iPhone X $160 left til I own my X, but need a new screen - best thing to do?

[Anthony T]

So, I have $160 left to pay off until I own my iPhone X. However, the screen is scratched and a local shop would charge me $160 to replace it.

The phone is really all I need right now and I wasn't planning on upgrading until next year. Do I just pay off the phone and deal with the scratched screen until next year when I'm ready to upgrade? Do I just trade it in for the XI in a couple weeks? I have T-Mobile Jump On Demand.

 

[frosty18]

Maybe pay it off and sell it, it’s definitely worth more than 500 depending on the condition

 

[now i see it]

If you've only got one phone, keep it when you get a new one. Gotta have a backup nowadays

 

[newellj]

Depending on the scratch, and on the individual Genius who is involved and what kind of day they're having, Apple might not penalize you if you traded it in on a new phone. You'd get less than a private sale in theory, but if it's scratched and Apple ignores it (you didn't say how big the scratch was), that might be your best economic bet.

Last year I returned an iPad that had been dropped on a tile floor. The screen was perfect but there was a dent in the corner. I expected to be asked to pay for that in some fashion, but they ignored it, took it back and gave me a refund.

 

[Anthony T]

Depending on the scratch, and on the individual Genius who is involved and what kind of day they're having, Apple might not penalize you if you traded it in on a new phone. You'd get less than a private sale in theory, but if it's scratched and Apple ignores it (you didn't say how big the scratch was), that might be your best economic bet.

Last year I returned an iPad that had been dropped on a tile floor. The screen was perfect but there was a dent in the corner. I expected to be asked to pay for that in some fashion, but they ignored it, took it back and gave me a refund.

It's a hairline scratch, not that bad, only noticeable from certain angles.

 

[newellj]

It's a hairline scratch, not that bad, only noticeable from certain angles.

It's completely possible they won't notice or won't care. When my wife traded her S3 Watch last fall, it had some small scratches on the display - they gave her full trade-in credit.

 

[BeeGood]

It's a hairline scratch, not that bad, only noticeable from certain angles.

Yeah nobody’s going to notice that and if they do it probably won’t be a big deal.

I definitely wouldn’t she’ll out $160 for it. Just stick to your original plan and sell/trade next year.

 

[DevinNj]

Pictures would definitely help, if it’s just a scratch and not a crack, it should be acceptable for trade-in. It should fall under normal wear and tear. Several people here have traded in phones with screen scratches. You should make out okay if you go that route. But again without seeing it, it’s hard to say.