I want to buy an iPhone 15 Pro. The ones I have been able to find are offered new with about 88% battery. I'm guessing they haven't been charged so the charge cycles would be 0 or very low numbers. Would this be better than buying a used one that has 91% battery but 471 charge cycles?
Ohemakai wrote:
Good advice, thank you. I was drawn to the new phones because they have not been used - they are off-loaded by Apple to companies that re-sell them.
That is 100% false.
They do NOT do that.
If an authorized retailer has excess stock, they may discount it after it's discontinued. They may end up returning them to Apple for credit if they don't sell. They are not permitted to "offload" them to other companies.
Apple NEVER does that. They will be converted to service units if not sold.
Ohemakai wrote:
Good advice, thank you. I was drawn to the new phones because they have not been used - they are off-loaded by Apple to companies that re-sell them.
That is 100% false.
They do NOT do that.
If an authorized retailer has excess stock, they may discount it after it's discontinued. They may end up returning them to Apple for credit if they don't sell. They are not permitted to "offload" them to other companies.
Apple NEVER does that. They will be converted to service units if not sold.
I haven't found any yet shwoing that a new battery is part of the deal.
If it were me, I would buy directly from Apple. Not only are you guaranteed a new battery with the iPhone, it will also come with a one year AppleCare warranty. Spend a bit more to get a lot more.
(Disclaimer....we receive no benefit or compensation). Our opinions are our own.
Refurbished iPhone Deals - Apple
IF....a third party company that refurbished the phone was officially approved by Apple, it will come with a new genuine battery. Unfortunately, you will not really know whether the company was officially approved as an Apple refurbisher unless you first buy the phone and check the Model Number.
Otherwise, any shop can call a used phone "refurbished"....and also call themselves iPhone experts.....so you won't know whether the phone was refurbished or used....and you also won't know if the shop used genuine Apple parts in the process. A phone with less than 100% Battery Health is a used phone, no matter what the seller might call it.
Don't buy a used phone. We get multiple posts every day from users who thought they were getting a good deal, and find out too late that the phone has problems.
The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community
Did you already have a look at this related article?
About Charge Limit and Optimized Battery Charging on iPhone - Apple Support
Or these "Final Notes" from this excellent User Tip?
...
Keep in mind that batteries are "consumables". Their capacity starts dropping the day they come off the assembly line. Battery life is determined primarily by "full charge cycles" - A full charge cycle is 0% to 100%, or any combination that adds up to 100%, such as 50% to 100% or 30% to 80% twice, 80% to 100% 5 times, etc. The battery will gradually lose capacity, and is rated to remain above 80% capacity (that's total capacity, not charge level) for 500 full charge cycles for an iPhone 14 or earlier (1,000 for an iPhone 15 or later and an iPad). For most people this will be around 2-4 years for the iPhone. iPad batteries will probably outlive the useful life of the device. Apple will replace the battery for a reasonable fee (Use this link to find the cost for your model and country→iPhone Battery Replacement - Official Apple Support) if it goes below 80% after the original 1 year warranty or added AppleCare+ warranty period. Within the warranty the replacement is free.
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copied from: When to charge your iPhone or iPad - Apple Community
Ohemakai wrote:
Yes, I did, but I appreciate seeing it again., thank you. From my understanding of it, it seems that a phone wiith less charging cycles is preferable.
So, I guess a better way to ask the question is:
Am I correct in concluding that purchasing an unused iPhone 15 Pro with only 88% battery health would lead to longer battery longevity than buying a used one with 91% battery but 471 charging cycles?
If the phone were "unused" there is no way anyone would be able to determine the battery health at all. in order to do that, it would have to be turned on and activated, making it "used".
'tweaking' phone to artificially boost the battery health is common.
Best advice is do NOT buy a used phone. Full stop.
If the unused, new iPhone you have mentioned has only 88% capacity left and zero or a low number of charging cycles, I would suspect, that the battery has been completely run down during that time.
In which case the battery possibly might have been damaged, or at least the battery health degraded that far as a result.
The ones I have been able to find are offered new with about 88% battery. I'm guessing they haven't been charged so the charge cycles would be 0 or very low numbers
Sorry, but your guess would be wrong. Over half of the battery capacity is already used up. You will need a new battery in approximately 6 months.
Would this be better than buying a used one that has 91% battery but 471 charge cycles?
No, it would be about the same.
Look to buy a refurbished phone with a new battery.
Yes, I did, but I appreciate seeing it again., thank you. From my understanding of it, it seems that a phone wiith less charging cycles is preferable.
So, I guess a better way to ask the question is:
Am I correct in concluding that purchasing an unused iPhone 15 Pro with only 88% battery health would lead to longer battery longevity than buying a used one with 91% battery but 471 charging cycles?
Good advice, thank you. I was drawn to the new phones because they have not been used - they are off-loaded by Apple to companies that re-sell them. I had expected these wold have 100% battery health but thanks to all I have learned here, I now underrstand that they would have lost capacity istting in their boxes for a couple years. I don't know how much they would have lost.
The 88% battery I mentioned is typcial of companies selling phones on ebay that are in opened boxes but supposedly unused. (They may have been returned, for example.)
Bob, thanks for your recommendation to go with a refurbished phone. I am looking into it and indeed that seems like a good route, although I haven't found any yet shwoing that a new battery is part of the deal. The best I've seen so far is from Back Market, which promises that the battery will be at more than 90% .
Re: “I am looking into it and indeed that seems like a good route, although I haven't found any yet shwoing that a new battery is part of the deal.”
Certified Refurbished phones purchased from the online Apple Store come with a new battery, a new outer shell, and a 1 year Apple warranty.
“Refurbished” phones sold by other vendors may sometimes be little more than used phones thrown into a box.
Good to know! Lots of false information out there apparently.
iPhone 15 Pro: Battery health vs. charge cycles for purchase
