At Back Market, our refurbished devices are as good as new. Actually, they’re better because reborn electronics have a much lower environmental footprint. We know that you may have questions when making the switch from buying new to buying refurbished. Here, we address the battery life of refurbished devices.
If you’ve already purchased a device from us, don’t forget you can reach out to Back Market Customer Care anytime. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our FAQs, you can reach them by logging in to your Back Market account and going to "Orders" > "Ask for help".
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What battery performance can I expect over my phone's lifetime?
The battery is warm or inflated
What battery performance can I expect over my phone's lifetime?
Every smartphone sold on Back Market is required to have a battery with at least 80% of its original capacity. All the other devices sold on Back Market are required to have a battery with at least 85% of its original capacity. If your device does not reach at least 85% (or 80% for smartphones) of its initial charge capacity when you receive it, reach out to Back Market Customer Care (we will contact the seller and they will replace the battery or device for you.)
Good to know: If you purchased a smartphone with an "Extra charge battery", your device must have a charging capacity of 90% when you receive it. If the battery capacity falls below 90% during the first 30 days of use and below 80% after the first 30 days and during the first 12 months of use, you are entitled to a repair.
All batteries degrade over time, and this degradation is measured in two ways: State of Health (SOH) percentage and cycle counts.
SOH is the available battery capacity compared to the original battery’s specs.
"Cycle counts" refers to how many times the phone's battery has used 100% of its capacity and then is fully recharged again. Because of this, the battery life on older devices will start to drain faster throughout their lives.
So, where did the battery requirements for charge cycles and battery SOH come from? Simple, most manufacturers agree that anything under 80% SOH is considered “consumed” and ready to be replaced. Batteries under 80% tend not to last throughout a full day, and if you try to do any power-intensive tasks, like watching a movie on the Netflix app, your phone may actually shut down.
Since we don’t want to sell you a phone that won’t hold enough charge to get you through the day, we require sellers to only use batteries above 80% during the withdrawal period. As for cycle counts, 500 tends to be the industry standard as well for what is considered a “good” battery. While there is no direct correlation between charge cycles and battery SOH (meaning x number of cycles does not degrade the SOH by x%), high cycle counts are a solid indicator of a bad battery.
Because of this, it’s inevitable that your battery's health will eventually fall below 80% of its initial charge capacity with normal use. It shouldn’t happen right away though.
My battery doesn't last long
The best way to prevent your battery from draining is to be mindful of how you use your device. Certain apps, such as games, video streaming, or social media can demand a lot from your battery. So, if you're running multiple apps at once, like IG, Fortnite, Netflix, etc., the battery will drain quicker than you're expecting. Find more tips for improving your battery life
Whatever the grade of your device, each battery is checked and tested by experts to ensure it has at least 85% capacity (or 80% for smartphones). If you receive your device and aren't getting the battery life you expected, you can check your battery by following these steps:
iPhone
Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > "Battery Health"
Android
Although the wording of some of these options may differ, this should point you in the right direction for any Android device: Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > "Battery Usage"
Additionally, 3rd party apps like AccuBattery can help you track the lifetime health of your battery.
Samsung
Open the "Samsung Members" app and go to: "Get Help" > "Interactive checks" > "Battery"
When you begin to use your device, synchronizing your data requires a lot of resources and can use up the battery life of your smartphone. Don't panic, this is normal. Charging may take a bit longer than normal, and it may discharge quickly, but once your phone is completely up and running, the battery discharge rate should return to normal.
My device isn't charging
If your device isn't charging, be sure to check the charging cable, AC adaptor, and outlet to make sure all these accessories are working. To do so, plug a different device into the charging cable. If it’s not charging, use a different AC adaptor or plug it into a different outlet to see if that fixes the issue. If you're still not seeing a charge, swap out the charging cable as well.
If you've tried a different charging cable, AC adaptor, and outlet — and still can't get the device to charge, contact Back Market Customer Care for help.
The battery is warm or inflated
Excessive heat from your battery or an inflated battery are indicators that the battery is not functioning correctly. If you're experiencing this issue, remove the device from the charger, turn off the device to ensure it's no longer draining the battery, and contact us for a replacement or repair.
Keep in mind that charging a device generates heat and if you’re using the device while it’s charging you’re only adding to that heat. It’s normal for phones to get warm — the time to be worried is if it’s actually hot to the touch, as in uncomfortable to hold.
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