Best Battery Life Phone 2024: Longest Lasting Smartphones

• Battery test score: 24:52
• Battery capacity: 5,000mAh

This phone is by no means the best overall phone you can buy. But if it’s battery life you really want, in a fully capable Android phone with the Google Play Store, the Sony Xperia 10 IV blows all competition out of the water. In the PC Mark battery test it scored 24 hours and 52 minutes – an utterly incredible score that beats the second place phone in this chart by several hours.

It means the Xperia 10 IV is the only phone we’ve tested that could truly stretch to three days between charges if you are a light user.

That’s all the more impressive considering it’s only 8.3mm thick. Add to that IP68 water and dust resistance and a 3.5mm audio jack, alongside an eye-catching 6in screen with a tall 21:9 aspect ratio for watching full-screen movies,. and you’ve got a solid mid-range phone.

It charges slowly, the cameras aren’t the best, and it’s a little dull overall – but the battery is the best in the business.

While we have reviewed the newer Xperia 10 V, it wasn’t tested using PCMark.

• Battery test score: 21:08
• Battery capacity: 5,000mAh

The Oppo A78 5G might be cheap, something which shows in its cheap build quality and average cameras, but it doesn’t skimp on battery life. If there was a metric of the most battery life for your money, this would be the phone to beat.

There are other things to like about the phone, too, including an attractive 90Hz display and decent enough performance to get you through your day. If you’re looking for something reliable while out and about, but don’t need all the bells and whistles of more expensive handsets, it’s a good choice.

• Battery test score: 18:30
• Battery capacity: 5,000mAh

Don’t count out any of the phones on this list just because the Sony there is at the top. At £299 in the UK, this Realme phone is another amazingly long-lasting phone to consider.

It has a simple design and software to match but still crams in a high refresh rate 120Hz screen for the money, albeit an LCD one. As is the case with many long battery life phones, it has fairly mediocre performance , but this puts less stress on the battery.

The camera isn’t great and there’s no waterproofing, so you may want to consider spending a little more. But if those things don’t bother you, this is a very affordable way to leave your charger at home and not worry.

• Battery test score: 17:36
• Battery capacity: 4,300mAh

The Asus Zenfone 10 is the most compact flagship-level smartphone out there, so we are astounded at how good its battery life is. In our testing, we found the battery was regularly hovering around 50% at the end of a normal day’s use – that’s mighty impressive.

Aside from only two years of software updates, this phone ticks all the boxes. Great design with a paper-like rear finish (as opposed to slippery glass), premium performance, great cameras and Asus’s tasteful take on Android.

It’s a great battery life phone that actually fits in your pocket and even has features (like a 3.5mm headphone jack) that most bigger phones dropped because of the supposed lack of space. It’s worth taking a look at the Zenfone 10 for that reason alone.

• Battery test score: N/A
• Battery capacity: 4,323mAh (unconfirmed)

The 14 Plus is the hardest iPhone 14 model to recommend, but battery life is the big thing in its favour. This is a phone that can comfortably last two full days of normal use, and potentially stretch to three if you only use it occasionally.

And there’s a lot to like elsewhere, from excellent A15 Bionic performance to some of the best cameras you’ll find on any smartphone. At 203g, it’s also quite light for a phone with a 6.7in display – it’s just a shame that’s still a 60Hz panel rather than 120Hz on the Pro models.

With slow charging and a high price tag, there are better iPhones out there for most people – including the newer iPhone 15 models. But if battery life is your top priority, the iPhone 14 Plus is still a great choice.

• Battery test score: 16:49
• Battery capacity: 4,880mAh

The Realme 9i is cheapest phone on this list, but it still has excellent battery life. We’re talking well into a second day of usage before needing to reach for the charger.

As you might expect, there are compromises in other areas. The Realme 9i doesn’t have 5G, performance isn’t great and there’s only 128GB of storage. But its plastic build still looks good, and charging is surprisingly fast.

You also get USB-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The screen isn’t quite Full HD and LCD rather than OLED, but you do get a nice 90Hz refresh rate.

Don’t expect to be able to play high-end games, but if battery is your number one concern then this is the cheapest way to get excellent battery life on a phone right now.

• Battery test score: 16:43
• Battery capacity: 5,000mAh

The Oppo Find X6 Pro is the best camera phone that also has great battery life. Beneath the distinctive design, you can expect stellar performance and one of the finest rear camera sensors on any smartphone.

However, as it’s a China-only phone, the Find X6 Pro doesn’t run Google services out of the box, and the software is too skewed to the Chinese market’s preferences to recommend to anyone outside of China. We’re talking bloatware, unnecessary features and just too much clutter.

That’s the main reason it’s lower down this list, but it’s still worth considering for the combination of battery life and cameras.

• Battery test score: 15:47
• Battery capacity: 4,700mAh

Rather than some regions getting Samsung’s own Exynos chips, all of the Galaxy S23 flagships use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 everywhere. Not only does this deliver great performance on the S23 Plus, but its power efficiency also helps ensure great battery life.

In our experience, the phone can last well into a second day of regular usage, which is a key advantage over the S23 Ultra. Alongside a versatile triple rear camera system, great 120Hz OLED display and the premium design we’ve come to associate with Samsung flagships, there’s a lot to like here.

This is a phone to buy if you want top specs but don’t want to compromise on battery or software.

• Battery test score: 15:38
• Battery capacity: 5,000mAh

If you’re someone who loves photography but doesn’t have the budget to buy a premium smartphone, the Realme 11 Pro+ is the phone for you. This is the best camera phone Realme has ever made, and its quality for the price is frankly astonishing.

Of course, there are some trade-offs, such as no IP waterproofing certification or the lack of wireless charging. However, given how long this phone lasts on a charge, neither of these should be dealbreakers.

The display is superb too, with average performance the only real reason to look elsewhere. But for the money, the Realme 11 Pro+ is great value.

• Battery test score: 15:35
• Battery capacity: 6,000mAh

If you want great battery life for playing mobile games, then you might want to get a phone that is specifically designed for gaming.

Nubia’s Redmagic 8 Pro is your best option right now – and it’s not even that pricey. It has the largest battery on this list at 6,000mAh – achieved by using two separate 3,000mAh cells.

There’s a fast charger in the box, so you can easily refill its battery. It charges to 51% in just 30 minutes. There’s also a fan built-in to keep things cool while playing all those games.

A downside is the lack of creature comforts. You’ll have to say goodbye to your water resistance and wireless charging, plus deal with the add bulk of a gaming phone. However, if you don’t mind these things, it’s certainly a great choice for mobile gamers.