Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.
These 6 smartphones have the best battery life
There are many, many phones out there, but only a few can get you through the day — or even two — on a single charge.
Advertisement
Some phones get great battery life simply because there's a giant battery inside, but certain phones will employ other tricks to keep your phone up and running, like quick-charging, removable battery packs to swap in and out, and efficient operating systems that get the most out of every charge.
If you care about battery life, you'll want to check out these phones.
The Galaxy Note 5's 3,000mAh battery gives the phone a great battery life, but the phone also features quick charging, which is ideal for making sure you're always charged.
The Verge said in its review that the Galaxy Note 5 lasted eight hours of continuous website browsing, and it can easily last a day with "real world usage," which is amazing considering its huge, sharp, and bright 5.7-inch screen.
The Nexus 6P also has a huge battery at 3,450mAh. Google says the 6P lets you have a non-stop conversations on the phone for 23 straight hours. It also uses USB-C for fast charging so a quick 15-minute charge can give you hours of battery life.
Chris Velazco from Engadget said the Nexus 6P had solid battery life in his review. "In day-to-day use, the Nexus 6P routinely lasted through 13-hour workdays with around 30 percent left in the tank," he said, adding that was with "heavy use."
Numbers aren't everything when it comes to smartphones batteries. The iPhone 6s Plus has a relatively small 2,750mAh battery compared to the others in this list. However, the fact that Apple designed both the hardware and software means the iPhone is very efficient with its power usage. Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 9, also introduced Low Power Mode, which activates when your phone's battery reaches 20% and automatically adjusts the software to get the most out of your remaining juice. This function alone can result in an additional 1-2 hours of battery life.
In his review, Trusted Reviews' Evan Kypreos said his iPhone 6s Plus would often have 60% battery life when he left the office after using it "for several hours browsing the internet using 4G [LTE], watching videos on catch-up apps and making calls and texts." My colleague Dave Smith also says he only needs to charge his iPhone 6s Plus once every 1.5 days with regular usage, even with plenty of music streaming and internet browsing.
Samsung's new Galaxy S7 packs a big 3,000mAh in an amazingly svelt and slim package. Battery life is very good considering its always-on display, bright screen, and excellent performance overall.
In its review, Tech Radar said the Galaxy S7 it tested lasted from 7 a.m. to midnight on the same day while running intensive benchmark tests, playing games, streaming music and "other activities" with 15% remaning.
You can also use the quick charger that comes with the S7 to get a quick top-up.
Samsung went big for the Galaxy S7 Edge's battery. Samsung doesn't give any estimates for battery life, but we can say from experience that the S7 Edge's 3,600mAh battery life is quite impressive.
PCMag's Sascha Segan praised the S7 Edge's battery life, saying it lasted for 10 solid hours of video streaming over LTE, matching the behemoth battery in the Nexus 6P.
Like the regular Galaxy S7, you can use the quick charger that comes with the S7 Edge for quick battery top-ups. Trust us, it's fine to charge your phone in multiple, short bursts!
The Droid Turbo 2 has a gigantic 3,760mAh battery, which Motorola says gives you 48 hours in "mixed use." That's the biggest battery we've seen in a smartphone so far.
Motorola boasts the Turbo 2 could last 48 hours. That's a generous estimate, but CNET's Sean Hollister was impressed that the Droid Turbo 2's battery "will not only make it to bedtime, it'll still have a significant charge the next morning."
As you'd expect, it features quick charging that most premium Android smartphones have, but it's more of a necessity with the Droid Turbo 2 because regular charging takes a long time for such a huge battery.
We haven't had the chance to test the G5's 2,800mAh battery life because it's not out yet. But it has a good sized battery that should last you a full day in "normal use." And if the battery dies, you can just pop off the phone's bottom and swap it out with a fresh pack. It'll also feature quick charging when it comes out in early April.
On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.
Advertisement