Grab one of the devices that appears on our best phone battery life list, and you never have to worry about a charger. A phone needs to last 11.5 hours on our demanding battery test to land a place on this list, and that translates to all-day battery life — and beyond — for everyday phone use.
The best part is that you don’t need to pay up to have a long lasting phone. Our best phone battery life contenders feature everything from budget devices to pricey flagships. In fact, the longest-lasting phone we’ve tested in the last 18 months can be yours for around $200.
Because a phone’s longevity is so important to shoppers, phone makers are turning to increasing bigger power packs to keep their devices up and running. Phones from Samsung and Motorola feature massive 5,000 mAh batteries, offering the promise of handsets that can go all day — and beyond — on a single charge. But, as we’ve found in testing phones, there’s more to landing on our best phone battery life list than offering up a bigger battery. You need a power-efficient chipset as well.
Every phone we review goes through our custom battery test in which we make phones surf the web continuously over LTE or 5G until they run out of juice. The average phone lasts around 10 hours, but the phones we’ve highlighted here held out for more than 11 hours. That’s the kind of endurance where you’re less reliant on one of our best portable charger picks.
Our current battery champ is the Moto G Power (2021), which relies on a 5,000 mAH battery to last at least 14 hours; its successor — the Moto G Power (2022) — lands just two spaces behind it. In fact, Motorola phones tend to do very well on our test, as they make up five of the top 15 devices; the Moto G Stylus 5G fell just shy of making the cut.
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)
- Moto G Power (2021): 14:04
- Nubia RedMagic 6: 13:20
- Moto G Power (2022): 13: 15
- Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro: 13:13
- Kyocera DuraForce Ultra 5G UW: 12:29
- Asus ROG Phone 5: 12:23
- Samsung Galaxy A52 5G: 12:19
- iPhone 13 Pro Max: 12:16 (tie)
- Cat S62 Pro: 12:16 (tie)
- Motorola One 5G Ace: 12:03
- Moto G Pure: 11:52
- OnePlus Nord N10 5G: 11:48
- iPhone 13 Pro: 11:42
- Samsung Galaxy A32 5G: 11:39
- Motorola Edge 5G UW: 11:38
The best phone battery life in 2022
1. Moto G Power 2021 (14:04)
The Moto G Power (2021) features better specs than its long-lasting predecessor — 2020’s Moto G Power. But the most important spec remains in place in the form of a 5,000 mAh battery that lets the phone go multiple days without a charge under normal use.
We like that Motorola introduced a cheaper version of this phone with the 2021 edition, a trend that continues with its successor. (Yes, there’s another Moto G Power model on this list.) While you can buy the Moto G Power (2021) for $249, getting you a model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of memory, if you opt for the 3GB/32GB version, you can bring the price down to $199. You’ll still get the same long-lasting battery but for even less.
Read our full Moto G Power (2021) review.
2. Nubia RedMagic 6 (13:20)
We can argue about whether you really need a gaming phone, but one thing we have learned is that gaming phones generally deliver great battery life. The Nubia RedMagic 6 is no exception to that observation, capturing a Highly Recommended award from Tom’ Guide for its great battery life.
As impressive as the RedMagic 6’s nearly 13.5 hour result on our battery test was, we’re even more hearted by what happened when we enabled the gaming phone’s fast refreshing display. Yes, the time dropped since faster refresh rates consume more battery, but the RedMagic 6 still held out for 11 hours and 49 minutes at 120Hz and 11 hours and 16 minutes at 165Hz. Both of those times would have been good enough to land on this list.
Other features on the Nubia RedMagic 6 aren’t nearly as impressive — look elsewhere if you want good cameras to go with your handset — but you’ll never have to fear running out of power with this gaming phone.
Read our full Nubia RedMagic 6 review.
3. Moto G Power 2022 (13:15)
Motorola keeps producing new versions of the Moto G Power, and if the results yield multi-day battery life, then why not? Like its predecessors, the Moto G Power (2022) lasts a long time on our battery test, though it suffers from the same slow charging as other Moto G series phones.
A pokey processor also makes us less enthusiastic about this version of the Moto G Power than we were about the 2021 edition, which remains available and is probably the better buy, even if it will never get an update past Android 11. The Moto G Power (2022) ships with Android 11, but will get an update to Android 12. At least the 2022 edition ships with 64GB in its $199 version, doubling the storage you’d get from the 2021 Moto G Power at that price.
Read our full Moto G Power (2022) review.
4. Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro (13:13)
Like the RedMagic 6 that came out before it, the RedMagic 6S Pro variant absolutely crushes our battery test, lasting 13 hours and 13 minutes when the screen was set at 60Hz. Even better though, the 6S Pro didn’t have nearly as big a drop-off when we enabled faster refresh rates as the RedMagic 6 did. With its screen set to a power-hungry 165Hz refresh rate, the RedMagic 6S Pro still held out for 12 hours and 50 minutes in our test.
That’s great news since 165Hz is a terrific refresh rate for immersive gaming. So you’ll be able to max out the RedMagic 6S Pro’s display settings without fear of draining the phone’s 5,050 mAh battery prematurely. We’re still not convinced that dedicated gaming phones are a must-have, and the cameras on this Nubia device disappoint. But if you do want a phone tailor-made for gaming, the RedMagic 6S Pro will not let you down when it comes to either performance or battery.
Read our full Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro review.
5. Kyocera DuraForce Ultra 5G UW (12:29)
As a durable phone that caters to people on construction sites, the Kyocera DuraForce Ultra 5G UW has to work a long time between charges. And that’s exactly what this phone does, thanks to a 4,500 mAh and a power-sipping Snapdragon 765G chipset. Kyocera’s durable phone lasted a minute shy of 12.5 hours when we put it to the test.
That result is particularly impressive given that the phone offers 5G compatibility. However, that UW in the DuraForce’s name implies that this device is built to work with Verizon’s super-fast Ultra Wideband 5G, meaning you’ll have to look elsewhere if you want a long-lasting phone that works on networks other than Verizon’s.
Read our full Kyocera DuraForce Ultra 5G UW review.
6. Asus ROG Phone 5 (12:23)
We knew the Asus ROG Phone 5 was going to last a long time on a charge — the only question was how long. After all, you put a 6,000 mAh battery inside a phone, you’re going to get a device that lasts a very long time even if it is a premium gaming phone designed to play demanding titles.
In the end, the ROG Phone 5 held out for nearly 12.5 hours on our battery test, with the screen set at a 60Hz refresh rate. Even upping the refresh rate to 120 Hz and re-running the test produced an impressive 10 hour, 53 minute result. In everyday use, we enjoyed lengthy gaming sessions with no dent in the battery.
Even with a 6,000 mAh battery, the ROG Phone 5 charges quickly, thanks to support for 65W charging. A half-hour of charging a drained phone got us back to a 70% charge.
Read our full Asus ROG Phone 5 review.
7. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G (12:19)
This midrange phone from Samsung may pack in 5G connectivity, but that doesn’t put a crimp in the Galaxy A52 5G’s battery life. The phone managed to last 12 hours, 19 minutes on our test. Note that we got that extraordinary time when the phone’s screen was set to refresh at 60Hz. The A52 also lets you adjust refresh rate to a very fast 120Hz, a rare feature among phones under $500. Unfortunately, that does cut down the A52 5G’s longevity, but the 10 hour and 19 minute result on our battery test is still better than the average smartphone.
Don’t expect fast-charging from this device, unless you spring for a faster charger. While the Galaxy A52 5G can support 25W fast wired charging, Samsung only includes a 15W charger in the phone’s box. That yielded a fairly ho-hum 31% charge after half-an-hour.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A52 5G review.
8. iPhone 13 Pro Max (12:16)
With the exception of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the iPhone 12 models from 2020 didn’t impress when it came to battery life. Apple responded by boosting the batteries in its new iPhone 13 lineup, which sees improvements across the board, though no Apple phone can outlast the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
This iPhone lasted more than 12 hours on our battery test, particularly impressive since it features an adaptive display that can ramp up the 6.7-inch screen’s refresh rate when your task would benefit from a fast-refreshing display. That can consume more power, but the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s bigger battery and efficient A15 Bionic chipset are up to the task. We just wish Apple would also boost the charging speed on its iPhones.
Read our full iPhone 13 Pro Max review.
9. Cat S62 Pro (12:16)
Like the Kyocera DuraForce above, the Cat S62 Pro is a durable phone built to go a long time on a charge. And the Cat S62 Pro delivers, lasting for 12 hours and 16 minutes on our battery test. It manages to grind out that time with only a 4,000 mAh battery, though unlike Kyocera’s phone, the Cat S62 Pro doesn’t connect to 5G. As a result, there’s no power-hungry 5G modem.
You won’t get the fastest charge times when you do need to top off the Cat S62 Pro’s battery. After 15 minutes of charging, the phone got back to 17% of its charge, reaching 37% after half-an-hour. That’s not terrible, but you’ll find faster charging phones on this list.
Read our full Cat S62 Pro review.
10. Motorola One 5G Ace (12:03)
Motorola’s dominance of our longest lasting phone list continues with the Motorola One 5G Ace, though this device’s 12 hour-plus result on our test is significant. The new Motorola One phone is a 5G device, and 5G can consume a lot of power. The Motorola One 5G Ace deals with those demands by using a 5,000 mAh battery. That’s more than enough to get you through the day on a charge.
It will take some time to recharge your phone. The Motorola One 5G Ace only got back to a 25% charge after 30 minutes. But this is a fairly inexpensive 5G phone at $399, so you can pick up a long-lasting phone that connects to the faster network for less than $400.
Read our full Motorola One 5G Ace review.
11. Moto G Pure (11:52)
The Moto G Pure has two things going for it — a low price and a battery that lasts nearly 12 hours on our test. Motorola promises multiday battery life, and in regular use, we can confirm that’s definitely the case. (And that’s a good thing, too, since the phone’s 10W charging speed will take a while to top off that 4,000 mAh battery powering the Moto G Pure.)
Combine the long battery life with a $159 price, and the Moto G Pure would seem like a good value, especially if you don’t need a phone with 5G connectivity. But the Moto G Pure has other limitations, and if you can spend a little more, you can find other Motorola phones that last even longer and deliver more features.
Read our full Moto G Pure review.
12. OnePlus Nord N10 5G (11:48)
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is another phone that doesn’t let the demands of 5G impact its battery life. But unlike the other 5G phones on this list of long-lasting devices, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G doesn’t cost very much, selling for $299 now that it’s debuted in the U.S. That makes this OnePlus device the most affordable 5G device to hold out for more than 11 hours on our battery test.
Specifically, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G only ran out of battery at the 11 hour and 48 minute mark, an impressive result for any phone. That we got this result with the display’s faster 90Hz refresh rate enabled on the Nord N10 display suggests that OnePlus does a great job getting the most out of the phone’s 4,3000 mAh battery. Charging’s quick, too, thanks to support for the OnePlus Warp Charge 30T technology that gets the phone back to 68% after 30 minutes.
Read our full OnePlus Nord N10 5G review.
13. iPhone 13 Pro (11:42)
The iPhone 13 Pro Max isn’t the only new Apple device to join the ranks of our best phone battery life list. The iPhone 13 Pro also makes a big leap forward in battery life over its predecessor, thanks to a bigger battery and a more efficient A15 Bionic chip. Like the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the iPhone 13 Pro offers an adaptive ProMotion display that changes up the screen’s refresh rate, making its strong battery life even more impressive.
Again, the only power problem with Apple’s latest round of iPhones is how quickly they charge. Wired charging is capped at 20W while wireless charging tops out at 15W with Apple’s MagSafe accessories. In a world where Android phones are pushing charging speeds upwards, Apple needs to follow suit with the iPhone.
Read our full iPhone 13 Pro review.
14. Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (11:39)
Samsung’s midrange phones are proving to be long-lasting devices, as the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G rode a 5,000 mAh to a place on our best phone battery life list. Even with the phone’s display set to refresh at 90Hz, the Galaxy A32 lasted more than 11.5 hours on our test. When we set the refresh rate to 60Hz, the phone lasted more than 12 hours.
Don’t expect the Galaxy A32 5G to charge quickly, as Samsung only supports 15W wired charging. But for $279, the Galaxy A32 5G is a cost-effective way to make sure your phone will last throughout the day.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A32 5G review.
15. Motorola Edge 5G UW (11:38)
The Motorola Edge 5G UW’s inclusion on our best phone battery life list comes with a big caveat. While the Edge lasted more than 11.5 hours on our battery test, that was with the display set at a 60Hz refresh rate. When we turned on the adaptive 144Hz refresh rate for the 6.8-inch display, the battery result fell by 2 hours.
Considering how well the Edge held up in everyday use during our testing, we’re willing to let that drop slide. Besides, this phone features 30W TurboPower charging, which got a drained battery back to 56% after half-an-hour. Throw in an attractive price relative to other phones with its feature set, and the Motorola Edge 5G UW is a good 5G option if you’re a Verizon customer.
Read our full Motorola Edge 5G UW review.
