It seems like the number one feature request for any new smartphone is always "longer battery life". While there are plenty of flashy new features on the horizon, in the end many of us just want a phone with a battery that comfortably lasts at least a day. No one wants to their phone to go flat when they need it most.
Of course, battery life isn't always easy to measure. There are plenty of factors that affect exactly how long a phone will last, and battery capacity is only part of the equation. Simple things like how much you use your phone can have a big impact. If you only glance at your phone from time to time, you'll have a very different experience to someone who doesn't put it down all day.
We've tested A LOT of phones over the years, so we've got a pretty good idea of how they fare with what you might consider typical usage - a robust (but not punishing) mix of messaging, emails, social, music, video and more.
So if you're after a good phone with a good battery life, these devices should be on your shortlist.
iPhone XR
Battery capacity: 2,942mAh
Our testing: Between a day-and-a-half and two days with standard usage
If you want the longest lasting iPhone, the iPhone XR is the clear winner. Most people should get through a full day on a single charge and still have a pretty comfortable buffer for day two. If you're lighter user, you may even get through the entire second day before you need to top up. Plain and simple, the iPhone XR boasts the best battery life you'll find on an iPhone.
While the iPhone XR's battery capacity might look smaller than what you see on top-end Android devices, the difference in operating systems makes comparing pure specs a little like …apples and oranges.
Read more about the iPhone XR here.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Battery capacity: 4,200mAh
Our testing: About two days per charge
When it comes to Android flagships, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is hard to beat in terms of battery. Moderate usage will get you two days per charge - in testing, I rarely ended a day with less than 60% remaining. No matter how hard you push the Mate 20 Pro, draining the massive 4,200mAh in a single day is Sisyphean task. It's the kind of phone you can use with reckless abandon and still have charge to spare when you call it a night.
Read more about the Huawei Mate 20 Pro here.
Samsung Galaxy S10+
Battery capacity: 4,100mAh
Our testing: Between a day and a day-and-a-half
The Galaxy S10+ has the largest battery in any flagship Samsung smartphone, and unsurprisingly, the best battery life. You'll get through a full day of heavy usage on a single charge and still have a bit of a buffer left in case you need it. Two days might be pushing it for lighter users, but a day-and-a-half is certainly doable.
OPPO R17 Pro
Battery capacity: 2x 1,850mAh
Our testing: Between a day-and-a-half and two days
OPPO's R17 Pro has a pretty neat trick: not only does have it have a solid battery life, it's the fastest charging phone we've tested. I was able to take my review unit from 10% to 85% in just 20 minutes. Given the almost-two-day battery life, you could get whole day of charge from plugging in the phone for a little more than 10 minutes. If you wanted to, you could genuinely never plug in the R17 Pro overnight.
It's worth noting you need to use OPPO's bundled SuperVOOC charger to get these fast charging speeds. A run-of-the-mill charger will juice up your R17 Pro at run-of-the-mill speeds.
Read more about the OPPO R17 Pro here.
Motorola Moto E5
Battery capacity: 4,000mAh
Our testing: Between two and three days
You don't have to spend big to get a smartphone with a great battery: the Moto E5 will set you back less than $200, but can almost last three days on a single charge. And despite its comparatively low price-tag, it's a really decent handset: it won't blow you away, but it makes surprisingly few compromises.
Read more about the Moto E5 here.
OPPO AX7
Battery capacity: 4,230mAh
Our testing: Between two and three days
The OPPO AX7 is another budget smartphone with a big battery. Restrained users will see as much as three days between charges, but most should get at least two days. It also happens to be a pretty nice-looking device - you wouldn't immediately pick the AX7 as a $399 phone.
Read more about the OPPO AX7 here.
Major factors that can affect your battery life
There are plenty of different factors that will determine exactly how long your smartphone battery will last. Some of these are obvious, some aren't. Here's a quick look at a few of the important ones.
- Screen time: Funnily enough, your phone uses a lot more battery when the display is on (as opposed to sleeping). As such, listening to music or a podcast (with your screen off) won't use anywhere near as much battery as watching a video.
- Which apps you use: Not all apps put the same kind of strain on your smartphone. For example, watching a video on your phone will use less battery than playing a game. For a phone, playing a video is a simple task. To run a game, the processor has to work much harder.
- Network coverage: Patchy network coverage can negatively impact your phone's battery life. Constantly searching for a signal and trying to reconnect to a network can be quite a demanding task.
- GPS: GPS - and mapping apps - can be surprisingly battery intensive. When using GPS, your device needs to communicate with three or four satellites for an extended duration of time. It doesn't help that your phone is typically running multiple tasks when using an app like Google Maps. You've got your GPS connection, your phone display is on, and you're using mobile data for the maps and traffic information. There's a good chance you're also moving at the same time, so your device will need to work harder to maintain its GPS connection.
Alex Choros
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