Ultimate Smartphone Battery Showdown: Which Flagship Lasts Longest?
Explore a comprehensive battery endurance comparison of six top-tier smartphones, revealing which device truly dominates in daily usage scenarios.
The latest flagship from OnePlus, the 8 Pro, has also been put to the test.
A recent video by The Tech Chap on YouTube presents a detailed battery endurance comparison among six leading smartphones from early 2020: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, Huawei P40 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, OPPO Find X2 Pro, Google Pixel 4 XL, and the new OnePlus 8 Pro.
Given that each device operates on different software versions (iPhone on iOS 13, Pixel 4 XL on Android 10, and others on customized Android 10 skins), the reviewer ensured fair testing conditions by:
- Disabling automatic brightness and setting it to a consistent 160 nits;
- Removing SIM cards to prevent network variability;
- Enabling Bluetooth, location services, and Wi-Fi;
- Setting screen resolution and refresh rates to their maximum available, with automatic optimization where possible;
- Adjusting volume to 50%;
- Turning off background app updates;
- Restarting all devices before tests;
- Using smartphones that were less than a month old.
Here’s a snapshot of the key specifications of these smartphones:
| iPhone 11 Pro Max | Galaxy S20 Ultra | Huawei P40 Pro | OnePlus 8 Pro | OPPO Find X2 Pro | Google Pixel 4 XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Size (inches) | 6.5 | 6.9 | 6.58 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.3 |
| Refresh Rate (Hz) | 60 | 120 | 90 | 120 | 120 | 90 |
| Resolution | FHD+ | FHD+ | FHD+ | FHD+ / QHD+ | FHD+ / QHD+ | FHD+ |
| Processor | Apple A13 | Exynos 990 | Kirin 990 | Snapdragon 865 | Snapdragon 865 | Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM (GB) | 4 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 6 |
| Battery Capacity (mAh) | 3696 | 5000 | 4200 | 4510 | 4260 | 3700 |
Each device was subjected to a workload mimicking everyday activities such as streaming videos on YouTube and TikTok, browsing Instagram feeds, and gaming. Surprisingly, the smartphone with the largest battery, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, was the first to power down after 8 hours and 20 minutes. The Pixel 4 XL outlasted it by a mere 5 minutes.
Following them, the Chinese brands powered off sequentially: Huawei P40 Pro at 9 hours 8 minutes, OPPO Find X2 Pro at 9 hours 35 minutes, and OnePlus 8 Pro at 10 hours 1 minute — notably, the OnePlus 8 Pro held on for nearly half an hour after dropping to 1% charge. When all Android devices had shut down, the iPhone still had 16% battery remaining, which lasted for an additional hour and a half. Ultimately, the iPhone 11 Pro Max lasted a total of 11 hours and 30 minutes before powering off.
Note: Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are restricted in some regions.
Explore useful articles in Device Technologies as of 10-04-2022. The article titled " Ultimate Smartphone Battery Showdown: Which Flagship Lasts Longest? " offers in-depth analysis and practical advice in the Device Technologies field. Each article is carefully crafted by experts to provide maximum value to readers.
The " Ultimate Smartphone Battery Showdown: Which Flagship Lasts Longest? " article expands your knowledge in Device Technologies, keeps you informed about the latest developments, and helps you make well-informed decisions. Each article is based on unique content, ensuring originality and quality.