Estimate the trade-in value of your old phone.
Handsets lose roughly 3% of their value each month, which compounds to about a third of the price in a year. Condition is applied as a multiplier on that residual — cracked glass removes most of the remaining value — and battery health adjusts it further because a tired battery is the first thing a refurbisher has to replace. Trade-in programmes pay below the private market, so a private sale estimate is shown alongside.
Handset residual value
Trade-in value = original price x 0.97^age in months x condition factor x (0.85 + 0.15 x battery health/100)
Trade-in programmes carry the cost of testing, refurbishing and reselling, and they price in the risk of undisclosed faults. A 20-30% gap is normal.
Yes. Below roughly 80% capacity a refurbisher expects to replace the battery, and the quote drops accordingly.
Only if the repair costs less than the uplift from damaged to fair or good condition. Often it does not.