclers will still pay something. Comparing matters even for broken devices — the gap between recyclers on the same fault can be £20-40.
How much is a broken phone worth?
Prices vary by model and type of fault:
iPhone 17 Pro Max — will not power on: £120-180
iPhone 15 Pro — will not power on: £50-90
iPhone 15 Pro — cracked screen, working: £240-310
iPhone 14 Pro — cracked screen, working: £110-170
iPhone 13 — water damaged: £20-50 (many recyclers decline)
iPhone 12 — faulty Face ID: £45-80
iPhone 11 — will not power on: £20-45
Samsung S25 Ultra — cracked screen, working: £450-560
Samsung S23 — will not power on: £40-70
Pixel 9 Pro — cracked screen, working: £230-310
Types of damage — how recyclers treat each
Will not power on — accepted by most recyclers. Sold for parts. Significantly below working price but not zero. Declare explicitly.
Cracked screen (phone still working) — the most widely accepted fault. Reduction of £30-100 depending on model. Most UK recyclers accept cracked screen working devices.
Water damage — the most problematic. Many recyclers decline. Those that accept pay 40-60% below the working clean price. Always disclose explicitly — undisclosed water damage on arrival means rejection or zero offer.
Faulty Face ID or fingerprint sensor — serious hardware fault. Reduction of 30-50% below working price. Most recyclers accept at reduced price.
Faulty camera — accepted at modest reduction. Specify which camera is faulty (front, rear main, telephoto).
Non-original repairs — some recyclers flag third-party components. Check individual recycler terms before sending.
Preparing a broken phone for sale
Remove iCloud or Google account if possible. If the phone powers on even intermittently, sign out during a working window. A device with account lock active gets rejected or revalued to zero.
Remove the SIM card — accessible with an ejector tool even on most non-working phones.
Photograph the damage clearly — front, back and sides. Your evidence if a condition dispute arises.
Do not attempt DIY repair unless you have the expertise. An amateur repair that fails reduces value further.
Declare all faults accurately. Recyclers have sophisticated diagnostic equipment. Undisclosed faults discovered on arrival result in a revised offer, which you can reject — but it wastes days.
According to Which?, even broken phones are worth comparing across multiple recyclers — prices vary significantly for the same fault type.
Compare broken phone prices on GadgetRank →
Can you sell an iCloud locked broken phone?
No recycler will pay for a broken iPhone with iCloud Activation Lock still active — a locked device has zero value to a recycler because it cannot be refurbished or resold.
If your broken phone still powers on intermittently: sign out of iCloud during a working window (Settings → Your Name → Sign Out). If it will not power on at all and you cannot remove iCloud lock: contact Apple Support with proof of purchase — they can sometimes remove the lock for the original owner. Alternatively, sell it for parts to a specialist phone parts buyer rather than a general recycler, where iCloud lock has less impact on value.
Compare broken phone prices on GadgetRank →
Why compare on GadgetRank?
GadgetRank is an independent UK comparison site — not affiliated with any retailer, recycler or network. Every comparison is based on live price data. There are no paid placements or sponsored rankings. The best current offer appears at the top because it is the best current offer, not because of any commercial arrangement.
All retailers listed on GadgetRank meet minimum quality criteria: Trustpilot score of 4.0 or above, minimum 12-month warranty, battery health guarantee, and devices unlocked to all networks. This baseline means every option on GadgetRank is a trustworthy choice — the comparison is purely about price and any additional perks.