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iPHONE 17 PRO MAX SAGA CONTINUES: VDM EXPOSES BATTERY HEALTH BOOST TRICK
INTRODUCTION
The iPhone 17 Pro Max story in Nigeria has just taken a fresh turn. What began as a viral feud over converted iPhones and exaggerated pricing is now getting a technical upgrade. VeryDarkMan (VDM) has released a video from China claiming that some sellers are manipulating battery health readings. In other words: they may be making low battery devices appear as though they have 100% battery health.
This new twist adds deeper layers to the story. It raises questions about trust, transparency, buyer safety, and the ethics of selling tech in a market already vulnerable to deception. In this follow-up post, we’ll:
- Revisit the original saga for context
- Examine exactly what VDM claims in the new video
- Discuss how plausible his claims are, based on technical reality
- Share reactions and counterarguments from the public and tech community
- Lay out what Nigerian buyers should watch for
- Reflect on the broader implications for the Nigerian phone market
If the first post made you look twice, this one should make you look inside.
A QUICK RECAP OF THE ORIGINAL STORY
To understand why the battery story matters, it helps to remember how we got here:
The controversy stemmed from Blord, a businessman in Awka, posting videos showing what he claimed were iPhone XR devices “converted” into iPhone 17 Pro Max shells. He offered them for sale at steep prices, around ₦400,000 – ₦450,000.
VeryDarkMan (VDM) challenged him, saying he could import the same conversions of iPhone 17 Pro Max from China for about ₦280,000 and accused Blord of overcharging Nigerians and misleading buyers.
Public debates, social media blowups, forum threads, and news write-ups followed. But most of the evidence was visual – casing, UI, demo videos. No independent proofs existed at the time.
That controversy centered on physical modifications of iPhone 17 Pro Max i.e. casing, UI, and the price gap, not yet on internal performance or metrics like battery health.
Now, VDM’s new video is bringing battery health, something buyers often trust implicitly into question.
VDM’S CLAIMS IN THE NEW CHINA VIDEO
Here’s a close look at the new twist VDM introduced, based on the reels and posts currently visible online.
In his new reel, VDM showed iPhones that, by interface, claim to have 100% battery health, even though they supposedly had low or degraded battery life before.
The overlay text in some clips reads:
“Watch how they buy low battery life iPhones and how they boost the battery to 100% with just 2k lol”
The video suggested that for a small fee, even as low as ₦2,000 or its equivalent, sellers or workshops can make a phone’s battery read as “fresh.” VDM positioned this as a hidden trick many buyers don’t see – part of how sellers hide the true condition of a device when reselling or converting.
He also showed multiple devices side by side, and sometimes devices being tested or displayed in shops in China, with battery indicators prominently shown. The tone of VDM’s content was investigative. He implied that this was one more deception layered on top of the conversion / overpriced sale controversy.
However, VDM’s video did not show a full technical demonstration of how the battery boost is done i.e. software tool, firmware patch, calibration hack, etc.; the before-and-after tests under load e.g., show that before “boost,” battery died fast; after “boost,” still dies fast; expert commentary or teardown proof in the same video; and long-term tracking to show if the “boost” holds over time
Because of these gaps, while VDM’s claim is alarming, if true, it’s not yet proven in full technical detail to the general public.
THE TECHNICAL REALITY
To see if the claim is plausible, let’s dive briefly into how battery health metrics work and how they can sometimes be manipulated.
Battery health is typically a software calculation, derived from internal sensor data, that is, voltage, charge cycles, temperature, charge/discharge curves, and more. Battery percentage is also a software reading derived from these metrics.
When a battery ages, its chemical capacity falls; the phone might reflect that via lower max capacity or worse discharge curves.
The metrics can be influenced by
- Calibration reset / software reset. After installing a new battery, technicians, sometimes, reset counters so battery health shows high values initially.
- Custom firmware / toolkits. In repair scenes, some custom or off-brand tools allow editing or overriding battery health flags.
- Masking / faking codes. Some phones may have hidden or debug mode values that allow temporary override of battery health displays.
- Battery replacement + cell matching. Some sellers might replace the internal cells with fresh ones, then put the casing back, making “100%” health genuine, even though this requires real hardware work, not just a trick.
On the limits and risks, even if you fake battery health, under load i.e. heavy use, gaming, video, temperature extremes, the phone might reveal its true capacity through faster drain, voltage drops.
A faked “100% battery” is often unstable. The phone might detect inconsistency and adjust down, or the user experiences poor performance despite the metric.
Manipulating such metrics may void warranties, create software instability, or even risk damage, if battery size, capacity, or specs mismatch expectations.
So, yes, the idea that a seller could boost battery readouts isn’t far-fetched in tech circles, especially, in grey / repair markets. But claiming a consistent, safe, long-term boost without side effects is harder.
PUBLIC REACTIONS
Since VDM dropped the new video iPhone 17 Pro Max battery health boost, reactions have been varied, loud, and fast. Here’s how people are talking about it.
Many commenters online are praising VDM’s initiative. Two of such comments read:
“At last someone showing the deeper tricks sellers use.”
“I never trusted 100% battery health claims again.”
On forums, some tech watchers are saying this is raising the bar for buyer caution:
“Now, even battery metrics are suspect. Next we’ll need internal diagnostics for every phone.”
The skeptics and critics are demanding proof:
“Show the full video: before, during, after. Not just reels.”
“Could be another clickbait — wait for longer evidence.”
Others claim complexity:
“Maybe he’s exaggerating. Not every device allows battery health override.”
“Even if you boost battery health reading, the actual performance matters more.”
Repairers in Nigeria in smaller forums or repair shop circles are cautiously acknowledging that similar tricks may exist in grey markets. Some are saying they’ve seen phones showing perfect battery health after battery swaps, but they drain fast, while some others are insisting there are calibration tools, but they’re not perfect. So, the “boost” may be superficial.
Some local tech bloggers are issuing cautionary posts:
“If you’re buying a phone that claims ‘100% battery’ from a conversion seller, record it, demand warranty, run stress tests.”
The combination of intrigue, skepticism, and technical commentary is making the battery twist a hot new front in this story.
WHAT NIGERIAN BUYERS SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR
If you’re a potential buyer of an iPhone 17 Pro Max, or any used/converted phone, here are practical guardrails to avoid being deceived by a battery “boost” trick:
- Ask for battery cycle count and detailed health report screenshots. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Health (or equivalent) and screenshot the specifics (maximum capacity, cycle count, peak performance).
- Run stress/load tests. Play a high-usage app (game, video) and see how fast the battery drops. If a phone says 100% but drops 5 -10% in 10 minutes under mild load, that’s suspicious.
- Use battery diagnostic apps/tools. There are apps and code diagnostics, depending on OS that reveal battery voltage/charge curves over time. Inconsistent curves can hint at manipulation.
- Request internal inspection. Let a trusted repair shop open the back and check battery specs, serials, any added modules or hacks.
- Time-bound warranty / return window. A seller offering a short guarantee period gives you room to test thoroughly after purchase.
- Record unboxing and readings; video everything. battery reading at unboxing, hours later, under load. That way you have proof if things go wrong.
- Compare multiple offers. If one seller claims flawless “100% health” while others are more cautious, that might be a red flag.
- Avoid aggressive discounts. No product that perfectly mimics a new phone should be drastically cheaper — excessive discounts paired with 100% battery claims are suspect.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FOR THE MARKET AND TRUST
This iPhone 17 Pro Max battery twist deepens what the original debate was about, not just whether conversions are overpriced, but whether internal integrity is being compromised.
Buyers may now begin to doubt, not just casings and UI, but something many assumed reliable – battery health.
People will likely turn more to repair shops, tech review units, or friends with diagnostic tools before buying.
If battery metrics are faked, claims of misrepresentation, deceptive trade, or fraud become stronger for critics and regulators to act on.
Bloggers, YouTubers, and tech forums may dig deeper into seller practices, making the market more transparent, or riskier for shady players.
The layered tricks on casings, UI conversion, battery boosting highlight how complex it is for end users to get trustworthy hardware.
IN CONCLUSION…
The iPhone 17 Pro Max saga in Nigeria has quietly evolved into a more sophisticated and risky debate. What started as arguments over casings and markup has now dragged in battery health deception – a deeper, more technical layer of possible manipulation.
If VDM’s claim is proven true, buyer trust will take another hit. But even if the boost trick is partial or temporary, it serves as a powerful warning. In a market where every shiny phone with perfect specs is suspect, transparency, evidence, and careful inspection become essential.
For sellers, it’s a reminder that shortcuts and misrepresentation eventually catch light.
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