You have found the phone you want, the price looks right, and then the page asks you to pick a condition. Refurbished phone grading is where a lot of Australian buyers stall: is Good good enough, is As New worth the extra, and what happened to "Premium"? Here is what each grade means at Mobile Federation, what it costs you in real dollars this week, and how to choose without overpaying.
The quick answer
We sell three cosmetic grades. As New looks and feels like a new phone. Excellent shows light wear, such as micro-scratches you will only spot with the screen off. Good shows visible scratches but works exactly the same. The grade describes how the phone looks, not how it works: every grade is 100% functional, passes the same 72-point inspection, has at least 80% battery health and carries the same 24-month warranty. On a refurbished iPhone 15 128GB this week, stepping from Good to As New adds $50. If you use a case, Excellent is usually the sweet spot.
What each condition grade means
These are the descriptions from the Understanding Our Condition Grades section of our home page, with a little more detail on what to expect in your hand.
As New
"Like-new look and feel." The screen has no scratches, and any wear on the body is so slight you would not see it from about 30 centimetres away. This is the grade for gifts, for people who go caseless, and for anyone who simply wants it to feel new out of the box.
Excellent
"Minimal wear. May have micro-scratches." Any marks on the screen are only visible when the display is switched off, and the body may show light signs of everyday use up close. Once it is in a case with a screen protector on, most people cannot tell an Excellent phone from an As New one. It is also our most-stocked grade, so you get the widest choice of colours and storage.
Good
"Moderate signs of wear. Visible scratches." You will see scratches on the body, and possibly fine marks on the screen, but they do not affect the display when it is on. Good is the value grade: the same phone, the same tests and the same warranty, for the lowest price.
Phone condition grades and price: what the difference costs
Grades are only useful if you know what they cost. Here is what the step up looked like on three popular models as at 12 October 2026 (cheapest in-stock phone in each grade):
- Apple iPhone 15 128GB: Good from $669, Excellent from $699, As New from $719.
- Apple iPhone 15 Plus 128GB: Good from $689, Excellent from $719, As New from $769.
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus 5G 256GB: Good from $589, Excellent from $619, As New from $659.
In each case the jump from Good to Excellent is about $30, and the jump to As New is another $20 to $50. Prices move as stock comes and goes, so treat these as a guide and check the listing for today's figure.
If your budget is the deciding factor, our guide to the best refurbished phone under $700 shows how far each grade stretches across brands.
Battery options: New Battery and Min 90% Battery
Grading covers the outside. Battery is checked separately, and every phone we sell has at least 80% of its original battery capacity. For context, Apple says iPhone 14 and earlier models are designed to retain 80 per cent of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles, and you can see your own figure under Settings, Battery, Battery Health.
On some phones you will see a battery upgrade next to the grade:
- New Battery (iPhones): a replacement battery has been fitted during refurbishment. On the iPhone 15 Plus 128GB, Excellent (New Battery) starts at $754, against $719 for standard Excellent.
- Min 90% Battery (Samsung and Google): the battery has been tested at 90% capacity or more. On the Galaxy S24 Plus 256GB, Excellent (Min 90% Battery) starts at $649, against $619 for standard Excellent.
If you are a heavy user, or you plan to keep the phone for three years or more, the battery option is often a better use of $30 to $40 than a higher cosmetic grade. These options are in shorter supply than the standard grades, so they come and go.
Premium vs Excellent refurbished: where does "Premium" fit?
"Premium" is not one of our grades. You will see it used in two ways when you shop around.
First, some marketplaces use it as a grade name. Back Market's Australian site, for example, lists Fair, Good, Excellent and Premium, where Premium means a flawless phone with a minimum 90% battery. The closest match at Mobile Federation is As New with a New Battery or Min 90% Battery option.
Second, we use "premium" to describe our whole range: premium refurbished devices, tested and backed by the same warranty whichever grade you pick. Grade names are not standardised across Australian retailers, so always read the description rather than the label. That is the single best habit for buying refurbished, and our explainer on what a refurbished phone is covers the rest of the process.
Where Mobile Federation fits
Every phone is inspected and graded at our facility in Sydney, and the grade you choose is the grade you receive. The cosmetic grade never changes your cover: Good, Excellent or As New, the phone ships with our 24-month warranty against manufacturing faults and hardware failures, so if a component fails in those two years, it is on us. Accidental damage such as drops, cracked screens and liquid is not covered. You also get 30 days from delivery to return it for a full refund if it is not what you expected. If you are still weighing up where to buy, our guide to buying a refurbished phone in Australia walks through what to look for.
Frequently asked questions
Does a lower grade mean the phone works worse?
No. At Mobile Federation, grades describe cosmetic condition only. Every grade is 100% functional, passes the same 72-point inspection and has at least 80% battery health.
What is the difference between As New and Excellent?
An As New phone has a scratch-free screen and a body with little or no visible wear. An Excellent phone may have micro-scratches that show on the screen only when it is off, and light signs of use on the body. On an iPhone 15 128GB the difference was $20 as at 12 October 2026.
Is a Good grade refurbished phone worth buying?
Yes, if you use a case and care more about price than looks. You get the same phone, the same tests and the same 24-month warranty, with visible scratches on the body.
Is Premium better than Excellent?
It depends on the seller. On Back Market's Australian site, Premium sits above Excellent and means a flawless phone with a minimum 90% battery. Mobile Federation does not use a Premium grade; our top cosmetic grade is As New, and some models offer a New Battery or Min 90% Battery option.
Does the grade affect the warranty?
No. Every device we sell carries the same 24-month warranty against manufacturing faults and hardware failures, whatever its grade.
Pick your grade
Start with the condition grades on our home page, then choose the model you want and compare the grades side by side on its listing. If you just want our view: Excellent for most people, As New for gifts, Good for value.
