Posted 13 January 2024
iPhone 12 refurbished
Having had no problems buying Giffgaff refurbished phones in the past I bought a refurbished iPhone 12 at the end of July last year. So it’s now six months old.
It arrived in perfect condition, not a scratch on it, and with 99% battery health, for a reasonable price I thought (£390 after a successful TCB).
However, after three months I checked the battery health. 92%. Today, after six months it’s at 87%.
I am not a heavy user. I charge overnight. Typically a 100% (or close) battery takes me around 2.5-3 years use to drop to 80%.
I’m going to hit 80% within twelve months so I’m presuming there’s not a chance it arrived with a genuine apple battery correct?
Having now checked the parts and service history within the settings menu I can see it states that the display is a “genuine apple part”. So it’s had a new screen, and presuming there are workarounds to trick the iOS into thinking parts are genuine.
Has anyone got any thoughts on this, or experiences with Giffgaff refurbished themselves? Contacting them directly about this issue hasn’t resolved my battery concerns.
It arrived in perfect condition, not a scratch on it, and with 99% battery health, for a reasonable price I thought (£390 after a successful TCB).
However, after three months I checked the battery health. 92%. Today, after six months it’s at 87%.
I am not a heavy user. I charge overnight. Typically a 100% (or close) battery takes me around 2.5-3 years use to drop to 80%.
I’m going to hit 80% within twelve months so I’m presuming there’s not a chance it arrived with a genuine apple battery correct?
Having now checked the parts and service history within the settings menu I can see it states that the display is a “genuine apple part”. So it’s had a new screen, and presuming there are workarounds to trick the iOS into thinking parts are genuine.
Has anyone got any thoughts on this, or experiences with Giffgaff refurbished themselves? Contacting them directly about this issue hasn’t resolved my battery concerns.
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2 Comments
With the strict Apple software locking of hardware it really isn’t very easy to trick the device with fake parts like screens or batteries.
It’s more likely that the last user wasn’t too kind to the battery and used up all the capacity that was above the rated specification. Then maybe it was stored in less than ideal conditions for refurbishment (totally fully charged or totally empty, in a very hot or very cold warehouse) and then got sent out to you. This would explain the accelerated degradation you now see.
I wouldn’t worry too much yet. Degradation isn’t always linear. It may slow down again. Just see what happens and don’t worry unless your battery life in the real world becomes very short or it starts switching itself off while under load.
I don’t know about giffgaff specifically but very few companies will guarantee the battery especially on refurbished devices so there’s probably not much you can do other than replace the battery if/when it does get too bad.
In the meantime, if you don’t already, maybe switch on the charging optimisation feature so when charging overnight it will stop at 80% and only finish off just before you unplug in the morning. It can help prevent further wear to the battery.
I’d hoped that with the battery being on 99% when it arrived that it would be fine, but all the points you’ve made make absolute sense. The battery easily lasts me a full day on 87%, something previous iPhones on similar percentages did not.
I’ve always used the charging optimisation feature but appreciate the tip.
You’re right, Giffgaff said they don’t guarantee it’ll arrive with a genuine battery, and certainly don’t replace with genuine batteries under the 2 year warranty, so not something I’d take them up on anyway.
Worst comes to worst it’s £85 (currently) for an apple replacement fitted at a store, which isn’t the end of the world. I’ve considered battery replacement at 80% and having to charge twice a day in the past, but it just makes more sense selling the phone and buying another.
Thanks again for your helpful reply, I feel more reassured because of it. Have a great weekend!