Phone Batteries

Battery Grades — what wholesale buyers check (iPhone 12 to iPhone 11)

A replacement battery is judged on honest capacity, cycle life and the protection board — not on the number printed on the label. If capacity is not measured at intake, a padded label will find its way to your bench. The protection circuit board guards against over-charge, over-discharge and short circuit, and a good board is what keeps a cheap cell safe. iPhone 12 batteries are graded by cycle life, which is where counterfeit cells give themselves away.

Cycle life is the number most suppliers avoid publishing, because a cheap cell looks identical on day one and falls away by month six.

Specs and checks that matter

• Cycle life: A genuine cell holds usable capacity markedly longer than a re-wrapped copy
• Compliance: UN38.3 test summary and MSDS travel with every cell — these are what air freight asks for
• Protection: PCM/BMS board and, on some models, a TI gauge chip sit on the cell
• Capacity claim: Rated mAh on the label and measured mAh on a tester are often different figures
• Grade scale: Original, OEM high-copy, aftermarket, refurbished — the grade sets cycle life, not the price

Buyer questions

What does the quality grading mean for batteries?

Original cells match the factory part; OEM high-copy uses good components at lower cost; aftermarket is the budget tier; refurbished cells are recovered and flagged.

What is the incoming check on a battery?

Open-circuit voltage, connector position, cell dimensions and a check that the stock is genuinely 0-cycle.

Is the capacity real?

Capacity is measured on incoming inspection against the factory spec, not copied from a label, so the figure you quote is the figure you get.

Do you supply the dangerous-goods paperwork?

Yes — UN38.3 summaries and MSDS are available per model so the carton is not held at the forwarder.

Related in this range

• Phone screens
• Phone Cases
• Motorola batteries
• All phone repair parts & batteries