Battery Health Percentage: What the Number Means on a Refurbished Phone
3 min read
87 %. 90 %. At least 80 %. Refurbished phones show numbers like these everywhere. None agree. The battery health percentage in your iPhone settings isn't the minimum capacity a retailer prints in a listing. That gap decides what you can trust.
What battery health actually means
Under Settings, Battery, Battery Health, iOS reports maximum capacity: how much it still holds against what it held new, an estimate the phone computes, not a lab reading.
Android handles it inconsistently. Samsung explains on its support page that the Members app rates battery status "Normal", "Weak" or "Poor", without disclosing its method (as of 13 August 2026). A one-word verdict, no percentage.
What retailers guarantee, and what they don't
| Retailer | Stated floor (13 August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Asgoodasnew | at least 80 % for every refurbished grade |
| Refurbed | 90 % Premium, 85 % smartphones, 80 % other devices |
| Back Market | at least 85 % original performance, max 500 cycles |
| Apple Certified Refurbished | no battery capacity stated |
The listing shows a condition grade, such as "very good" for the Apple iPhone 15 Pro 128GB Titan blau and the Samsung Galaxy S24 128GB onyx black. The condition grades overview explains it. Neither names your device's percentage.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro 128GB Titan blau
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Samsung Galaxy S24 128GB onyx black
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Why a stated floor says nothing about your unit
A floor covers the listing, not the box. Two phones in one grade can differ widely, both clearing it. Stiftung Warentest tested several refurbished sellers in 2023 and found measurable per-device differences in the same grade (published 22 February 2023, checked 13 August 2026).
Since 20 June 2025, Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2023/1670 covers smartphones newly placed on the market. According to the European Commission, it requires at least 800 charge cycles at 80 % or more remaining capacity (as of 13 August 2026). Not retroactive for refurbished stock already on sale.
The platform battery quality comparison answers how the platforms compare. Keep the number high afterwards with the battery care tips.
Before you buy: read the grade and compare offers.
All products from this post
The ones we named above are marked; the rest are alternatives in the same category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 80 % battery health good?
As a floor, yes. As an expectation, tight. Asgoodasnew states at least 80 % for every refurbished grade (as of 13 August 2026). At 90 % there's more headroom before a swap makes sense.
What is a normal battery health reading on an iPhone?
A used iPhone rarely shows 100 %. The figure drops with cycles, heat and age; how fast depends on the device. No universal normal number exists, only a retailer's floor.
How do I check battery capacity on Android?
Inconsistently. Samsung rates battery status in the Samsung Members app as "Normal", "Weak" or "Poor", with no percentage and no disclosed method (as of 13 August 2026). No single Android figure matches iOS.
