iPhone Grading: Activation Lock, Face ID and Battery Checks

"Grade A" sounds simple until you're comparing it across three suppliers and getting three different definitions. On iPhones there's a second layer on top of that: a set of Apple-specific checks that decide whether a unit is resellable at all, regardless of how clean it looks.

For the complete grading system, including every criterion, battery-health threshold and cosmetic reference in one place, see our full smartphone grading standards guide. This post covers the iPhone-specific part: the software and parts-history checks that sit alongside the cosmetic grade.

Cosmetic grade is only half the check

An iPhone can be flawless cosmetically and still be worthless to a reseller. Activation lock, a non-genuine display, or a logged parts replacement will each cost you either the sale or the margin. None of these are visible in a photograph, which is why grade alone is not enough when you're buying iPhones in volume.

Activation lock and Find My

Activation lock is the single most expensive thing to get wrong. An iPhone still tied to a previous owner's Apple ID cannot be set up, cannot be resold, and cannot be unlocked by anyone except that owner or Apple with proof of purchase.

Every unit we ship has Find My confirmed removed at intake, verified after a full reset rather than taken from the seller's word. If you're sourcing elsewhere, check it yourself on arrival: a device that boots to the "iPhone Locked to Owner" screen is a write-off, not a warranty claim.

Parts and Service History

iOS logs component replacements under Settings > General > About. On iPhone XR and later you may see entries such as "Unknown Part" or a warning that the display, battery or camera could not be verified as genuine Apple.

This matters commercially in two ways:

Battery. A non-genuine battery suppresses the battery health percentage in Settings entirely, so the number you would normally price against is simply not there.
Display. A third-party screen usually costs True Tone, and can cost Face ID if the replacement was done without transferring the original components.

A logged non-genuine part is not automatically a defect. It is a disclosure item. Buyers who discover it after the sale treat it as one.

True Tone, Face ID and the repair trail

True Tone disappearing after a screen replacement is the most common quiet fault in graded iPhone stock. The phone works, the screen looks fine, and the feature is simply gone. Face ID failures follow the same pattern: the module is paired to the logic board, so a repair done without the original parts can leave Face ID permanently unavailable while everything else tests clean.

Both are worth checking on arrival, because both are invisible in a cosmetic inspection and both generate returns once an end customer notices.

Battery health on iPhone specifically

Apple reports Maximum Capacity in Settings > Battery > Battery Health, but that figure can be missing or misleading on a device with a replaced battery. We read capacity through OEM diagnostics at intake rather than from the settings screen, alongside cycle count where the tool reports it. The per-grade capacity floors, from 85% at A/A+ down to 73% at C/C+, are the same for iPhone and Samsung, and are listed in full on the grading standards page.

Carrier lock and IMEI status

A carrier-locked iPhone is worth materially less in most EU resale markets, and the lock does not show up in a cosmetic grade. Check IMEI status for carrier lock and blacklist reporting before you price the unit, not after. All SmartChoice stock carries an IMEI-clean guarantee, and IMEI is cross-checked against blacklist databases at intake.

What to check on an iPhone shipment

Beyond the standard arrival inspection:

Confirm no unit boots to an activation lock screen.
Open Settings > General > About and read the Parts and Service History on every unit.
Toggle True Tone on units with any display history logged.
Run a Face ID enrolment on a sample of units.
Check carrier lock and blacklist status against the IMEI list on the packing slip.

FAQ

Does cosmetic grade cover activation lock?

No. Cosmetic grade describes appearance only. Activation lock is a separate check, and a cosmetically perfect iPhone that is still locked to a previous Apple ID cannot be resold at all.

Why is battery health missing on some used iPhones?

Because a non-genuine battery suppresses the Maximum Capacity reading in iOS. That is why capacity should be read through OEM diagnostics at intake rather than from the settings screen.

Does a third-party screen affect anything besides looks?

Usually yes. True Tone is commonly lost after a display replacement, and Face ID can be permanently unavailable if the repair did not transfer the original components.

Where can I see the full grading criteria?

Every grade criterion, battery threshold and cosmetic reference is on the smartphone grading standards guide, which is also available as a PDF download.

Browse Stock by Grade

Filter current wholesale stock by grade to see exactly what's available at each tier right now.

Related guides

Full smartphone grading standards: every grade criterion, battery threshold and cosmetic reference, plus the arrival inspection checklist.
Grade A vs Grade A+ iPhones: what the EUR 5-15 premium between the top two grades actually buys.
Battery health and used phone grades: the per-grade capacity floors and how capacity is verified.
Cosmetic grading by component: screen, frame and back glass criteria broken out grade by grade.