Discover the best smartphone with the longest battery life in our ultimate comparison.
1. Introduction
The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device Smartphones are lasting longer than ever, with many recent releases claiming spots on our best phone battery life list. And you’re not just finding budget phones with beefy batteries or gaming devices that place a premium on battery life here (though a gaming phone does top our rankings). Flagship phones from Apple and Samsung are including in our rankings, too.
In fact, in 2024, we’ve seen the longest-lasting iPhone and Galaxy S flagship that we’ve ever tested. These days, even foldable phones are offering long battery life, which is impressive, given the limits on space for power packs and the fact that there are two displays to keep powered up. Yet, Motorola’s premium flip phone breaks into our best phone battery life list of the 15 longest-lasting phones that we’ve tested in the last 18 months. This influx of long-lasting phones is making it tougher than ever to land a spot in this best phone battery life guide. A phone would need to hold out for more than 14 hours on the battery test we run on each phone just to have a chance of making the grade.
Still, some devices manage to go above and beyond that 14-hour mark. Take the ROG Phone 8 Pro, which currently heads our list after turning in the best result we’ve ever seen on our battery test. It’s followed by the OnePlus 12R, an impressive midrange device that doesn’t require you to pay up for outstanding battery life. It’s no wonder that both of those handsets took home honors in our Tom’s Guide 2024 awards for phones. In our custom battery test, we make phones surf the web continuously over 5G until they run out of juice. We set the phone’s screen at 150 nits of brightness to ensure comparable results. And if the phone has a display with a fast refresh rate, we test multiple times with that feature enabled and disabled to get a sense of what kind of battery life you can expect.
The average phone lasts just over 10 hours, so anything better than that mark offers solid battery life. But to earn a place on the best phone battery life list, you need to go past 14 hours. Truly, we’re talking about phones that offer the kind of endurance where you’re less reliant on one of our best portable charger picks. If our chart looks a bit different than it used to, that’s because we made a change to how we rank best phone battery life. The test numbers we use reflect the default setting for a display’s refresh rate. Often, that means a phone can adjust that rate during our test. We believe that using the default setting is the best way to get comparable results, but since we also test at different refresh rate settings, we’ll note when that has an impact on a phone’s battery life in the write-ups below.
We’ve also adjusted the times of some recently released phones as we’ve had a chance to run additional battery tests on them. The numbers in our battery life rankings reflect averages calculated from multiple tests.
2. Methodology
In our custom battery test, we make phones surf the web continuously over 5G until they run out of juice. We set the phone’s screen at 150 nits of brightness to ensure comparable results. And if the phone has a display with a fast refresh rate, we test multiple times with that feature enabled and disabled to get a sense of what kind of battery life you can expect. The average phone lasts just over 10 hours, so anything better than that mark offers solid battery life. But to earn a place on the best phone battery life list, you need to go past 14 hours. Truly, we’re talking about phones that offer the kind of endurance where you’re less reliant on one of our best portable charger picks.
If our chart looks a bit different than it used to, that’s because we made a change to how we rank best phone battery life. The test numbers we use reflect the default setting for a display’s refresh rate. Often, that means a phone can adjust that rate during our test. We believe that using the default setting is the best way to get comparable results, but since we also test at different refresh rate settings, we’ll note when that has an impact on a phone’s battery life in the write-ups below. We’ve also adjusted the times of some recently released phones as we’ve had a chance to run additional battery tests on them. The numbers in our battery life rankings reflect averages calculated from multiple tests.
Credibility: Our methodology for testing phone battery life is based on a standardized and rigorous process that ensures fair and accurate results. We use a custom battery test that involves continuous web surfing over 5G with the phone’s screen set at 150 nits of brightness. This allows us to compare the battery life of different phones under similar conditions. We also take into account the impact of display refresh rates on battery life and adjust our rankings accordingly. Our testing process reflects our expertise in evaluating smartphone performance and our commitment to providing trustworthy and reliable information to our readers.
3. Results
The results of our extensive testing revealed that smartphones are now lasting longer than ever, with many recent releases claiming spots on our best phone battery life list. This includes flagship phones from Apple and Samsung, as well as budget phones and gaming devices. Even foldable phones are offering impressive battery life, despite the challenges of powering two displays. These advancements in battery life are making it increasingly difficult for phones to land a spot in our best phone battery life guide, as they need to hold out for more than 14 hours on our battery test to be considered.
Top Performing Phones
– Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro: 18 hours and 48 minutes
– OnePlus 12R: 18 hours and 30 minutes
– iPhone 16 Pro Max: 17 hours and 17 minutes
– OnePlus 12: 17 hours and 5 minutes
– Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra: 17 hours and 1 minute
– Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: 16 hours and 45 minutes
– iPhone 16 Plus: 16 hours and 30 minutes
– Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus: 15 hours and 58 minutes
– Motorola Edge Plus (2023): 15 hours and 47 minutes
– Moto G Stylus 5G (2024): 15 hours and 1 minute
Overall, the average phone lasts just over 10 hours, so anything better than that mark offers solid battery life. But to earn a place on the best phone battery life list, a phone needs to go past 14 hours.
Testing Methodology
In our custom battery test, we make phones surf the web continuously over 5G until they run out of juice. The phone’s screen is set at 150 nits of brightness to ensure comparable results, and if the phone has a display with a fast refresh rate, we test multiple times with that feature enabled and disabled to get a sense of what kind of battery life users can expect. The results in our battery life rankings reflect averages calculated from multiple tests, ensuring accuracy and reliability in our assessments.
4. Analysis
4. Analysis
The trend of smartphones with longer battery life is a positive development for consumers, as it means less reliance on portable chargers and a longer-lasting device overall. The fact that flagship phones from top manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are included in the list of longest-lasting phones shows that battery life is a priority across the board. This trend is likely driven by consumer demand for devices that can keep up with their usage throughout the day without needing frequent recharging.
The inclusion of midrange and budget phones in the list, such as the OnePlus 12R and Moto G Stylus 5G, demonstrates that long battery life is not limited to high-end devices. This is good news for consumers who may be looking for more affordable options without sacrificing battery performance. Additionally, the use of Snapdragon chipsets in many of the devices on the list highlights the importance of efficient hardware in maximizing battery life.
The advancements in battery technology and power management are evident in the test results, with phones lasting well beyond the 14-hour mark. This indicates that manufacturers are making significant strides in optimizing battery performance, which is a key factor in overall user satisfaction. As consumers continue to rely on their smartphones for various tasks throughout the day, the emphasis on long battery life is likely to remain a top priority for manufacturers.
Overall, the presence of a diverse range of smartphones in the list of longest-lasting devices reflects the industry’s commitment to providing users with reliable and long-lasting battery performance across different price points and device categories.
Top Longest-Lasting Phones in 2024:
– Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro (18:48)
– OnePlus 12R (18:00)
– iPhone 16 Pro Max (17:17)
– iPhone 16 Plus (16:30)
– Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra (17:01)
– Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (16:45)
– iPhone 15 Plus (16:14)
– Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (15:58)
– Motorola Edge Plus 2023 (15:47)
– Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 (15:01)
These top 10 longest-lasting phones in 2024 showcase a mix of gaming phones, flagship devices, and midrange options, indicating that battery life is a priority across different segments of the smartphone market. The variation in battery life among these devices also highlights the importance of power management, chipset efficiency, and battery capacity in determining overall performance.
5. Conclusion
In conclusion, the advancements in smartphone technology have led to an impressive increase in battery life across various models. From flagship phones to midrange devices, the industry has made significant strides in providing users with longer-lasting battery performance. This is especially beneficial for users who rely heavily on their smartphones throughout the day, as they can now go longer periods without needing to recharge.
Top Performing Phones
The top-performing phones in terms of battery life include the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro, OnePlus 12R, iPhone 16 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and more. These devices have set new standards for endurance and have proven to be reliable options for users seeking long-lasting battery performance.
Implications for Users
For consumers, the availability of smartphones with extended battery life means less reliance on portable chargers and more freedom to use their devices throughout the day without constantly worrying about running out of power. This is particularly important for individuals who use their smartphones for work, gaming, or other activities that require prolonged usage.
Overall, the improvements in smartphone battery life are a positive development for consumers, and it will be interesting to see how manufacturers continue to innovate in this area in the future. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more impressive advancements in smartphone battery performance.
In conclusion, the comparison of smartphone battery life reveals that there are significant differences between various models. It is important for consumers to consider battery capacity and efficiency when purchasing a new smartphone to ensure optimal usage and convenience.