Whether you’re at home or travelling, it can be frustrating to keep plugging your phone in every few hours when the battery drains. Though you can carry portable chargers with you, it would be more useful to have a smartphone with a battery that can withstand a whole day (or two!) of usage. So if you’ve been struggling, we’ve put together a list of the mobile phones with the best battery life.
How is battery life measured?
Before we delve into the best phones with the longest battery life, it’s helpful to know exactly how battery life is measured in electronic devices.
The longevity of a battery, removable or non-removable, is measured in mAh (milliamp hour). The higher the mAh, the more power the battery can hold, and the longer it can last before needing to be recharged.
There are many features which can alter this longevity, such as the use of 4G or having 5G turned on in Settings, playing or streaming videos and music for long periods of time, having the screen’s brightness on high, using FaceTime and other video apps that require the use of visuals and audio, and how old the phone is to begin with.
Battery capacity will decrease the longer you have your phone, so older phones tend to die more quickly than newer phones.
Which smartphone has the best battery life?
Regardless of which brand you’re loyal to, the following manufacturers have released game-changing batteries in their smartphones, so you no longer have to worry about running to a plug socket or carrying wires with you.
But if you just want the best phone out there for battery capacity, then we recommend you go with the Samsung Galaxy M51, which features a whopping 7,000mAh battery! Of course, even a phone with the best battery life will still need topping up eventually. Check out our ultimate guide to charging your phone.
There’s plenty more choice than just the M51 - use the navigation below to explore your favourite brands and what they have to offer:
Apple phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
iPhone 11 Pro Max |
3,969mAh |
Released in Autumn 2019, the iPhone 11 Pro Max boasts the largest battery capacity of any iPhone to date |
|
iPhone 12 Pro Max |
3,687mAh |
Released just last year at the end of 2020, the 12 Pro Max is the largest iPhone |
|
iPhone XS Max |
3,174mAh |
From 2017, the XS Max is the largest of the iPhone 10 family |
|
iPhone 11 |
3,110mAh |
The original 11 is the slightly smaller version of the 11 Pro Max |
|
iPhone XR |
2,942mAh |
The iPhone XR is the cheapest of the 10 range |
|
iPhone 12 Pro |
2,815mAh |
The model below the Pro Max in the newest 12 range released in 2020 |
Samsung phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
7,000mAh |
Released in Autumn 2020, the M51 is a mid-range price smartphone with a whopping battery life |
|
|
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra |
5,000mAh |
Launched in Spring of 2020, the S20 Ultra boasts a huge battery capacity |
|
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE |
4,500mAh |
Also released last year, the S20 FE has a big battery life. Other models with the same capacity include the Samsung Galaxy A71 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra |
|
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ |
4,300mAh |
This 2019 device has one of the biggest screens in the Samsung family |
|
Samsung Galaxy A20 |
4,000mAh |
This Spring 2019 release boasts a useful battery capacity; the same as the Samsung Galaxy A51 |
If you’re interested in a Samsung smartphone, check out some of our recommendations.
Huawei phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
Huawei Honor X10 Max |
5,000mAh |
This July 2020 release contains one of Huawei’s biggest batteries |
|
Huawei Mate XS |
4,500mAh |
This tablet-size smartphone has a huge 8-inch screen and was released in February 2020 |
|
Huawei Mate40 Pro |
4,400mAh |
Released at the end of last year, this relatively new smartphone has a great capacity |
|
Huawei P30 Pro and P40 Pro |
4,200mAh |
Both of these models share the same battery capacity, with just 0.11 inches between them in screen size (6.47 and 6.58, respectively) |
|
Huawei P40 Lite 5G |
4,000mAh |
Its battery life may be a bit smaller, but it does have the advantage of being 5G-enabled |
If you’re interested in a Huawei phone, here are our top recommendations.
Xiaomi phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
Mi Max 3 |
5,500mAh |
This summer 2018 smartphone is older than most on this list, but features a huge 6.9 inch display |
|
Mi Note 10 Pro |
5,260mAh |
Released in November 2019 |
|
Redmi Note 9 and 9 Pro |
5,020mAh |
The Note 9 and its upgraded sibling, the 9 Pro, were released in summer 2020, so are fairly new additions to the Xiaomi family |
|
Mi 10T Pro 5G |
5,000mAh |
This late 2020 model is the newest release from Xiaomi, and their most impressive to date. It is incredibly affordable for the features it has |
|
Xiaomi Mi 10 |
4,780mAh |
Released in February 2020, the Mi 10 is only slightly smaller than the others |
Google phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
Google Pixel 5 |
4,080mAh |
The newest Google phone is the Pixel 5, released in September 2020. It has a flexible display and its battery capacity is the biggest in a Google phone to date |
|
GooglePixel 4a with 5G |
3,885mAh |
Hopping on the 5G bandwagon is this 2020 release |
|
Google Pixel 4XL |
3,700mAh |
Though this belongs to the same Pixel 4 range as above, the 4XL was released in 2019 alongside the Pixel 3 family |
|
Google Pixel 3a XL |
3,700mAh |
The bigger phone of the two in the Pixel 3 range from 2019, at 6 inches, is the 3a XL |
Alcatel phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
Alcatel 3X (2020) |
5,000mAh |
The 2020 model of the 3X is a revised version of the 2019 release of the same name. It’s the best Alcatel on the market currently |
|
Alcatel 1S |
4,000mAh |
This 2020 model isn’t far behind the 3X, in terms of its battery. These Alcatel models are new, but extremely cheap, so make for good budget-friendly options |
|
Alcatel 3L |
4,000mAh |
Launched at the beginning of last year |
|
Alcatel 3C |
3,000mAh |
This 2018 model is older than the others, but is offered at a good price with a battery that is still more powerful than some brands |
Sony phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
Various Xperia models |
4,000mAh |
Sony have a whole host of models with a 4,000mAh battery: Xperia 1II, Xperia 5II, Xperia Pro, Xperia 10II, XPeria L4, Xperia XA2 Ultra, Xperia XA2 Plus, and more |
|
Xperia XA2 Ultra |
3,580mAh |
This January 2018 model has a battery life that’s not too far below the range of other Xperia models |
|
Xperia XZ3 |
3,300mAh |
Another 2018 model |
Motorola phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
Moto G9 Power |
6,000mAh |
The Moto G Power range has some of the largest battery capacities among many manufacturers, and the newest launch, the G9 Power, has the biggest battery of them all |
|
Moto G8 Power |
5,000mAh |
Released a few months earlier than the G9 in 2020 |
|
Moto G7 Power |
5,000mAh |
Launched a year earlier than the above two, this 2019 model shares the same battery capacity |
|
Motorola Edge Plus |
5,000mAh |
The Edge Plus came out in May 2020 |
|
Motorola Edge |
4,500mAh |
The original of the Edge Plus isn’t too far behind its successor when it comes to battery capacity |
|
Moto E5 |
4,000mAh |
This 2018 model is the oldest on the list, but still boasts a decent 4,000mAhbattery |
OnePlus phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
OnePlus 8 Pro |
4,510mAh |
Launched in April 2020 |
|
OnePlus 8 |
4,300mAh |
Only slightly behind the Pro when it comes to capacity |
|
OnePlus 7 Pro |
4,000mAh |
Released a year prior, this 2019 model is offered at a cheaper price than some comparable brands |
Oppo phones with the best battery life
|
Model |
Battery capacity |
Notes |
|
Oppo A5 |
4,230mAh |
Launched at the tail end of 2019, the A5 from lesser-known brand Oppo can still rival many of the bigger brands on this list |
|
Oppo A9 |
4,020mAh |
The A9 from last year offers a capacity just slightly below its predecessor from 2019 |
|
Oppo Reno4 |
4,020mAh |
Launched at the end of 2020 |
|
Oppo Reno4 Z |
4,000mAh |
From the same family, the Reno4 Z showcases that this brand won’t be left behind in the big battery market |
And there you have it - no matter which smartphone manufacturer you want to go with next, all of them have some big batteries to boast in their phones. Why not take things even further and check out the best portable chargers you can get in 2021 - your phone will never die on you again!
