how to fix broken lcd screen on phone for sale

This article was co-authored by Linh Le and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Linh Le is a Certified Mobile Repair Specialist and the Owner of SC Mobile Repairs in San Clemente, California. With more than 12 years of experience, he specializes in smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch hardware repair. Linh has an iTech Mobile Device Repair Certification and an iOS Certification. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from The Franciscan University of Steubenville.

The first thing you need to do when your LCD screen gets broken is to check your phone insurance. You’ll need to know whether it covers your cracked screens and the specific conditions that surround them. Doing this helps you make the most out of the money you paid for your phone insurance.

If the insurance covers the LCD screen, arranging for a repair will be straightforward. In a lot of situations, your main issue will involve going about your day without a phone. You can expect it to return within a few days.

Take note, you might still need to pay for the excess charges. The only time problems start is when you can’t get any replacement when your screen breaks. In that case, you’ll need to do the repairs on your own.

A good option while putting your cracked phone to the repair shop is to use an old phone. If you still have your old phone stashed away somewhere, it might be your best bet for now. Look at your drawers and check whether your old phones are still functional.

If your old phones aren’t there anymore, you still have friends and relatives. Ask them if they have gadgets they’re willing to lend. That way, you’ll have something to use while you decide what method to use to repair your cracked LCD screen.

In 2017 alone, around 5 million smartphone owners in the United States broke their phone screens. That shows how likely it is for you to break yours too. Accidents can happen even when people are careful.

It can get difficult, especially when the screen itself cracks instead of the glass cover. Repairing your screen will need you to take it apart using these steps:

Remove your battery cover as well as the battery and all the cards from the device. Once done, you can now unscrew the back of the device as well as remove the screws around the LCD. The screw types will depend on your phone brand and model, but the most common ones include T4, T6, or #00 Phillips screws.

Using a pry stick, take the housing off your device. Insert the stick between the two pieces of housing. Move it around the housing perimeter so the two pieces get disconnected.

Most devices have a cable that runs from the LCD to the control board. Disconnect the cable by lifting up on the connector. You also need to do the same on the cable that runs from the glass to the control board.

Try using a pry stick to remove the LCD from its own housing. Some devices might require you to remove the glass off first. If so, you need to use a heat gun on the glass for about half a minute to make the adhesive loose enough.

It’s important to remember that some devices like the iPhone combine the glass and the LCD together. That’s why it’s important to look at your replacement LCD and see if it also has the glass with it. If they’re connected, there’s no more need to pry them apart.

Put the replacement LCD in the housing of the cracked one. Once you’re finished, you can now reassemble the device. It’s easy as long as you reverse the steps you took when taking it apart.

There is always the option to send your phone to its manufacturer for the repair. But if you don’t want to pay a lot, you should try a local repair shop. The great thing is that it only takes a short Google search to find the ones near your area.

It’s always important to check the customer reviews before you commit your phone to an expert. Not all repair shops are the same. But if you find a skilled technician, you can rest easy since they can repair your screen fast.

In some scenarios, your phone will sustain irreparable damage alongside its LCD screens. You might think that it’s already worthless and hopeless. But the truth is that there are some websites out there that will pay for your broken device.

A good example is the shopping platform eBay. Some people buy broken phones since they want to salvage other parts to repair their own phone. It won’t net you a lot of money, but you can at least save some money when you need to buy new phones.

Some will also give you credit if you’re buying a used phone. Keep in mind that you might get a better deal if you take that instead of getting cash. But it’s only good if you’re buying a used device.

You have a lot of options if your phone’s LCD screen gets broken. No matter what you choose for your LCD phone screen repair, keep in mind that these options are always available for you. Look for the best option and commit to it as soon as you can.

You could almost see it happening in slow motion: your smartphone is in your hand one moment, and the next thing you know, it’s barreling toward the ground in a nosedive. Sometimes the layers of glass and plastic will hold up, but all too often, this scenario will lead to a chipped, cracked, or broken phone screen.

Thanks to the right-to-repair movement, the options for mending a broken phone screen have expanded. Between simple DIY fixes, third-party repair shops, and even manufacturer-sponsored mail-in programs, there’s an option for everyone.

It all boils down to a difficult-to-reach compromise between consumer desires and engineering reality. In other words, we want phones with maxed out displays that also feature an elegant design. However, those slim edges and nearly bezel-less screens have to make some concessions in the durability department.

But regardless of the design specifics, it’s really about elastic energy, according to Red Zombie, a Clearfield, Utah-based repairs and accessories shop.

“When you drop your phone, elastic energy stored in the phone’s glass is converted into surface energy, which is why your glass cracks,” the company notes in a September 2018 blog post. “[W]hen you drop your phone, the force of impact will overcome the surface compression, resulting in small stresses that could lead to the shattering of your screen.”

To combat this reality, manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are constantly experimenting with tougher kinds of glass to absorb the impact. Red Zombie says most companies mix zinc into aluminum to create a strong base for the body of the phone.

Broken screens come in various levels of severity—from light scratches, to spiderweb-like patterns, to entirely missing chunks of glass—and you could be dealing with anything from a completely shattered display and a broken phone, to a simple cosmetic issue.

First, you should assess the damage, which means getting your phone on a solid surface and under a good light, not just giving it a quick once-over before stuffing it back in your pocket. With a little bit of stress testing and careful prodding you should be able to work out whether the screen is about to fall off or fail completely. In a lot of cases it will stay in place, cracks and all, so you can at least keep tweeting, as long as the screen is still visible and functioning.

If the phone is seriously damaged, back up your data as quickly as you can, making sure all of your photos, videos, and important files are saved somewhere else just in case it dies completely and you can’t get the phone working again. If it’s already stopped functioning, then a professional repair is probably your best bet.

The name of the game here is, “hold out until I’m eligible for an upgrade.” If you want to keep using the cracked phone, and don’t want to risk losing glass or slicing up your fingers, cover the screen with a layer of packing tape. Line everything up carefully and trim it with an X-Acto knife, and it may look almostlike a real screen protector.

This is the gussied-up version of the packing tape solution. Using a screen protector ensures you have no seams and a clean line around the edges of the screen. Granted, that might not be much of a concern when there’s a spiderweb of cracks underneath.

It’s possible to replace a broken phone screen on your own. We’ll refer you to iFixit for their excellent, step-by-step guide with photos. A few key things to keep in mind here: Before you decide to go this route, look into the cost of a replacement screen. Today’s phone screens, which incorporate touch interaction and possibly biometric sensors, don’t come cheap.

You should also look into the warranty situation. If you’re the kind of person who is willing to fix a phone yourself, you’re probably not too worried about maintaining your warranty—but it still can’t hurt to know if you’re going to void it.

Finally, unless you’re already accomplished at repairing modern solid-state electronics, you probably lack the specialized tools you’ll need for the job. Luckily, iFixit sells a handy kit that includes pretty much everything you’ll need, with the possible exception of the iOpener, a tube you heat up and apply to the phone to soften its adhesives.

You can always just take your broken phone screen to a professional repair shop. If you’re an iPhone person, look for your local Apple Store here or consider trying out Apple’s mail-in repair program. Best Buy will work on iPhones and Samsung phones. And finally, UBreakIFix has more than 700 locations across the country.

Kevin is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. In past lives he’s been an economist, computer salesman, mathematician, barista, and college football equipment manager.

Before joining Pop Mech, Courtney was the technology reporter at her hometown newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She lives in the Philly suburbs with her partner, her black cat, and towers upon towers of books.

Your smartphone"s screen is the part of the phone that lets you see everything and interact with the device. If it gets a crack or receives some other damage, you might not be able to use it as intended. You can browse through eBay"s huge selection of inexpensive cell phone screen repair tools to find a kit that will help you fix mobile phone screens.

Cell phone screen repair kits are available from eBay in a variety of types. Some types have a general mix of tools, and others are made with a specific purpose in mind. You can use the helpful categories on eBay to sort through the hundreds of cell phone screen repair options you"ll find there. Some common types that are available to you include:

Screwdrivers - Many phones use proprietary or very small screws to keep the frames together. A phone repair screwdriver kit can help you take the phone apart.

Many cell phones have screens that come in two parts. The LCD display is the part you see in the first layer. It shows you images, videos, and texts that are on the screen. A second layer over the first has sensors that allow you to interact with the screen using your fingertips. During cell phone screen repair, it is sometimes necessary to use an LCD separator to take apart the two layers of the device. You may need to replace one or both of them to repair your phone.

You can find all-in-one cell phone repair kits on eBay. These kits include all the tools and parts you might need for screen repair work on phones. They are intended to work with as many phone models as possible. The main items you will find in one of these kits are adhesive strips and suction cups to help you separate the phone"s layers, various screwdrivers to deal with the small screws, prying tools, and pliers to hold the phone open. These parts are designed to be safe for the delicate parts you"ll find in your phone, but you should exercise care when performing any repairs.

Have theconstant changes in the market made it tough to forecast what the most profitable way to service the next release of iPhones and Android devices will be?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’ve found the PERFECT solution to create a reliable, consistent, and lucrative stream of income for your business. Give me just three minutes of your time to read this entire page right now; it could lead tothousands of dollars of added revenue for your business –I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

My name is Dustin Jones, and I’m the owner of Harvest Cellular, LLC. I started this company in 2009 when I walked past a few dumpsters behind a local business and found heaps of broken and cracked cell phones. I knew there had to be a better way, and that’s how Harvest Cellular was born.

If you’re like most small business owners, you probably greet customers, handle sales, source repair parts, conduct the repairs, take care of billing, and even do your own accounting – not to mention the other day-to-day operational tasks just to keep your business up and running.

If that’s not bad enough, there’s always those “Basement iPhone Repair Shops” who have no overhead and can afford to service phones at a much lower price.

You’re probably the only one that truly drives your business forward and has a real interest in not just surviving, but thriving both now and into the future –and this leads me to one of the biggest reasons I started Harvest Cellular.

It used to be that the new model of the latest phone was almost identical (from a parts standpoint) to the old model. But now, as you know,the life cycle of phones is becoming shorter, consumers are spending their money toupgrade to more advanced models, manufacturers areconstantly changing the components to be “new and exciting,” parts cost a LOT more than they used to, and the technological changes are difficult (if not impossible)to keep up with.

Years ago, one of the least valuable portions of a cellphone was the LCD screen. Now LCD screens are becoming one of the MOST valuable parts of the entire smart phone… costing even more than the value of the main board!

In fact, at this point, the average LCD part (for a repair) costs so much to purchase, it doesn’t make sense for store owners like yourself to buy them keep them in stock because your customers aren’t likely to convert anyway. The life cycle of phones is just too short now. Consumers are too willing to just sign a new two-year contract to get a new phone for free, or they’ll just purchase a used smart phone off of eBay or Craigslist for cheaper than the cost of repairing their old one.

You see, because the cost of production on LCD screen parts is starting out so much higher now, it can only go one way down. In truth, LCD screen production costs are dropping every single day. That should be good news, for you, but unfortunatelyit’s extremely difficult to keep up to date on the exact fair market prices.

There are suppliers who take advantage of the market changes, knowing that business owners (like you) aren’t totally “in tune” with themost updated LCD parts costs. Usually you won’t even know you’re being ripped off until you notice that your competitors are offering lower prices.

This is a HUGE problem for business owners like yourself, and it is an area that we can absolutely help you in. Rather than paying the outrageous prices for these parts that the suppliers demand, we’ll provide you a smarter alternative to avoid these suppliers altogether and dispose of your old broken LCD screens for CASH.

I’ve made it a personal mission to keep these suppliers in check; I demand lower pricing when it’s deserved so thatno hard-working business owner is taken advantage of.

It’s time to cut back on waste, and transition your business to be perfectly aligned with the market – and keep your profits as high as possible in the process!

If you’ve got LCD screens, then you’re sitting on CASH! All you need is a legitimate, honest recycling company to buy-back those parts from you – and you will walk away with a great margin!

My company, Harvest Cellular, is a USA based trading company providing value-added services for mobile phone repair centers, wholesalers, and refurbishing companies. We focus our efforts on cracked, damaged, and broken LCD assemblies from the most popular brands you deal with, including: Apple iPhone, iPod, iPad, Samsung, RIM Blackberry, and Motorola.

Our mission is simple: to provide you with one source to sell ALL of your broken LCD screens, cell phone parts, scrap, and mobile phones while ensuring you receive the BEST market value with the easiest process in the industry.

Many mobile phone buy-back companies will use unethical means in order to keep their margins as high as possible. In fact, it’s not uncommon for you to get a quote elsewhere which may be higher than the one we provide you, but you’ll later find out that they’ll demand a lower price and won’t actually pay you the quoted price. The old “Bain-n-Switch” is, unfortunately, a common practice in this industry among many of our competitors.

But this is NOT the case with us.I can personally guarantee you that the price we quote you is the price we give you, as long as what you’re describing is exactly what you send us.

Also, we almost always will provide you with an upfront deposit before you send anything to us! We’ve heard so many horror stories from some of the customers who come to us after shipping their entire stock of broken phones to another company with no deposit, only to never hear from them again.

There’s truly no comparison to the quality, price, and genuine service that you’ll be getting from us. Unlike nearly every other buy-back company, we’re honest, ethical, and in this for the long haul. We are most interested in building a long-term relationship with you, and are dedicated to providing you with the most exceptional service you’ve ever experienced.

I’d like to invite you to get afree quote to see exactly how much your broken phones may be worth, and see how much revenue you could potentially add to your business every single month!

P.S. – It’s VERY important that you act quickly and get your FREE quote right now. Prices are very apt to drop at any time. Locking in a quote now could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars if the prices decrease by this time tomorrow. Take advantage of our free quote now and see for yourself how much more money you can instantly add to your business. You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose, but so much to gain.

At uBreakiFix, we specialize in cell phone repair and cell phone screen repair because we don’t believe that a shattered screen or broken battery should have to ruin your day. Smartphones connect us with the rest of the world and being without this lifeline can be a hassle. Bring your device to the uBreakiFix nearest you for a smartphone repair.

Every mobile phone repair at uBreakiFix starts with a free diagnostic exam, to find the root of the problem and allow the technician to determine the right cell phone screen repair path. Diagnostic exams are especially helpful if the problem with the device is unclear. Once the diagnostic exam is complete, the technician can explain all of your cell phone screen repair options and get started if you want to proceed.

Whether you need a phone screen repair, LCD replacement, water damage diagnostic or clean-up or any of our professional services, you can always be sure that your device is being handled carefully by the most knowledgeable technicians in the industry. Our techs care about you as much as we care about your cell phone repair, so we will keep you updated on every aspect of the repair as it happens. No matter if you have a Samsung, Apple, Sony, LG or any other brand, for our professional techs, no device is too new or too complicated.

Our low price guarantee ensures that you are getting the lowest possible price on your repair. If you can find a lower published price for the same cell phone screen repair, we will happily match and beat it by $5. Every repair also comes with our 1 year warranty should something happen after a phone repair.

We know what it’s like to break your favorite device and we don’t think you should have to be disconnected for any longer than necessary. If you choose uBreakiFix for your cell phone repair, you can be confident that you are getting the best service at the lowest price around. We’d love to complete your cell phone repair and get your phone back to you as good as new.

This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

Got a broken phone that has become unusable? Do you know there is a problem before you even inspect or assess it? Are you wondering how to sell broken phones or sell cracked phones for money? Do you want to know where to sell broken phones for cash?

The first step to sell a broken cell phone is to find your device on our website and select the "Faulty" option. It will lead you to the top prices from trusted buyback stores. To be sure the stores listed on BankMyCell that buy broken phones will accept it, check the conditions below and see if yours match:

You can usually still sell your broken phone for cash, even when one or more of the above applies. It is worth noting that many buyback programs will reduce your quote if you try to send these devices in as "Good", "Cracked" or "Mint" Condition.

So always be honest about the state of your device, they do check! Again, you only sell if you want to, the stores offer free shipping and returns so there is zero risk involved.

We are also a family owned and operated business out of Boca Raton, FL, and our business is refurbishing large volumes of salvageable combos (Cracked Glass Good LCD) such as the ones that you buy. We can give you a credit for each combo that we refurbish based on the units that you provide for us to work on. We have a very transparent process and would like the opportunity to serve you. We have the capacity to handle large volumes and would very much like to get in touch with you to discuss our capabilities and show you how we could improve the margins in your buyback business and possibly reduce your need for working capital. Please reply if interested so that we can set up a time to talk. I assure you that it will be a good use of your time.

Use our “Get an Estimate” tool to review potential costs if you get service directly from Apple. The prices shown here are only for screen repair. If your iPhone needs other service, you’ll pay additional costs.

If you go to another service provider, they can set their own fees, so ask them for an estimate. For service covered by AppleCare+, your fee per incident will be the same regardless of which service provider you choose.

Your country or region offers AppleCare+ for this product. Screen repair (front) is eligible for coverage with a fee by using an incident of accidental damage from handling that comes with your AppleCare+ plan.

The Apple Limited Warranty covers your iPhone and the Apple-branded accessories that come in the box with your product against manufacturing issues for one year from the date you bought them. Apple-branded accessories purchased separately are covered by the Apple Limited Warranty for Accessories. This includes adapters, spare cables, wireless chargers, or cases.

Depending on the issue, you might also have coverage with AppleCare+. Terms and Conditions apply, including fees. Feature availability and options may vary by country or region.

We guarantee our service, including replacement parts, for 90 days or the remaining term of your Apple warranty or AppleCare plan, whichever is longer. This is in addition to your rights provided by consumer law.

Replacement equipment that Apple provides as part of the repair or replacement service may contain new or previously used genuine Apple parts that have been tested and pass Apple functional requirements.

It doesn"t matter what condition your phone, tablet or other mobile device is in you can still sell it here at SellCell. So, whether your phone has a cracked screen, faulty LCD or won"t turn on you can still be guaranteed of getting the most money for it at SellCell.

In fact, this is very common. Approximately 20%+ of all phones sold through SellCell are broken or faulty in some way so you"re not alone. This makes sense because recent research by SquareTrade estimates that 66% of smartphone owners have damaged their phone. This suggests a huge proportion of people break their phone at some point so don"t feel bad you"re in good company!

The good news is that you can still often get a lot of money for your phone even if it"s broken. This is because the cell phone buyers on SellCell actually specialize in buying broken phones as they repair and refurbish them to restore them back to working order so they can often still pay high prices for broken phones. It doesn"t matter if your device only has minor faults or is completely smashed there will always be a buyer for it at SellCell.

SellCell is the best place to sell broken phones, tablets and other tech because our unique price comparison technology compares prices from all the different broken cell phone buyers out there to get you the guaranteed most cash for your device, no matter what condition it is in!

So if you want to sell a broken cell phone for the most cash then try SellCell! You might be pleasantly surprised just how much you can get. Find out how much your broken phone is worth today!

For me, there’s nothing quite like buying a new electronic gadget. The thrill of unboxing it, charging it up and using it for the first time, and then figuring out how to use the device. You use the device, and if it’s a winner, you use it for a couple of years.

But what happens when that shiny new device is no longer being used, or isn’t as fast, or doesn’t have the latest operating system update? Does it just sit in your drawer gathering dust?

This past week while continuing to unpack and declutter at our new house, I decided to sell a couple of old electronic devices that I had sitting around the house cluttering things up. A couple of them were still working but were unused. One of them, my old Nexus tablet, was working to a degree but had a cracked screen. I decided to see if I could get any money out of them.

If you’re looking to sell or trade your old electronics, there are plenty of places that you can do that and make some extra cash or get free gift cards in return.

Here are the top 10 (or more) places that I found where you can sell your old, unused or broken devices.SellCell.com: SellCell.com is the US’s largest price comparison site for selling old mobile phones and tablets – they compare all of the key BuyBack companies in the market, saving the user the time of visiting lots of other websites to get the best deal for an old device. They guarantee that the user will always get the maximum cash when selling an old device on SellCell.com and offer users a “Best Price Guarantee” – if they spot a higher price on another site, they will refund the customer double the difference. They also show each BuyBack company’s user ratings from sites likes ReSeller Ratings, Trustpilot & BBB for peace of mind.

Backflip: Backflip offers consumers a quick and easy way to sell almost any used electronic device (phones, laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, smart speakers, etc.). You indicate what you have to sell, and Backflip extends you an offer. If you accept it, Backflip provides free shipping and fast payment, so that the transaction can be completed in under a week. Backflip is the fastest, easiest way to sell used electronics.

BuyBackBoss.com: With an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and a 9.6/10 rating on Trust Pilot, they are well respected. They issue payments quickly, within 2 days via PayPal or Check.

QuickSell: QuickSell is an online trade-in website that offers competitive prices for used, cracked, and broken iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. They offer multiple payment options, quick payouts, and free shipping on all orders. Use promo code “MONEYMATTERS” at checkout to receive an additional $5 on your order!

OCBuyBack: Sell your used or broken iPhones, iPads, iPods, Samsung Phones even MacBooks. From the OCBuyBack team: “Help us keep e-waste out of landfills. We keep a low overhead to give you a bigger payout.” Get free shipping and fast payment via check or PayPal. Use our exclusive promo code MONEY5to get $5 added to your trade-in!

Glyde: Sell your games, iPads, iPhones, Samsung phones, tablets, and more. Just search for your item on their site, list it, and then ship your item when it sells using the pre-paid label Glyde provides. Get paid 3 days after delivery to the buyer.

Sell locally to people on craigslist who want to see the device in person before buying. In some cases that can mean a higher price, although more hassle.

One thing you might want to consider if your device is broken and you don’t really want to get a new device or sell it – is to get your device fixed. Some companies will have retail locations that you can go to and get your device fixed – have a screen replaced, get a new battery installed, etc.

Other companies like Puls will come to you and fix your device at your location. They can fix issues ranging from a faulty headphone plug, broken power button, to giving you a new Bluetooth radio or screen.

Even if you decide you do want to sell your device, you’ll likely get more money for the device if it’s fixed first. Usually, the cost you pay to get it fixed before you sell will be outweighed by its increase in value. Something to consider.

If you’re concerned that you might end up breaking your expensive device because you tend to be a bit clumsy or accident-prone, you may want to consider purchasing an extended warranty from the outset for your device.

One of the best places to do that in my experience is Square Trade as the costs are typically pretty reasonable and they cover things like drops and spills:

Another thing to consider is that a lot of credit cards will offer extended warranty protection just for using their card. For example, I bought a GPS years ago that my credit card added a second year of warranty onto – which came in handy when it stopped working.

When you’re in the midst of getting rid of one device and looking for another might be a good time to think about negotiating your bills and lowering your monthly costs. You might be sitting on hundreds of dollars in savings, just by switching services, or asking for a discount with your current provider.

There are services out there like Bill Shark, BillFixers, BillCutterz, Rocket Money, and Ask Trim that will do all the negotiating for you. They’ll call your provider, and find a discount, whether it’s monthly or a one-time credit. I’ve used these bill negotiation services and have found savings.

Selling your old devices can take a little bit of work, especially if you’re trying to get top dollar for them. It pays to look around, get quotes at a few different sites, and see what you can get for them. On one of my devices I found that the average selling prices on eBay were about $25, but if sold on Amazon would bring in closer to $50. Another item I found I could get the best return by selling on eBay. All three of the items had no trade-in value when I looked at the popular trade-in sites like Gazelle and NextWorth. Typically it seems your devices have to be relatively new and popular, like iPads and iPhones.

This item I didn’t think I’d be getting much, or any, money for. The tablet had come flying out of its case while I was walking through a parking lot, and landed screen down on the asphalt. The screen cracked and the touchscreen was inoperable. After doing some research I found that there was an active marketplace for repairable items on eBay where people will buy broken electronics and repair them.

I listed the tablet on eBay and after a week at auction, it sold for about $41 with $9 shipping. Not too bad for a broken tablet that would have just sat in a drawer.

I got rid of the broken tablet, and someone else gets a DIY project. For that adventurous person, they can replace the screen for about $100 and have a nice tablet for about $150. Typically it would cost new for about $200.

I looked at a bunch of places to either trade-in or sell my Android cell phone. It’s on an older version of Android, and the device is now a few years old.

A lot of trade-in sites offered me $0 for the phone, and when checking eBay the recently completed sales for this phone ended in the $20-30 range for brand new phones.

In the end, I put a listing up on Amazon to sell the cell phone since other listings there were closer to the $30-50 range. 10 minutes after listing my phone it sold for my listing price of $45! After selling fees I netted about $40. I’m happy with that since I paid about $70 for it a few years ago!

I bought this mobile broadband device about a year ago on sale for about $90. After using it for a month or two I switched to the free mobile broadband offered via another provider called FreedomPop. The new device was the exact same device, also using the Sprint network. I basically got the same service for free instead of $35/month. (Freedompop is no longer in business)

After checking around I saw that the Virgin Mobile device was getting about $50 or so on eBay, and trade-in prices weren’t great. On Amazon, however, most people had their devices listed at $90-110, and the device still sells new for $120 at Virgin Mobile. I decided to list the item at Amazon for $89.99, at the time the lowest price for the device. I was pretty confident it would sell, however, the day I listed it Virgin Mobile put the device on sale for $71.99, essentially killing any chances I have of selling until the sale is over.

For now, I’ll leave the device listed, but it hasn’t sold yet. We’ll see what happens once the sale is over. I have a feeling it will sell for close to what I paid for it. (Update: I ended up selling the device for $65 after several others listed their devices at lower prices. Just goes to show, the sooner you sell something the better off you are.)

Selling your old electronic devices can mean cash in your pocket. The one caveat is that often the older or less desirable the device, the harder time you’ll have in selling it. If you have a recent generation Apple product you’ll probably have more luck than an older off-brand item.

My Nexus tablet was pretty desirable and relatively new at the time, so even broken it sold for almost 25% of its original price. The phone wasn’t as desirable but was in like-new condition and in the right marketplace still fetched over 1/2 its original price. The last item I sold was a newer device and is still being sold new by the mobile network – but since quite a few others popped up in the marketplace, the sales price ended up being lower than hoped.

If you’re selling your phone and looking for a new mobile provider, there are a ton of great low-cost providers out there. Here are some of the best cheap cell phone plans that I’ve found:Moble Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)Mobile NetworkMinimum Plan PriceFree TetheringReviewSprint$5 (Unlimited Text - No Talk, No Data) $10 (300 Min Talk & Unlimited Text - 1GB Data) Discounts if prepaid for 3 months.Yes

You"ve cracked your cell phone screen. Whether it slipped out of your hand while you were on a call or you left it on top of your car when you drove away, the glass is smashed.

Fortunately, the display still works, and perhaps the touchscreen controls too. So, what do you do now? Here are some things to do right after cracking your phone"s screen.

If so, arranging a fix should be straightforward. In most cases, if your phone screen is broken, the main problem is going to be living without it for a few days. That"s as bad as it gets (although you might have to pay an excess charge).

The problems with cracked smartphone screens start when it transpires you cannot get a replacement screen on the insurance. When this happens, you"ll need to take matters into your own hands.

Whether you can’t make calls due to the smashed phone screen, or it has been sent away for repairs, you"ll need a replacement. The best place to find one is usually stashed away in the back of a drawer.

Even if you don"t have an old phone you can switch to temporarily, a friend or relative might. Ask, and you"ll have a handy replacement until you"ve decided what to do with your phone and its broken screen.

For displays where chips and shards of glass are loose or missing, adding a screen protector is pointless. It won"t be able to adhere properly as the glass is in motion. The result: you wasted money on a screen protector.

But where the crack is minimal, putting a screen protector over a cracked screen might help keep the glass from cracking further. It might prevent further spidering.

By now, you might have realized (or decided) that you don"t actually need a new phone. But how would you go about replacing the screen if you cracked your mobile phone display?

Thanks to the internet, the chances are you"ll find a DIY fix for everything online. iFixIt is a great place to start, as it provides both instructions on how to fix a broken screen, along with links to the parts. Our own guide to repairing a cracked smartphone screen is also worth reading.

YouTube is another great resource for repair tutorials. Replacement screens can be bought online, via sites like eBay and AliExpress. Benefits of a DIY fix include the keeping down the cost of repair, as well as a feeling of accomplishment.

Uncertainty over DIY (“can I really put a screen protector on a cracked screen?”) might lead you to an alternative solution: paying someone else to do it.

While you could ship your phone to the official manufacturer, you"re going to pay through the nose for that option. Look at Apple"s repair fees – it"s not cheap to get a repair if the cracked screen is out-of-warranty.

There"s probably a local phone repair shop that you can try, and a Google search will show you where to find one, as well as customer reviews. Although you"ll probably be paying by the hour, a skilled technician can replace a screen pretty quickly.

Many sites will also give you credit for buying a used phone when you trade yours in. You"ll probably get a better deal if you take credit instead of cash, so keep that in mind.

With cash raised, check the web"s most popular online stores for a replacement, such as eBay and Amazon. You may even find the same phone in used, but otherwise good condition. Just pay attention to the item description. You don"t want to end up buying a damaged phone!

Sure, it might be painful to spend that much money. But it might be cheaper than buying a replacement and upgrading a few months later anyway. Instead of upgrading soon, it might be best to just do it now.

If you do decide to buy a new phone, don"t automatically buy one from your carrier. Buy an unlocked version instead; it"ll save you a lot of money, even though it seems more expensive.

If your phone is still working, and the screen doesn"t appear to be in danger of completely falling apart, why not just keep using it? Sure, it"ll be annoying to look at for a bit, but you"ll get used to it.

Saving the money it would cost for a new phone is always nice. If you"re on a contract that"s soon expiring, this is your best option. You can always put a piece of sticky tape across the crack in the screen. Keep your phone otherwise protected with a protective case, and it should see you through to the next upgrade.

While broken smartphone displays are frustrating, ugly, and kill your phone"s resell value, don"t let it cast a shadow. A broken smartphone screen is merely a challenge to be overcome.

Eventually your phone is going to be replaced, so if the other options don"t work out, have a fall-back plan. You might contact the carrier for an upgrade, or simply carry on using the phone with the damaged screen.