Josh is basically right about battery lifespan. Typical manufacturers rate the "end of life" or "end of usable life" of a battery as when it will only hold a charge that is 80% of original capacity. For most, that means the battery will take about 500 full charge cycles where a full cycle is the consumption of 100% of a charge and 100% charge replenishment.
For example, if you use the phone from a full charge (100%) to 50%, then charge back to 100% typically every day, you have used 1/2 of a charge cycle. If you do that 2 days in a row, then you will have consumed and charged 50% twice, or 50% + 50% = 100%, or one full charge cycle. For that person, they will get 1,000 days of life from that battery. For someone who uses the phone from a full charge to 15% and then charges to 100% again, they will get about 588 days of lifespan before the battery will only hold 80% charge (500/85% = 588).
Other factors play a role in how long the battery will last including how fast you charge (slower is better), how deeply you discharge (not less than 15% is better), how fully you charge (not more than 80% is better), and how heavily you use it during the discharge portion of the cycle (slower discharge is better than fast).
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