What phone has the best battery life? 2021

The most common fears today are probably a tie between having no Wi-Fi and your phone’s battery running low. The switch from green to red on the battery icon can send you running for a charger.

Given the importance of your phone being charged up, it’s best to know about battery health. Which is the best battery life phone? Why does your battery drain quickly, and what can you do?

The best type of batteries

The next time you’re deciding on a phone, it may help to know which companies are most successful at improving battery life. Many claim that phones can last days without charging, but which brands deliver on that promise?

According to the latest tests, you should look for batteries with at least 5,000 milliamp-hours (mAh). In addition, seek fast charging capacity. It’s not enough for your phone to last, you may need to juice it up quickly, too.

Phones with good battery life as of late 2020 are:

• The Oukitel K13 Pro has an amazing 11000mAh battery, lasting up to four days.
• The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 or Lite version both have a 5260mAh battery. They’re said to have a two-day battery life, and come with a 30W fast charger giving 80% charge in 40 minutes, full charge in just over an hour.
• The Motorola Moto G Power has 5000mAh battery capacity and is said to last for 3–4 days. The G7 Power also lasts well.
• The Asus ZenFone 6 has 5000mAh and fast charging.

Some of these new-entry phones are great value for money.

Why is my phone battery dying?

Battery drains include screen brightness, constant notifications, signal searching, and background app refreshing.

If it drains unusually fast, it could be a hardware or heat issue. Or could just be using your phone non-stop for high-draining activities like games or videos.

If the phone’s fairly new and the battery actually faulty, you’re likely to be covered by contract or warranty.

And there’s age. Lithium-ion batteries aren’t endlessly rechargeable. They lose capacity every time they charge and lose charge. Their estimated lifespan is 300–500 charge cycles from fully charged to fully discharged and back again, or two to three years, whichever is reached first.

How to test phone battery life?

You might sense your battery life isn’t what it was, but how do you know for sure?

Apple phones from iPhone 6 and iOS 11.3 onwards have come with a handy tool to learn about the current battery status and see if replacement is recommended.

Just go to: Settings > Battery > Battery Health.

Newer Android phones no longer have such a tool, but there are third-party apps such as AccuBattery and Dfndr which can provide you with analytics.

How to improve battery life

The principles of energy loss are the same for batteries and humans.

1. Let your phone rest when you do.
2. Don’t multitask. Having all apps open and flicking between them is draining.
3. Don’t be inefficient. Close anything running in the background unused.
4. Don’t get too hot or cold. Your phone can die suddenly on a freezing day, reviving only when plugged in again. Heat is the worst thing for batteries. Never leave your phone in direct sunlight for long. Batteries, like people, are sensitive to temperature extremes.

How to restore phone battery life

Use your phone’s energy-saving settings. Updating your operating system might also help. Search the web for tips relating to your make and model.

There was confusion about whether it was best to drain and charge a battery fully. Actually, with modern batteries it’s desirable to top up part way, so plug in whenever you can, and try not to let the battery run down too far.

Fast charging can be wonderful, but it generates heat, so use it sparingly.

iPhone’s battery life

In addition to the above advice, Apple recommends that if your phone has a case, check whether it gets hot during charging. If so, remove or change your case.

If you’re going to store your iPhone for months, power it down at 50% charge and return it to that level every six months.

Fast charge is possible for all iPhones since the iPhone 8. The best iPhones for battery life are the iPhone 12 Pro Max, followed by the iPhone 11.

Samsung’s battery life

Samsung makes the same recommendations as above, and suggests that you don’t let battery life drop below 20% before recharging.

The best Samsung phones for battery life are the Galaxy M31 and A21s.

Given the science, you may have to replace your battery after a few years, no matter what. But you’re probably ready for a new phone by then anyway. Make sure you choose the best battery life phone possible.