Refurbished Phone Grades and Battery Health Explained (UK Guide)

31 October 2026

Buying refurbished is the easiest way to get a better phone for less, but the labels can be confusing. What does “Pristine” actually mean? Is 85% battery health good? This guide explains how we grade our XTEC Renewed phones and shows you how to check battery health yourself on an iPhone or a Samsung.

What refurbished grades mean

A grade describes how a phone looks, not how it works. Every refurbished phone we sell, whatever its grade, is fully tested, data wiped, unlocked to any UK network and covered by a 12-month XTEC warranty. The grade tells you how much cosmetic wear to expect.

  • Pristine (like new): no visible scratches or marks. This is the grade most of our refurbished iPhones and Samsung phones are sold in.
  • Excellent (very good): light signs of use that you would usually only notice up close.
  • Good: more noticeable signs of use, priced lower to match.
  • Fair (acceptable): offered on selected older and Retro models. Expect clear scratches, scuffs or marks on the body or screen. Fully tested and working, and priced to reflect its condition.

The grade is shown on every product page, and you can read the full detail on our how we grade page. Refurbished phones come in a plain generic box rather than the original retail packaging.

What battery health means

Every lithium-ion battery slowly loses capacity as it is charged and discharged. Battery health (sometimes called maximum capacity) compares what the battery can hold today with what it held when new. A phone at 100% is like new; a phone at 85% holds about 85% of its original charge.

For everyday use, a reading in the mid-80s or above is a healthy battery that will comfortably get most people through a day. Once a battery drops towards 80% you may notice it running down faster, especially with heavy use such as video, navigation or gaming.

Our refurbished product pages state the minimum battery health for that phone. For example, our refurbished iPhone 13 128GB (£249.99) comes with battery health of at least 85%.

How to check battery health on an iPhone

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Battery.
  3. Tap Battery Health & Charging (on older versions of iOS this is simply Battery Health).
  4. Look at Maximum Capacity. This is the battery health percentage.

On iPhone 15 and later models you can also see the cycle count under Settings > General > About. If the screen shows “Peak Performance Capability” as normal, the battery is supporting the phone’s full performance.

How to check battery health on a Samsung Galaxy

Samsung doesn’t show a single percentage in the same way, but you can run a quick check:

  1. Open the Samsung Members app (it comes pre-installed on most Galaxy phones).
  2. Go to Support or Get help, then Phone diagnostics.
  3. Tap Battery status. A result of “Normal” or “Good” means the battery is healthy.

On newer versions of One UI you may also find battery details under Settings > Battery or Battery and device care. Menu names vary a little between models and software versions.

What to check when your refurbished phone arrives

  • Check the battery health using the steps above.
  • Make a call, send a text and test mobile data with your own SIM.
  • Try both cameras, the speaker, the microphone and the charging port.
  • Test Face ID, Touch ID or the fingerprint sensor.

If anything isn’t right, get in touch. You have 30 days to return the phone, and the 12-month XTEC warranty covers faults after that.

Which grade should you choose?

Browse all refurbished phones and devices, or message us on WhatsApp (07599 803768) if you’d like a recommendation.