Many people question if it’s worth the money to repair a damaged iPhone.  I am here to dispel any rumors and clear up any misunderstanding that people have when it comes to the value of the iPhone and the cost efficiency of the repairs.  The truth is that it is always wise to repair a broken iPhone, even if you are going to trade or sell it.

First, some basic facts about how much an iPhone really costs.  As many readers know, an iPhone’s true cost is not the price you actually paid for it at the AT&T, Verizon, or Apple store when you sign a new two year contract.  The price you paid when you signed a contract is actually a subsidized price, so what you paid is reduced by the company since you are agreeing to be with them for at least two years.  You can also be granted this price if you are eligible for an upgrade, which is usually available every 12 to 20 months depending upon the company.  The true retail price of the current 4th Generation iPhone, if you were to go into an AT&T, Verizon, or Apple store and not sign a contract, is $600 for a 16gb and $700 for a 32gb.  For a 3Gs iPhone with 8gb of memory, be prepared to hand over around $500.

AT&T does offer something called an “Early Upgrade” with iPhones.  This allows the customer to purchase a new iPhone before their next upgrade date by signing a new two year contract.  For the new contract, you would get a different subsidized price and the Early Upgrade prices are pretty high.  For a 4th Generation iPhone, you will pay $400 for a 16gb iPhone, and $500 for a 32gb iPhone.

The frustrating part for iPhone repair companies is that most people have no clue their phone is actually repairable in almost all cases.  Customers who bring their broken devices into an Apple, AT&T or Verizon store looking for a solution are led to believe that they have only one option, which is to purchase a new phone at high prices.  Of course, this is money in the bank for these companies.  If your device was lost or stolen, the only way to replace it is to buy a new one, however, there is no reason to take that kind of loss on an iPhone that is merely damaged.  Repairing your iPhone is completely worth your money.  Anything else would be like buying a new car because you got into a minor traffic accident.  In reality, almost all repairs for the iPhone 3G, 3Gs and 4th generation can be done for less that $100.  that mean you can save over $200 if you repair your existing iPhone rather than agree to an early upgrade.

What if your current iPhone is broken, but you are eligible for an upgrade and able to buy a new iPhone 4 at the $200 – $300 with a new two year contract?  Is it still worth the money to repair the broken iPhone even though you can upgrade it?  Absolutely.  You could invest in repairing your current device and then sell it for the same price, if not more than an iPhone 4 at the subsidized price.  These used phones, undamaged and in working condition, sell for for over $200.  By not repairing the damaged iPhone, you are either going to discard a used device worth over $200, or you are going to give it to a third party who will repair it and possibly resell it.

No matter what, it is always economical to repair a damaged device in any situation, even if you are doing so just to sell it.