Battery cycles
One full discharge-charge cycle. Lithium-ion batteries degrade with each cycle; modern cells retain 80% of original capacity after 500–1,000 cycles in normal use.
A "cycle" is one full discharge equivalent — two half-discharges count as one cycle, not two. Manufacturers rate cells in cycles to 80% capacity (the industry standard end-of-life threshold).
Typical ratings
- Smartphones — 800–1,000 cycles. iPhone 15+ raised the target to 1,000.
- Laptops — 1,000 cycles.
- Wireless earbuds — 500 cycles (case battery shorter).
- EVs — 2,000+ cycles.
What shortens cycle life
- Heat. Charging hot or storing hot accelerates degradation.
- High state of charge. Long-term storage at 100% is hardest on the cell.
- Fast charging. Modest impact at modern thermal management; bigger impact on cheap chargers.
The longevity-friendly habit: charge to 80%, discharge to 20%, avoid heat. Most modern phones offer an "Optimized Charging" mode that approximates this.
How to use Battery cycles in a real comparison
One full discharge-charge cycle. Lithium-ion batteries degrade with each cycle; modern cells retain 80% of original capacity after 500–1,000 cycles in normal use. In practice, this is most useful as one part of a decision rather than a standalone quality badge. Compare it alongside the workload, room, ecosystem, budget, and ownership constraints that apply to you; the strongest published figure is not automatically the best outcome for every buyer.
What to check next
Open a product page and check the stated value, configuration, price, and related trade-offs before treating this term as decisive. It is especially relevant in .
Avoid the one-number trap
Manufacturers can describe the same capability under different conditions. Compare like-for-like variants, check the unit and test condition where available, and use a head-to-head page to see whether a measurable difference is material for your own use.
vsMars presents structured catalog values to make trade-offs legible. The linked product and spec pages are the right place to inspect the underlying values before buying.