Apple battery cycle count is a way to measure how much of your battery you've used. A single charge cycle doesn't necessarily mean charging from 0% to 100%. Instead, it's calculated based on the battery's total capacity.
Understanding Battery Charge Cycles
Here's a breakdown of how Apple's battery cycle count works:
- What is a Charge Cycle?: You complete one charge cycle when you've used an amount of battery power that equals 100% of its capacity.
- Partial Charges Count: For example, if you use 50% of your battery one day and then another 50% the next day, that counts as one complete cycle. It doesn't have to be a single charge from empty to full.
- Adjusted for Battery Degradation: As batteries age, their original capacity decreases. A complete charge cycle is normalised between 80% and 100% of the original capacity, this accounts for this expected diminishing capacity over time. This adjustment means you may not use a full 100% of current battery life, but rather 100% of what it was designed to hold initially.
Example of a Charge Cycle:
| Day | Battery Usage | Cycle Count Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 40% | 0.4 |
| Day 2 | 60% | 0.6 |
| Total | 100% | 1 Full Cycle |
Key Points to Remember:
- Not Just Full Charges: You don't have to fully drain and then fully charge your Apple device for it to count as a cycle. Partial charges contribute to a cycle count.
- Cycle Count vs. Battery Health: A higher cycle count doesn't automatically mean a poor battery health, it just implies the battery has been used and recharged a certain number of times.
- Battery Degradation: All rechargeable batteries degrade over time; Apple's cycle count provides insight into usage rather than being a direct measure of overall health.
- Check Your Cycle Count: On macOS, you can find your battery cycle count in System Information (under Power). iOS (iPhone and iPad) cycle count is only accessible via third party apps or tools.
How to Optimise Battery Life:
- Avoid Extreme Temperatures: Keep your Apple devices away from very hot or very cold environments.
- Optimized Charging: Use Apple's optimized charging feature where available, to reduce the time your battery spends fully charged.
- Regular Updates: Make sure your device's software is up-to-date as updates often include battery optimisation improvements.
Understanding how Apple's battery cycle count works helps you manage your device's battery better.
