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Battery cycle

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Also called: charge cycle

Plain-language definition

Plain-language definition

One full battery use equal to 100% of its capacity, even across several charges.

Why it matters

Cycle count helps explain battery aging but does not by itself prove battery health or remaining runtime.

Technical detail

A cycle is accumulated discharge totaling the battery’s rated capacity; two 50% discharges can together count as one cycle.

Examples

  • Using 40% today and 60% tomorrow adds up to one battery cycle.

Sources and review

Reviewed July 12, 2026 by [email protected]. Next review due July 11, 2027.

  1. Device Safety — iFixit Accessed 7/11/2026

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