Cracking our best phone battery life list is going to be a tall order for 2024 handsets like the Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 16. That's because phone maers' focus on boosting power efficiency has lead to some of the longest-lasting phones we've tested.
Each phone we review is put through a demanding battery life test. Devices that lasted 11.5 hours or more used to easily land on this list, though these days, it usually takes a result of 12 hour or better. In our recent OnePlus Open review, that phone lasted 11 hours and 45 minutes in our battery test — the best time ever for a foldable phone. Yet, it fell just short of cracking our list of the 15 longest-lasting phones tested in the last year-and-a-half.
Our battery life rankings feature handsets available in a wide range of prices. Two of the four top slots are held by pricey gaming phones, but the rest of the top four is made up of phones costing $899 or less. In addition, you'll find entries that cost less than $300 as well as midrange models that are available for hundreds of dollars less than more expensive flagships.
It's not just a matter of grabbing phones with large batteries. You also need a device that efficiently manages power. Look no further than the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has the same size battery as its predecessor, but lasts much longer thanks to the more power efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 silicon. Likewise, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was able to top the iPhone 14 Pro Max because of power management improvements in the former's A17 Pro chipset.
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 around 10 hours, so anything over that mark offers solid battery life. But to earn a place on the best phone battery life list, you need to approach 12 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.
Our current champ, the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate, sets a mark for longevity that could stand for a long time. It's also the fourth Asus device in our top 15, suggesting the phone maker really puts a premium on battery life.
So does Motorola. The Motorola Edge Plus (2023) is the runner-up in our testing, earning it a 2023 Tom's Guide award for longevity. (The ROG Phone 7 took the prize as our top gaming phone.) But it's not just Motorola's flagship that lasts a long time on a charge. A few budget Moto G phones also appear on this list, proving you don't need to spend big bucks on long battery life.
Here are all the top performers we've tested in the last year-and-a-half.
Best phone battery life at a glance (hours:minutes)
- Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate: 18:32
- Motorola Edge Plus (2023): 15:47
- Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro: 15:30
- iPhone 15 Plus: 14:14
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: 14:02
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: 13:39
- OnePlus Nord N300: 13:13 (tie)
- Asus Zenfone 9: 13:13 (tie)
- OnePlus 11: 13:10
- Moto G Play (2023): 12:54
- Asus Zenfone 10: 12:34
- OnePlus Nord N30 5G: 12:30
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: 12:22
- Moto G Stylus 5G (2023): 12:12
- iPhone 14 Plus: 11:57
The best phone battery life in 2023
1. Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate (18:32)
If you want a phone that lasts a long time on a charge, look no further than the ROG phones from Asus. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is the latest Asus device to push our battery test to the limits, holding out for 18.5 hours on a charge. Credit goes to the device's 6,000 mAh battery as well as the energy efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that powers the phone. Speedy 65W charging helps you quickly top off that battery.
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate won't be available in the U.S. until a few months from now, and we're not sure what it will cost. European pricing is a hefty €1,399. But the good news is that the cheaper ROG Phone 7 has the same 6,000 mAh battery and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, so it should see similar results on our test.
Read our full Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate review.
2. Motorola Edge Plus 2023 (15:47)
We're never surprised when a Motorola phone does well on our battery test — you'll find a lot of the phone maker's devices on this best phone battery life list. Still, the Motorola Edge Plus 2023 raised a few eyebrows with its time of 15 hours and 47 minutes — the second-best result we've seen from any device in the last 18 months. We got that result with the phone's 6.7-inch display set to an automatic refresh rate, meaning that it can scale up to 120Hz as on-screen activity dictates.
But the Edge Plus supports an even higher refresh rate of 165Hz — appealing to gamers who long for immersive graphics. When we locked the phone's refresh rate at 165Hz, the Motorola Edge Plus still lasted more than 13 hours on our test, so it still would have ranked among the longest-lasting phones we've reviewed. The Motorola Edge Plus also sports 68W wired charging to top off its massive 5,100 mAh battery. We weren't blown away by the charging speed in practice, but that's one of the few disappointments we experienced when testing this excellent flagship phone.
Read our full Motorola Edge Plus (2023) review.
3. Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro (15:30)
Like its successor, the Asus ROG Phone 6 uses a 6,000 mAh to post an impressive time on our battery test — a mere 15.5 hours in this case. But that time comes with the phone's adaptive refresh rate turned on, so even refresh rates of 167Hz aren't enough to put a hit on battery life.
When it is time to charge, you won't have to wait too long to get the ROG Phone 6 Pro's battery up and running. Thanks to 65W wired charging, just 15 minutes of charging got the drained gaming phone back to 44%.
Built for gamers, the Asus ROG Phone 6 won't ever run low on battery, even in the midst of a marathon gamin session. But it packs plenty of power for the rest of us as well, when it goes on sale in the next couple months.
Read our full Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro review.
4. iPhone 15 Plus (14:14)
The iPhone 15 Plus doesn't just offer the best battery life of any of Apple's latest iPhones — it's the longest lasting iPhone we've ever tested, blowing past the 14-hour mark. (That said, it only beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max by 12 minutes, though we'll be discussing that model shortly.) While the iPhone 15 Plus reportedly has a bigger battery than its predecessor — Apple doesn't disclose battery sizes — it's likely the A16 Bionic that helped the current model user power more efficiently.
We wish the iPhone 15 Plus could charge faster, especially since Apple made the switch to USB-C and dropped the proprietary Lightning port. But charging speeds still top out at 20W. At least you can use the same cable on your iPhone that you would on your computer or your iPad now.
Read our full iPhone 15 Plus review.
5. iPhone 15 Pro Max (14:02)
Like the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro Max lasted for more than 14 hours on our battery test — a truly impressive time for one of Apple's flagship devices. We credit the A17 Pro chipset, which is built on a 3nm process. Because of that, the transistors are more densely packed than a 4nm chipset, which usually leads to more efficient power management.
ou can charge your iPhone 15 Pro Max with USB-C now that the Lightning port is a goner on all iPhone 15 models. That doesn't translate to a boost in charging speeds, though the iPhone 15 Pro Max does support USB 3 data transfer speeds of 10 Gbps when you use the right cable.
Read our full iPhone 15 Pro Max review.
6. iPhone 14 Pro Max (13:39)
The iPhone 14 Pro Max may not be part of Apple's lineup anymore — Apple dropped it with the launch of the iPhone 15 — but we shouldn't overlook the battery test time it posted. Holding out for more than 13.5 hours, the iPhone 14 Pro Max set a record that stood until the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max came along a year later.
You can still find the iPhone 14 Pro Max at various retailers and wireless carriers, hopefully for less than the iPhone 15 Pro Max's $1,199 asking price. And if you want a long-lasting phone, you should consider this model, though you would be giving up the more powerful processor, lighter weight and better cameras that come with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Don't expect a change in wired charging speed as both the 14 and 15 versions only support 20W charging.
Read our full iPhone 14 Pro Max review.
7. OnePlus Nord N300 (13:13)
We have some issues with the OnePlus Nord N300, but battery life isn't one of them. This low-cost offering from OnePlus lasted 13 hours and 13 minutes on our battery test, tying the Asus Zenfone 9 and the Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro. The OnePlus Nord N300 managed to pull off this feat with its display refresh rate set to 90Hz, so you don't have to worry about a fast-refreshing display sapping the phone's battery life.
We also appreciate the 33W charging speeds that this $228 phone supports. Alas, battery life is about all this phone has going for it, as the cameras and performance underwhelmed in our testing, and OnePlus only promises one software update. The phone is an exclusive for T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile, so you'll only find it at those two carriers in the U.S.
If you don't want to spend big bucks on a long-lasting phone, the OnePlus Nord N300 may be an option, though we'd steer you to the slightly more expensive OnePlus Nord N30, which also landed on our best phone battery life rankings.
Read our full OnePlus Nord N300 review.
8. Asus Zenfone 9 (13:13)
Just because the Asus Zenfone 9 is a compact device doesn't mean it can't pack a lot of battery life into its slender frame. The latest Asus flagship lasted more than 13 hours on our batter test with its adaptive refresh rate enabled. That would be impressive enough, but the Zenfone 9 did all that without turning to a beefy battery for help. The 4,300 mAh power pack certainly doesn't skimp on capacity, but compared to the 5,000 mAh cells you'll find on this best phone battery life list, it's clear Asus has worked hard to make sure the Zenfone 9 gets the most out of every charge.
On the charging front, the Zenfone 9 supports 30W speeds, and Asus includes a charger with its phone. That should allow you to top off the phone's battery fairly quickly — not that you'll need to charge this compact phone very often.
9. OnePlus 11 (13:10)
It's not just OnePlus' low-cost Nord phones that deliver long battery life. The OnePlus 11 brings long-lasting usage to Android flagships, thanks to a 5,000 mAh battery and the efficiency of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
Even with the adaptive refresh rate on the phone's 6.7-inch display enabled, the OnePlus 11 held out for more than 13 hours on our battery test. Curiously, turning off the adaptive refresh rate resulted in a shorter time — 12 hours and 48 minutes with the refresh rate locked at 60Hz. Though that's a nearly a half-hour shorter than the OnePlus 11's best time, it's still a very impressive result.
Even better, you get quick charging from the OnePlus 11, with U.S. users enjoying 80W charging speeds. (It's 100W in other parts of the world.) In our testing, a drained OnePlus 11 got up to a 97% charge after 30 minutes. This is one phone that won't let you down when it comes to all-day power.
Read our full OnePlus 11 review.
10. Moto G Play 2023 (12:54)
We can't come up with many positives about the Moto G Play 2023 — its performance lags, its photos lack color and its screen is dim. But battery life isn't a problem. The Moto G Play 2023 rides a 5,000 mAh battery to a result on our battery test that falls just short of 13 hours.
As impressive as that is and as low as the Moto G Play's price tag may be, you have better choices among long-lasting phones, including other budget options from Motorola. But this best phone battery life list recognizes handsets that hold out the longest on our battery test, and that's one thing the Moto G Play 2023 does extremely well.
Read our full Moto G Play 2023 review.
11. Asus Zenfone 10 (12:34)
Last year's flagship from Asus may have slightly more staying power, but the Zenfone 10 is no slouch when it comes to battery life. The Zenfone 10 lasted a little more than 12.5 hours on our battery test, even with its adaptive refresh rate enabled. The result is particular impressive since the Zenfone 10's compact 5.8 x 2.7 x 0.37-inch frame means that Asus can't pack in an oversized battery (though at 4,300 mAh, the power pack in this phone isn't exactly tiny).
New to this year's phone is support for 15W wireless charging, augmenting a wired charging speed of 30W. That's not very speedy, though we did manage to get a drained Zenfone 10 to a 54% charge after 30 minutes.
Read our full Asus Zenfone 10 review.
12. OnePlus Nord N30 5G (12:30)
Budget phones from OnePlus continue to deliver solid battery life, with the OnePlus Nord N30 lasting 12.5 hours on our test. That time came with the Nord N30's 6.7-inch display able to scale up to a 120Hz refresh rate, so you don't have to disable one of the phone's best features just to enjoy some extra battery life.
The Nord N30 charges quickly, too, with support for 50W wired charging. After 30 minutes of charge time, we got the phone back to a 76% charge. Throw in the Nord N30's $299 price tag, and you've got a phone that really delivers a lot of value for its low cost.
Read our full OnePlus Nord N30 review.
13. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (12:22)
What a difference a new chipset makes. Like the Galaxy S22 Ultra before it, the Galaxy S23 Ultra features a 5,000 mAh battery. But the Galaxy S22 Ultra wasn't very power efficient, only topping 10 hours on our battery test when we turned off its adaptive display feature. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, running on more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 silicon, doesn't require such comprises. Even with its adaptive display enabled, Samsung's flagship lasted 12 hours and 22 minutes on our test. Turning off that feature extended battery life past 13 hours.
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy S23 Ultra supports 45W wired charging. In our testing we got a drained phone to a 57% charge in 30 minutes, which falls short of Samsung's claim of 65%.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review.
14 Moto G Stylus 5G 2023 (12:12)
This year's edition of the Moto G Stylus 5G carries on the tradition of its predecessors with an impressive time on our battery test. That 12-hour, 12-minute result came with the 6.6-inch display's refresh rate set to Auto, so that it scales up to 120Hz when on-screen activity would benefit from smoother graphics. (We'd recommend keeping that default setting in place; locking the refresh rate at 120Hz took nearly 3 hours off that battery test result.) As a result, you can spend more time jotting down notes with the included stylus and less time worrying about finding a place to charge your phone.
Read our full Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) review.
15. iPhone 14 Plus (11:57)
A big battery helps Apple's plus-sized phone hold onto the final sport on our best phone battery life list. The iPhone 14 Plus lasted for a little less than 12 hours on our test. That's not as long as some of the other iPhones on this best phone battery life list, but you'll now pay less for the iPhone 14 Plus, as Apple has dropped the asking price of this device by $100 to $799.
Like Apple's other phones, the iPhone 14 Plus charges at a disappointing 20W. You'll get a drained phone to 46% after half-an-hour, but other phones charge much faster.
Read our full iPhone 14 Plus review.
How we test for the best phone battery life
Every phone we review goes through extensive testing in addition to being put through everyday use. The test most relevant to determining the best phone battery life is our proprietary Tom's Guide Battery Life test. (You can get a full rundown of the testing we conduct in our guide to how Tom's Guide tests and reviews smartphones.)
In this test, we set the display of a phone to 150 nits, so that we can get consistent results. We then run a script on the phone that makes it surf the web via its default browser app until the phone runs out of power and we time the results. Phones with longest endurance land on the best phone battery life list, though we cycle out devices older than 18 months to keep our list of longest-lasting phones current.
Many smartphones — particularly premium models — now offer displays with faster refresh rate settings. Because a high refresh rate can drain the battery of a phone faster, we'll test phones multiple times — once with the display set for the maximum refresh rate and once with it locked at 60Hz. We'll indicate which setting produced which battery life time in our review and in our best phone battery life rankings, though we favor phones that have a good result at highest refresh rates.
We run one other test on smartphone batteries, timing how long it takes for a drained phone to charge. We'll note the percentage charge after 15 and 30 minutes of charging a phone that's run out of power. We'll use the charger that comes with the phone for this test; in cases where a phone ships without a charger — increasingly coming among premium handsets — we'll use a charger that's capable of delivering the fastest charging speed supported by the phone as listed in the device specs.
Battery testing is one part of the tests we run to review phones. We also run benchmarks to evaluate a phone's performance, measure screen brightness and color reproduction to rate its display and take multiple pictures to evaluate cameras. All those help us assign ratings to devices in our smartphone reviews, though for the purposes of the best phone battery life list, our battery test is the only result affecting rankings.
