Phones with the best battery life

All of the power in the smartphone world won’t get you very far without a good battery to back it up. After all, you must keep the lights on to use your fancy cameras and premium processors. We have you covered if you’re ready to upgrade to a new device with a little more kick. Here are the phones with the best battery life.

Before we get to the list, you should know that these aren’t just the phones with the largest batteries. Bigger isn’t always better, especially if it has sluggish charging to match. Instead, we’ve gone for the devices that offer long-lasting battery life, reliable charging, and good longevity in the same package.

We’ve done our best to include everything from flagships to budget-friendly options, so let’s get to it.

The best phones with the best battery life:

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best phones with the best battery life as new devices launch.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Estimated battery life: Almost 24 hours of 4K video playback on a 5,000mAh battery

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra had a great battery life. Since the Galaxy S24 Ultra still holds an identical 5,000mAh battery, we didn’t think the software improvements and SoC optimizations would make that big a difference. We were wrong.

We’ve put the Galaxy S24 Ultra battery through our testing, and the difference is quite astounding. The Galaxy S24 Ultra lasted nearly as long in most departments, and it completely obliterated the S23 Ultra in 4K video recording. We were able to play 4K video for 1,437 minutes, which equates to nearly 24 hours! When constantly web browsing, we were able to make it last about 13 hours. You can check out more of the details in our Galaxy S24 Ultra battery test, but we can tell you its battery life is impressive. It can charge relatively fast, at up to 45W. Just make sure you get the right charger to reach these speeds.

It helps that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is also one of the best phones the industry has to offer. It comes with top-of-the-line performance, a gorgeous design, S Pen support, a gorgeous screen, and much more. Just be ready to pay a pretty penny for it. It starts at $1,300.

Galaxy S24 Ultra specs:

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Estimated battery life: A day and a half on a 5,050mAh battery

The Google Pixel 8 Pro improves upon its predecessor, especially in terms of battery life. The newer Google handset comes with a 5,050mAh battery. This isn’t really impressive anymore, but the Tensor G3 processor brought some improvements to battery optimization.

As a result, we found in our Pixel 8 Pro review that the device can easily last about a day and a half before needing a charge. And even with heavy usage, we still saw a 10% battery level by the end of a full day. Additionally, the Pixel 8 Pro charges a bit faster, at 30W. While not industry-leading, this is still significantly faster than the Pixel 7 Pro’s 23W charging speeds.

Otherwise, the rest of the phone is pretty awesome. You get good performance, excellent cameras, a great design, and an industry-leading seven-year update promise. The price is pretty fair at $1,000, too.

Pixel 8 Pro specs:

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Estimated battery life: 25 hours of video streaming on a 4,441mAh battery

iPhones aren’t typically known for their superb battery life, at least compared to the best phones with the best battery life. That said, they don’t do too bad either, and adding an Apple option is important, as we know many of you prefer iOS.

If you’re going to go with an Apple smartphone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is your best bet in terms of battery life. Sadly, it is also the highest-end iPhone from the latest generation, which means it will cost a pretty penny. Prices start at $1,200.

Apple claims its flagship can last up to 25 hours streaming video, or 95 hours playing audio. Of course, you will be doing other things, too. Charging isn’t as fast as other phones on this list, either. In terms of charging, Apple promises the phone can reach 50% in 30 minutes, given you’re using Apple’s own 20W charger ($16.17 at Amazon).

Otherwise, the device is as great as high-end Apple phones get. The screen is gorgeous, the design is outstanding, it has fantastic cameras, and performance should be no issue.

iPhone 15 Pro Max specs:

Motorola Edge Plus (2023)

Estimated battery life: Two days on a 5,100mAh battery

The Motorola Edge Plus (2023) sits proudly on our list of the best phones with the best battery life for good reason. It comes with a 5,100mAh battery, which is barely better than usual.

What really makes this phone last is its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 optimizations. During our tests, we managed to get about two days of juice out of a full charge. And when it was time to charge, the 68W charging allowed us to recharge to 100% in about 50 minutes. You can also charge wirelessly at 15W.

The phone is no slouch elsewhere. It has great performance, premium construction, a fluid 165Hz refresh rate, and a pretty solid camera experience. It’s also significantly cheaper than its direct competition at $800.

The Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2024) ($299.99 at Amazon) might dethrone this phone, though. We have yet to test it, but it’s worth a look if you care for battery life.

Edge Plus specs:

Sony Xperia 1 V

Estimated battery life: A full day of heavy use, or two to three days, on a 5,100mAh battery

The Sony Xperia 1 V really impressed us. We were able to take it through a full day of heavy use with ease. And with lighter use, it was possible to make it last two to three days on a single charge! We found the 30W charging speeds to be underwhelming for a $1,400 phone. That’s not horrible either, though. It lines up with other high-end phones.

In our testing, we found a few things to complain about. Mainly, we didn’t like the price, charging speeds, older display tech, and the lack of an update commitment. Otherwise, it is an amazing phone.

The cameras are stunning, especially if you are into video recording. Additionally, it has a great build quality, stunning performance, and a 4K panel.

That said, the Sony Xperia 1 VI is right around the corner, and an announcement should come on May 16, 2024. You might want to wait a bit to see if it’s worth waiting for.

Xperia 1 V specs:

REDMAGIC 9 Pro

Estimated battery life: 56 hours of standby on a 6,500mAh battery

The REDMAGIC 9 Pro offers a very enticing proposition for gamers and power users alike, primarily because of its price. Its starting price point sits comfortably at $649, which gets really close to mid-range devices, yet it comes with some of the most powerful specs available.

This device sports a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, as much as 512GB of storage, a large 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and a substantial 6,500mAh battery. This phone is quite the treat, and it looks great, too, if you like gaming looks.

Additionally, it comes with an active cooling system that will help avoid thermal throttling. This will be helpful not only while gaming, but also when charging. This device can charge at up to 80W, which can really get things toasty. Sadly, nubia skipped wireless charging here, but that’s not too much to sacrifice, considering the price point. It’s also one of the best gaming phones around.

REDMAGIC 9 Pro specs

OnePlus 12

Estimated battery life: 1.5 to two days on a 5,400mAh battery

The OnePlus 12 is a great phone, and it seems this time around, the company is making no compromises in terms of battery life and charging. The device comes with a 5,400mAh battery. We were able to make it last a day and a half to two days on a single charge. That’s hardly the most impressive part of the equation, though.

This handset is also one of the fastest-charging devices around. It can charge at 80W in the USA, and 100W elsewhere. Additionally, it supports 50W charging if you get the company’s AIRVOOC 50W Wireless Charger ($49.99 at Amazon). This means you can fully charge it wired in 30 minutes, or wirelessly in 55 minutes. Just consider this: the OnePlus 12 can charge faster wirelessly, than the Galaxy S24 Ultra can charge wired.

It’s a great phone in other departments, too. You get great performance, thanks to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and up to a whopping 24GB of RAM. You also get a large 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a QHD+ resolution. The cameras produce solid results, too. All things considered, the $900 starting price isn’t too bad.

OnePlus 12 specs:

OnePlus Open

Estimated battery life: About a day and a half on a 4,805mAh battery

Before the OnePlus Open, we didn’t think a foldable phone could have such good battery life. We had no problems unplugging the device at 8 AM and keeping it alive until sometime the day after, during our OnePlus Open review. That is quite impressive, especially considering we had difficulty making the Google Pixel Fold last a full day. We had the same experience with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The one major downside of the Open is that it has no wireless charging. That said, it does have really fast 67W fast wired charging, which beats nearly all main high-end flagships right now.

Otherwise, the phone is great in most other departments. We loved the design, the camera experience is surprisingly good, and the performance is as good as it gets. It’s a little cheaper than its direct competitors, but it’s still pricey at $1,700.

Open specs:

Samsung Galaxy A15 5G

Estimated battery life: Two to three days on a 5,000mAh battery

The Samsung Galaxy A15 5G isn’t going to come busting doors and competing with the big guys, but it’s only $200, and it beats most in the battery department. We were impressed during our Galaxy A15 5G review. This little guy comes with a 5,000mAh battery, which can keep the lights on for two days, easily. Without much use, it can go for up to three days.

Everywhere else, the phone is actually pretty nice, considering the price. The OLED display is gorgeous, and the build quality is actually pretty solid. The update promise is quite healthy, too, offering four years of OS upgrades and five years of security patches.

There are some downsides. We didn’t like the speaker, the secondary cameras are disappointing, and performance could be improved. That said, this is definitely among the phones with the best battery life.

Galaxy A15 5G specs

Unihertz Tank

Estimated battery life: 150 hours of talk time or over 99 days on standby, on a 22,000mAh battery

Do you want the absolute most battery life you can get? You’ll be hard-pressed to beat this one, and it helps that it’s also the most affordable phone on this list. The Unihertz Tank really lives up to its name; it’s big, thick, bulky, and rugged. It actually meets both IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H certifications, so it can take a beating.

There’s a good reason why this phone is so thick. It is absolutely one of the best phones with the best battery life, as it has an impressively sizeable 22,000mAh battery packed inside. Unihertz claims this phone can stay alive for 2,380 hours on standby, which equals to just over 99 days. It can also survive 150 hours of talk time on a full charge. Whenever the time to charge comes, you can do so at 66W, which is pretty fast for a phone at this price. Apparently, you can get from zero to 90% in under two hours. That may seem slow to most, but remember, this is a 22,000mAh battery!

As mentioned above, the price is very nice, too. The Tank has a $400 price tag. Specs include a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a large 6.81 display, and a 108MP primary camera. It even has fancy features like a 20MP night vision camera, a flashlight, and the ability to reverse charge. This means you can use it as a portable battery, too.

By the way, the Unihertz Tank 2 ($529.99 at Amazon) is already out. Still, we didn’t list it as an option because the manufacturer reduced the battery size in exchange for an integrated projector. Yes, you read that right. It still has a 15,500mAh battery, though, which is still very impressive!

Unihertz Tank specs:

That’s our look at our picks for the best phones with the best battery life at the moment. Stay tuned; we’ll update this list regularly as new devices launch! If what you’re looking for is one of the best overall phones, we have a list for that, too. We have also compiled a list of the best budget phones if you’re looking to save cash.