Battery health, explained properly

Battery health is the most misunderstood number in the refurbished market.

What it measures

It is the battery's current maximum charge capacity as a percentage of its capacity when new. A phone at 90% holds nine tenths of the charge it held on day one. It does not mean the phone runs at 90% speed, and it does not mean the battery is failing.

Why 85%

Apple considers a battery consumed when it falls below 80% of original capacity. We set our floor at 85% so that every device has real headroom left, not a battery about to need replacing. Anything arriving below that gets a new cell before it goes on sale.

What we publish

The exact figure for the grade you are buying appears on every iPhone listing. Not a range, not a minimum — the number.