Best phone for battery life in 2024

Battery technology simultaneously enables today’s impressive mobile electronics and holds them back from being even more mind-blowing than they already are. The need for high-performance, low-power-consumption components has driven the development of advanced chipset instruction set architectures which have underpinned pretty much the entire smartphone industry since its birth. Still, we continue to see some new phones drain their batteries before the day’s up.

Since we put our expertise to work on testing all the best new phones, we can offer real-world insight as to how effective different ones are at working all day without going flat. Rather than just list battery capacities, the phone’s strengths and weaknesses (like brightness, video capture, and AI-powered processing) are considered, so the average consumer can determine if they can get everything they want out of each phone, without needing top-ups throughout the day. And instead of playing any guessing games, we’ve put each of these recommended models through the wringer, sometimes for many months straight.

Phones with the longest-lasting batteries

Our hands-on testing with the OnePlus 11 left us pleasantly surprised since we weren’t entirely ready for it to legitimately challenge the Pixel 8 and Galaxy S23 in the field of reasonably priced flagships. But it did impress us, with top-notch specs, a unique design, and battery life and charging that few competitors can match. For only $700 MSRP, you get 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and the 256GB and 512GB versions bump up the storage protocol from UFS 3.1 to UFS 4.0.

Then there’s the Hassleblad-engineered camera array, which squarely takes aim at today’s most photo-forward smartphones. It does a good job at this, and although photo results are slightly inconsistent, there’s always hope that OnePlus can tweak the processing algorithms moving forward. In fact, one of our only real arguments against the device, in general, is that OxygenOS isn’t quite on par with the more refined Android versions from the likes of Samsung and Google. With a few excellent recent releases under its belt, it’s reasonable to hope OnePlus takes the initiative to further streamline its software.

But the phone really shines when it comes to battery life. A 5,000mAh source powers the highly efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and even without the various battery-extending features enabled, we managed to eke out two full days of use without much difficulty. And if that’s not enough, OnePlus includes an 80W SuperVOOC charger in the box, a veritable unicorn in this day and age (although in foreign markets, with higher input voltages, the phone accepts up to 100 watts). It’s safe to say that no other flagship phones give you as much freedom as this one.

The OnePlus 12 is right around the corner too, and will hopefully do one better.

Read our full OnePlus 11 review.

The Goldilocks of Samsung’s 2023 flagship family, the S23+, hits all the right notes and makes for one of the best smartphones in recent memory. It has top-shelf hardware including an overclocked Snapdragon 8G2 SoC and a nearly unbeatable display, and it boasts the venerated OneUI Android skin, which experts and everyday users alike often consider the best. It’s intuitive, fast, and customizable, the three things you always want in software.

To be clear, this one’s not on the list because it lasts longer than all the rest between charges. It garners our premium pick because the battery definitely lasts all day for most people, and the 45-watt charging speed makes up for any resource-intensive workload. So if you’re looking for one of the overall best options right now, and also have a deep respect for powerful battery performance, the S23+ needs to be on your radar. As does the S24+, which we’re currently testing at length and expect to perform even better in battery life than its predecessor.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S23+ review.

The Nord N30 is not a top-of-the-line device, but its specs paint a much brighter picture than you might expect from something that lists at just $300. For less than half the price of the most affordable flagships, you get 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a competent camera setup, and those familiar hallmarks of budget phones, the headphone jack and microSD expansion slot.

It’s an all-around great phone, perfect for those who love modern innovation but aren’t rich or particularly picky about the most cutting-edge hardware. Its nominal 680-nit peak brightness exceeds that of its closest competitors, and the Snapdragon 695 chipset does a fair job, even with visually complex games. The screen, as a whole, also looks just fine — even though it did see a downgrade to LCD from its predecessor’s OLED panel, at least the new one supports refresh rates up to 120Hz.

It makes modest sacrifices in the efficiency department, but its 5,000mAh battery keeps up with frequent phone checkers throughout the day. It’s not at the front of the pack by any means, but you should have no trouble using it from sunup to bedtime without needing to plug it in. For particularly long days, its 50W charging makes short work of top-ups. If you’re on the fence about getting a mid-range phone because you’re worried about battery life, you can kick those worries to the curb with the Nord N30.

Read our full OnePlus Nord N30 review.

One of our biggest gripes with the Zenfone 11 is that its off-center pinhole camera and inconsistent bezel widths are a touch annoying to look at, if that tells you anything. Taken as a whole, Asus’ compact wonder is a remarkable smartphone and even bested the Galaxy S23 in our head-to-head showdown. With so few similarly sized offerings available today, those of us in the small hands gang would do well to take note of its power and convenience.

One reason for the offset pinhole camera is that Asus clearly intends for you to play games on this nifty handheld, something it has the power to support. For that matter, we’re entirely pleased with its $700 MSRP, especially when its capable hardware comes into play. And while we’re sometimes apprehensive about less-popular manufacturers and whether their software is ready for prime time, Asus does an excellent job of offering a streamlined interface, as well as the option to alter it to closely mimic stock Android.

But we’re all about battery life right now, and the Zenfone starts on the right foot just by being so small. A smaller display stays just as crisp with fewer pixels, an advantage that’s only amplified by the efficient Qualcomm SoC. We didn’t have any problems with all-day usage, even with the numerous battery-saving features turned off — after all, we paid for all that powerful hardware, so we’d prefer to use it to its full potential. Quick charging only gets up to 30W, but it does offer 15W wireless charging, and the 4,300mAh battery doesn’t take all that long to replenish.

Read our full Asus Zenfone 10 review.

The Nothing Phone 1 was great but had a few figuratively rough edges that needed refinement. The second-generation update takes those criticisms (mostly) to heart, delivering a no-nonsense Android experience driven by powerful hardware and made a little rosier by a pretty palatable price.

The OLED reaches an impressive 1,600 nits, the snappy software experience satisfies, and few phones look as cool sans case as this one. We’re not surprised at the clean Android implementation, since Nothing makes a pretty solid case through its marketing; it doesn’t bombard users with features (or ads) they don’t like. And its biggest departure from stock Android, the Glyph interface, can easily be turned off if you’re not interested in its bells or whistles.

Our hands-on testing found that over 24-hour periods, it was nearly impossible to fully drain the battery. That’s a laudable feat for something that performs like a flagship, but costs less than the rest and looks neater to boot. It’s borderline able to last for 48 hours between charges if you don’t use it a ton. When it does need recharging, it can go from 0% to 100% in less than an hour, making full use of the 45W charging — although you’ll need a good PPS charger to get the most out of its circuitry.

Read our full Nothing Phone 2 review.

After a few years of releasing less-than-stellar phones, Motorola’s done a fine job in stepping up to the competition with the likes of Samsung and Google in the flagship department. It’s not exactly flashy, but runs on capable hardware, has a great display, and doesn’t cost a fortune. Plus, there’s something to be said for Motorola’s software, which is as near stock Android as any major manufacturer.

The 2023 Edge+ might not break any new ground, but it runs flawlessly in day-to-day use and looks, feels, and performs like a high-quality device. It rarely overheats or throttles, no matter how hard you push it, and Motorola’s aforementioned software support includes updates until Android 16 with four years total of security updates.

What’s more, we had no difficulty stretching it more than a day without recharging, in some cases getting nearly 48 hours of light use and still not needing to plug in. In a recurring theme, we’re happy to point out that Motorola also includes the top-of-the-line charger needed to provide the phone with its full 68W charging complement. A list price of $800 and frequent discounts of as much as $200 off make this one of the best reasonably priced phones for battery life.

Read our full Motorola Edge+ (2023) review.

The way foldable phones’ batteries are configured, they’ll never be able to outperform a one-piece, solid-state smartphone. But that’s a trade-off you’ll have to accept if you want to get your hands on one of today’s most insanely useful devices. The lineup’s early growing pains have all but disappeared, with a newly designed, robust hinge eliminating any noticeable gap when the phone’s closed and minimizing the crease when it’s open.

The Z Fold 5 knocks it out of the park in terms of performance and user experience with an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 12GB of high-speed RAM, and Samsung’s well-known OneUI skin. Four years of Android updates and an additional year of security patches mean you’ll be using its massive screen real estate effectively for years. And although the camera hardware isn’t quite up to par with the S23 Ultra’s, it still works great and delivers the eye-popping, colorful image processing Samsung is now known for. So, while the Z Fold 5 is by no means a battery life marathon-winner, it’s the best you’ll get in a foldable.

Read our full Galaxy Z Fold 5 review.

We won’t go out of our way to convince you to switch to iOS, but Apple is certainly trying pretty hard. Its latest large-format phone does a lot of things right, including running the company’s class-leading A17 Pro SoC and displaying vibrant, clear on-screen images that few Android devices can match. And while some Android users balk at the operating system, in general, it’s quite capable and makes daily use simple.

We’re big fans, in particular, of the 15 Pro Max’s camera setup. Apple has always done a great job with photo and video processing, but the last few generations have stepped up their game. One indicator that Apple is taking image processing seriously is the inclusion of pro-quality LOG color and ProRes video support, which can result in legitimately studio-quality video in the right hands. Combined with in-body image stabilization and 5× telephoto zoom, it’s one of the best phones for capturing images and video.

Seven hours of screen time posed no problems with this massive handset, despite the incredible amount of pixels it has to power. This doesn’t surprise us, as Apple typically outfits its phones with good batteries and does well at optimizing software to minimize battery drain. Although we’re more than a little disappointed at a 27W peak charging rate for a $1,200+ smartphone, at least you won’t have to worry about topping off the battery during the day.

Read our full iPhone 15 Pro Max review.

It’s not hard to confuse the Galaxy A54 for an S23+ at a glance, as Samsung’s clearly positioned it as the affordable younger sibling — arguably even more so than the S23 FE. The identical design language and great-looking display make this a premium phone, and an excellent deal even at list price. And, unlike actual flagships, you can pop a microSD card in to easily expand the 128GB of storage.

Its biggest sacrifice compared to the S Series remains the use of Samsung’s own Exynos chipset, which often leaves something to be desired as far as performance goes. It’s still perfectly usable, but introduces some stutter and hesitation at times, especially if you’re multitasking. What’s more, the Exynos lineup continues to live up to its infamous reputation for running hot and hitting the thermal throttle ceiling.

Nonetheless, the Samsung chipset does work OK and shouldn’t frustrate most users. We managed to eke out over 6 hours of screen-on time regularly at near-peak brightness and without any battery life extension features enabled. Sadly, though, it doesn’t support wireless charging and can refuel at just a paltry 25W. A full charge time of nearly 2 hours doesn’t exactly inspire feelings of joy, but at least you shouldn’t have trouble getting it to last all day.

Read our full Galaxy A54 review.

Choose a phone with all-day battery life and then some

The powerful components inside modern flagships can drain a lot of power, but battery life doesn’t have to be a compromise. The top pick, the OnePlus 11, outright amazes with its long battery life and essentially unmatched charging speed. It, like the Motorola Edge+, even comes with a high-speed charger right in the box. And aside from battery life, the OnePlus is simply a great phone overall.

If you don’t quite need the OnePlus 11’s incredible battery life, there are plenty of other options that last reasonably long. Of the Samsung and Google phones that get such incredible amounts of attention, only the Galaxy S23+ has what it takes to be a battery winner this year. It won’t last two days without a top-up, but it’s one of our favorites and does last pretty long.

You have a couple of great options for spending a little less, but also getting a high-quality phone with great daily longevity. The OnePlus Nord N30 takes the best value prize, as it’s quite simply a steal at $300. For a little more, the Galaxy A54 sports an even better screen and the vaunted Samsung OneUI experience, alongside similarly great battery life.

You’ll also find some slightly less typical phones with powerful cells and efficient processors. There’s the Nothing Phone 2, which looks like something out of Blade Runner and delivers a novel experience at a reasonable price. And, if you can afford it, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers plenty of good reasons to switch over to everybody’s favorite fruit-themed electronics manufacturer. But for our money, nothing beats the battery performance of the OnePlus 11.