The day before yesterday, I bought my brand new iPhone 15 and charged it three times from 20% to 85%. However, it is showing a cycle count of three. I didn’t charge it to 100% three times.
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
It is actually the discharge that determines your cycle count. You charged it 3 times at 65% each, which means it was discharged from 100% 1.95 times. Then consider the discharge when you got the phone and the discharge after your last charge and that could easily leave you with a cycle count of 3.
Consider the example provided by Apple here. If you charged the phone 75% one day, and then the next day it discharged by 25%, it would then be 1 cycle count even without a further charge.
It is actually the discharge that determines your cycle count. You charged it 3 times at 65% each, which means it was discharged from 100% 1.95 times. Then consider the discharge when you got the phone and the discharge after your last charge and that could easily leave you with a cycle count of 3.
Consider the example provided by Apple here. If you charged the phone 75% one day, and then the next day it discharged by 25%, it would then be 1 cycle count even without a further charge.
Cycle count is a measure of how many charges it has had from 0 to 100%. The phone likely came with a cycle count of 1 as the battery was tested and charged during manufacture. Since it likely came with a cycle count of 1, going from 20% to 85% three times would show a cycle count of 3 as it should. Think of it this way. If you charge your phone from 30% to 80%, that is 1/2 of a cycle. If you do that 4 times in a row 50% + 50% + 50% + 50% = 2 Cycles.
Don't spend a lot of time looking at cycle count. You'll end up driving yourself crazy. There is no way to stop the eventual decline in Battery Health.
Inaccurate battery cycle count on iPhone 15
