What is a Charge Cycle?
A charge cycle represents one complete discharge from 100% to 0% and back to 100%, though this may occur across multiple partial charges. For example, discharging from 100% to 50%, recharging to 100%, then discharging to 50% again would constitute one complete cycle.
Most lithium-based batteries are rated for 300-500 charge cycles before capacity degrades to approximately 80% of original capacity. Understanding charge cycles helps set realistic expectations for battery longevity and replacement planning.