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Which iPhone 16 has the best battery life? This test found out

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iPhone 16 Pro Max in Desert Titanium.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

The iPhone 16 series has been on the market for about 10 days. Third parties have been conducting tests, including benchmarks, on the phones during this time. Recently, Tom’s Guide published its list of the best smartphones in terms of battery life, and it’s no surprise that two of the new iPhone models made the list.

According to the report, the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro tops the list and offers a fantastic 18 hours and 48 minutes of battery life between charges. This was followed by the OnePlus 12R, which had 18 hours and 42 minutes. The iPhone 16 Pro Max took the third position, with 18 hours and six minutes between charges.

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Tom’s Guide continuously surfed the web over 5G to conduct its tests until the phone turned off because of a low battery. The phone’s screen was set at 150 nits of brightness during the test. For phones with a fast refresh rate display, the site tested multiple times with that feature turned on and off to provide an idea of the expected battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (16 hours and 45 minutes), Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (16 hours and 32 minutes), iPhone 16 Plus (16 hours and 29 minutes), Motorola Edge Plus 2023 (15 hours and 47 minutes), and Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 (15 hours one minute) round out the top 10.

The back of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Rounding out the top 15 are the Nothing Phone 2a (15 hours), Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (14 hours and 37 minutes), Motorola Razr 2024 (14 hours and 37 minutes), Moto G 5G 2024 (14 hours and 36 minutes), and Nothing Phone (14 hours and 21 minutes).

In terms of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Tom’s Guide praised Apple’s decision to add a larger battery compared to last year’s model, as well as the energy efficiency of the phone’s all-new A18 Pro chipset.

It notes: “That’s not enough to outlast some of the gaming phones higher up in this list, like the Asus ROG Phone 8. But considering that phone also has a gargantuan battery, Apple has done pretty darn well to stretch this much life out of the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery.”

The report says the iPhone 16 Plus achieved two more hours of usage than the iPhone 15 Plus. It explained that “credit is likely split between the improved power efficiency of the A18 chipset inside the iPhone 16 Plus and the fact that Apple equipped the phone with a bigger battery.”

Apple promises that the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Plus should last over a day between charges during regular use. That assumes you aren’t continuously using the handsets like Tom’s Guide did during its tests. Based on these tests, Apple has lived up to its promises.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
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