Repair or replace? Deciding before you buy the part

Before buying any part, it is worth asking whether this phone deserves the money. A rough rule that holds up well: if the repair costs more than roughly half what the same phone sells for used today, think hard.

Usually worth repairing

• Battery on a phone under four years old. It is the cheapest part with the biggest effect on daily use, and a phone that feels dead often just needs one.
• Charging port. Cheap part, contained repair, and it is a designed wear item.
• Back panel. Cosmetic on most phones — but do fix a cracked one, because it lets moisture and dust reach the internals.
• Screen on a mid-range or better phone. A screen is often the single most expensive part, but on a phone still worth ₹15,000 it is straightforward maths.

Usually not worth it

• Water damage affecting the mainboard. Corrosion keeps spreading, and repairs rarely hold.
• Two or more major parts at once — screen plus battery plus port on an older phone usually exceeds its remaining value.
• A phone no longer receiving security updates that also needs an expensive part. You would be investing in something with a fixed remaining life.

The third option people forget

Repairing is not the only alternative to buying new. An open-box phone — packaging opened, unit powered on and function-tested before listing — sits between the two on price, and comes with our published returns terms rather than the uncertainty of a private used sale.

Compare open-box phones and devices against the cost of the part you need, and read open-box vs refurbished if those terms are new to you.