It’s rare to purchase something that will actually increase the value of your smartphone, but there’s one item that offers more value per dollar than any insurance plan: a screen protector. The thin piece of plastic or glass could save your fancy-pants iPhone X from a fall that would leave it shattered into countless pieces. Even better, it could boost your device’s resale value a few hundred bucks.
Make an Extra $200 When You Sell Your Phone
Not all screen protectors are created equal. To figure out which one you’re most comfortable with, look into the pros and cons of each type. Plastic screen protectors are thinner and more flexible, but offer less protection from serious falls. Glass screen protectors are thicker, but can withstand a bit more wear and tear compared to the plastic counterpart. Some have features like oleophobic coatings, or are made of stronger, tempered glass.
Of course, plastic screen protectors are cheaper, and you can expect to pay anywhere from $2 to $10 for a pack of two or more. Glass protectors will run you a bit more, anywhere from $5 to $35 depending on the type you prefer. The more expensive it is, the more likely it’s got features like increased impact resistance or an oil-resistant coating. The investment will be worth it in the long run, so you may as well go for broke and get a high-quality one.
Time marches on, and eventually you’ll have to (or want to) get rid of your smartphone. You could, of course, sell it, but the resale value for phones depends heavily on the condition they’re in. As you can guess, phones with perfect, scratch-free screens can net you more cash than those with scratches, deep cuts, or, broken glass. But how much more cash?
To see how much a broken screen can affect your smartphone’s resale value, I used smartphone resale site Gazelle, and asled about the resale value of a 256GB iPhone 7. In perfect condition, Gazelle offers $340. Not the most money, but hey, enough to ease the pain of buying an iPhone X. In good condition, you’ll get $305. But if your phone has a cracked screen, that $305 drops to $120. That difference of over $200 is basically a list of 200 reasons you should outfit your phone with something like a screen protector. Wouldn’t you rather pay $10 now to make $200 later?