Most of us nowadays have a smartphone. Which means most of us have experienced the irritation of having our smartphones die just once we need them. Sick of running for a charger halfway through the day? Then you wish a smartphones with best battery life. But which one should you go for? That’s why I am here to help you. We have got everything you need to know about the big battery phones and we have even got some great model recommendations!
The good news, you don’t even have to buy a flagship to get a long-lasting handset some budget phones have some of the biggest batteries, so you can find handsets at a range of prices here.
Smartphones With Best Battery Life
Why you need a Smartphone with best battery life
There are some reasons for needing a big battery phone. Maybe you are a big phone user who spends hours daily on your mobile. Or maybe you frequently go to places wherever charging your phone just is not an option. Either way, a big battery phone is going to be useful to you.
The idea is that with a battery large enough you should be ready to go for hours and maybe days without needing to charge your phone at all. And if you have ever had your heart sink at the sight of that flashing 145 battery charge with no portable power bank or wall charging point insight then you will know that having a phone that may hold a charge all day is a good thing.
One thing to remember of but is that a bigger battery might not always fix your problems. Some apps drain your battery more than others and if you have some dodgy malware or unauthorized app on there that’s hogging the CPU then you’ll have issues regardless of the battery size.
What Are My Options?
Nowadays we have many smartphone models to decide on from. And truth be told, most of these models look fairly similar. In fact, there is really only one sensible thanks to dividing smartphones into classes, and that is by price. This suggests that there are 3 real categories of a phone.
Top-end phones with best battery life
Coming in at over $500 a top-end phone goes to price you a pretty penny. But it’s also going to be full of features and have lots of extras as well. A top-end mobile goes to be fast and capable of doing plenty of things (like playing high-end games), but that price tag would possibly make your eyes water.
Pros: No sacrifices to be made here, a Top-end phone should be able to do everything you wish with ease.
Cons: The real drawback here is price, a solid top-end model goes to be very expensive.
Best For: Those who want or wish to do high-end things on their mobile like photo editing or high-end gaming. Those for whom price is not an issue or those buying on a contract where a big upfront price won’t be an issue.
Mid-range phones with best battery life
Mid-range phones are really a compromise between worth and performance. You’ll lose a number of those top-end features (which you may not really need anyway), and in return, you can get a less expensive worth point. A mid-range phone can cost between around $250 and $500. You might also need to compromise a bit on performance, with slightly slower processors or smaller screens.
Pros: More affordable than high-end phones, mid-range devices should still get solid performance but at a fraction of the worth.
Cons: However, the drawback is that you just might miss out on some top-end features, and a mid-range phone may be a bit slower or have a slightly smaller screen than you’d like.
Best For: Those on more of a budget, where cash is an issue. The average phone user, those who are not affixed to their mobile all the time, can probably be more than happy with a mid-range model.
Budget Phones with best battery life
Last but not least there are budget phone choices that should come in at under $250. Yes, you are visiting be making compromises here, especially once it comes to screen size and resolution and processors. But you will be obtaining a much more affordable device. However, one of the largest compromises on a budget phone is often the battery size, which means that few low-end models get good battery life.
Pros: The largest Pro of a budget phone simply prices. You’ll get the phone you need without having to pay a fortune to get it.
Cons: Few low-end models get good battery life, which means you’ll have less of a selection. And low-end phones won’t be super quick and may not be ready to perform CPU intensive tasks like photo editing or high-end gaming.
Best For: If you are on a tight budget then a low-end mobile goes to be the best choice for you. Yes, you’ll have to make some compromises, but having the fastest, biggest screen phone around is not a priority for everyone.
Now you should have a better idea of what exactly you are looking for in a good big battery smartphone. And to help out, even more, I have put together a list of some of the best big battery phones around and take a look at them in-depth.
1. OnePlus 6T (High End)
Battery Size: 3700 mAh
Test Time: 20 hours
Battery Life: Around 17 hours of active use, 90 hours standby
Don’t let that deceptively small battery size fool you, the OnePlus 6T performed better on battery life tests than many devices with so much bigger batteries. This is partly because of a very efficient processing unit.
Add in the fact that the 6T gets good specs all around and this can be an amazing phone choice if you can face the high-end price tag.
The OnePlus 6T gets octa-core 2.8 GHz and 1.7 GHz processing power. There is a massive 6.4-inch display with Full HD (1080 x 2340 pixels, about 402 PPI).
There are the dual rear cameras (both a 20MP and a 16MP lens), and an enormous 16MP front-facing cam too. Throw in either 128 GB or 256 GB of internal memory and you’ve got a truly excellent device.
Price could be a problem here for a few, and the 6T does not have a headphone jack, which means you’ll need wireless headphones. Overall though, the 6T is a phone where you are making only a few compromises indeed to get great battery life.
- Battery life excellent for battery size.
- Beautiful big screen.
- Overall great specs.
- Could be pricey for some.
- Lack of headphone jack could be a deal breaker.
2. Motorola Moto E5 Plus (Budget)
Battery Size: 5000 mAh
Test Time: 11.5 hours
Battery Life: Unknown
The Moto E5 Plus is one of the rare budget handsets that truly gets wonderful battery life. With a surprising 11.5 hours of physical use before the juice ran out, this can be one of the top contenders on the market right now. That’s thanks in part to relatively low screen specs coupled with a large 5000 mAh battery.
The E5 Plus gets quad-core 1.4 GHz processing. It also includes a large 6-inch display, but at only 720 x 1440 pixels (around 268 PPI) screen resolution is not good.
You get a 12MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera, and either 16 GB or 32 GB of memory depending on which model you choose.
Yes, battery life is good. but performance is not stellar. That low screen resolution, specifically, might bother some. But if you are willing to compromise on performance, or if you are not a huge phone user, then the E5 Plus is a great buy.
- Big battery.
- Very affordable given its specs.
- Solid camera set.
- Not super high speed.
- Screen ratio could be a deal breaker for some.
3. Huawei Mate 10 Pro (High End)
Battery Size: 4000 mAh
Test Time: 14.5 hours
Battery Life: 13 hours of active use, 96 hours of standby time
Just sneaking into the high-end category is that the wonderful Huawei Mate 10 Pro. Huawei is well known for putting massive batteries into their phones, and also the Mate 10 Pro is no exception.
A big 4000 mAh battery gets an amazing 14.5 hours of playtime on the test, and also the good news is that there aren’t too many compromises being made here either.
The Mate 10 Pro gets octa-core 2.4 GHz and 1.8 GHz processing power. It has a big 6-inch display that is HD with 1080 x 2160 pixels (about 402 PPI).
There is a dual-lens rear camera (12MP and 20MP lenses) also like an 8MP front camera. And you get either 64 GB or 128 GB of storage, depending on which model you choose.
There are not too several downsides here. You get solid performance teamed with solid battery life.
However, some customers have reported problems with sound, though from reviews it looks like Huawei are responding and replacing downside parts. This is not a widespread problem, however, thus it should be a huge concern.
- Great battery life on tests.
- Good performance.
- Excellent screen.
- Some people have reported problems with sound.
- Could be a pricey choice for some.
4. Blackberry Motion (Mid Range)
Battery Size: 4000 mAh
Test Time: 9 hours
Battery Life: Around 10 hours of active use, 94 hours standby
Firmly in the mid-range price-wise, the Blackberry Motion could be an amazingly lesser known device for one thing that is a very solid Android phone.
That 4000 mAh battery combined with a screen that’s still good but not super high resolution means that the Motion scored very well soon real-life tests.
Okay, it’s not the longest lasting phone on this list, but 9 hours is over a workday (and it is unlikely that you’ll be using your phone for 9 hours consecutively).
The Blackberry Motion has octa-core 2 GHz processing power. The screen is 5.5 inches and High Definition, thus you get 1080 x 1920 pixels (around 403 PPI).
There is a 12MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. And you get 32 GB of internal storage, so there is no shortage of memory here either.
That processing power could be a sacrifice for some, though it is still on the high end, and therefore the screen is the older 16:9 ratio, instead of the more modern 18:9 ratio seen on higher-end devices.
However, at this price point, the Motion could be a nice buy if you are looking for good battery life.
- Big battery.
- Very affordable given its specs.
- Solid camera set.
- Not super high speed.
- Screen ratio could be a deal breaker for some.
5. Xperia XZ2 (Mid Range)
Battery Size: 3180 mAh
Test Time: 9 hours
Battery Life: Around 10 hours of active use, 88 hours standby
The Xperia XZ2 is another case of not letting the smaller battery size deceive you. For a large screened, solidly acting mid-range device, the XZ2 did amazingly well in battery tests, due again to a really efficient processing set.
The XZ2 offers you octa-core 2.7 GHz and 1.7 GHz process power, thus it’s plenty fast. The screen is a large 5.7 inches, and Full HD (1080 x 2160 pixels, thus about 424 PPI).
You get a 19MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera, that is maybe a touch less than we would hope for at this price point. And finally, you get a full 64 GB of internal storage.
Those cameras may be a deal-breaker for some, particularly since the XZ2 is at the upper end of the mid-range price bracket.
However, that aside, this can be a really good phone so, checking all the boxes not simply that for great battery life.
- Smaller battery performs surprisingly well.
- Excellent overall performance.
- Beautiful display.
- Camera set could be a deal breaker for some.
- On the pricey side for a mid range phone.
6. Moto G6 Play (Budget)
Battery Size: 4000 mAh
Test Time: 12 hours
Battery Life: Around 14 hours of active use, 92 hours standby
It should be no surprise that our second budget selection also comes from Motorola. The Moto G6 Play was released early in 2018, and because of its huge battery and comparatively low specs, it performs astoundingly well on battery life tests. And at around $160 it’s reasonable for most people too.
The G6 Play features quad-core 1.4 gigahertz processing power, so it’s not exactly the fastest phone around. It does get a large 5.7-inch display, however, and resolution is fairly smart for the price point at 720 x 1440 pixels, thus around 282 PPI.
There is a 13MP rear cam and an 8MP front cam, likewise as either 32 GB or 16 GB of memory depending on which model you decide on.
Okay, performance is not superb here, and for some that might be a sticking point. But the G6 will definitely handle normal use, and it’ll last you all day too. In terms of worth for performance, this is often a very good deal.
- Very good battery life on tests.
- Very affordable.
- Decent camera set for the price.
- Performance isn’t the fastest.
- Screen resolution is pretty low.
7. iPhone XS Max (VERY High End)
Battery Size: 3174 mAh
Test Time: 11 hours
Battery Life: Around 11 hours of active use, 79 hours standby
If there is one thing that Apple Phones are known for (other than their high prices) it is their efficient processors. And also the iPhone XS Max is no exception.
Despite a seemingly tiny battery, the XS Max performs extraordinarily well on battery life tests while it is super high specs. That price point could be a problem for several people, however.
The XS Max gets Hexacore 2.25 GHz and 1.6 GHz processing power (which is incredibly fast for an iPhone). You also get a huge 6.5-inch display, and that is a brilliant AMOLED screen with Full High Definition (1242 x 2688 pixels, regarding 458 PPI).
There are dual 12MP cameras at the rear and a 7MP camera at the front. And you get your selection of 64 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB of internal storage. Have no doubt, this can be a high-performance phone.
The downsides? Well, the price, obviously. Also, you are doing tend to get locked into the iPhone ecosystem, which could not be ideal if you are a big Android lover.
However, the XS Max may be a fantastic phone, capable of doing anything you want it to do and a lot of.
- Incredible performance.
- Best battery life of any iPhone.
- Beautiful display.
- Exceptionally expensive.
- iPhones are not everyone’s choice of device.
8. Huawei Honor 10 (Mid Range)
Battery Size: 3400 mAh
Test Time: 10 hours
Battery Life: Around 10 hours, 74 hours standby
The Huawei Honor 10 is on the low end of the mid-range budget, and it is a wonderful compromise between performance and worth. At around $300 it won’t break the bank, and a solid 10 hours of full-on use is extremely good indeed for a phone with specs like these.
It’s no high-end phone, it cannot compete against the big boys just like the iPhone XS Max, but it’s a really good mid-range device.
The Honor 10 has octa-core 2.4 gigahertz and 1.8 gigahertz processing power. You get a big 5.8-inch display, and that’s Full HD too (1080 x 2280 pixels, about 432 PPI).
Around at the rear, you are seeing a large dual lens camera (24MP and 16MP), ANd at the front, there is an equally huge 24MP lens.
And you get your selection between 64 GB or 128 GB of internal memory. All in all, an excellent collection of specs.
It’s hard to see a downside to the Honor 10. It’s not the fastest phone around, and it does not have the best display.
However, at this price point, we would not expect either of these things. In actuality, Honor 10 is an incredible deal, an amazing phone, and it just happens to have good battery life also.
- Good battery life on tests.
- Very affordable for the specs.
- Excellent display.
- Not the fastest phone around.
- Not the largest display.
Tested By PopSmartphone
How We Tested Our Top Models
Before we jump into recommendations though, let’s first tell you how we went about selecting our favorite big battery models. Obviously, we checked out battery size. But we additionally looked at battery performance, how long a phone’s battery lasted once tested since battery size does not tell us everything. We also kept to phones that are widely available and easy to induce hold of, instead of specialized models that may be difficult to search out. And of course, we checked out overall specs additionally as prices.
We did also examine customer reviews since it’s necessary that others have had a good experience with a phone, and spec numbers don’t always tell the full story. On high of that, we pay plenty of your time around mobile phones, mobile engineers, mobile customers, and people who could be termed slightly addicted to their phones. In short, we pay plenty of time around the kind of people that not only use phones on a daily basis, but that stretch them to their limits. So we took into account all this skilled advice too.
Right, thus now we are ready to get to those recommendations. That big battery phone should you buy? try some of these models.
Note: Battery length wherever possible is given because the length of your time the battery lasted with the screen switched on at high brightness with apps/video running (“battery test time”), additionally because the manufacturer’s statement for active use and standby once this information is available (“battery life”).
What Do I need to think about Before Buying?
There are some things that you have to keep in mind while you are buying if you are looking for an excellent phone with a big battery. As you’ll see below we are very talking about compromises that you’ll need to make here, thus you’ll need to prioritize what you are looking for in mobile so as to justify what is worth sacrificing to get longer battery life. The things you should keep in mind are:
Battery Size
Battery size is measured in mAh, and as a general rule, the larger the mAh, the longer battery should last. However, this can be a tricky thing, since battery size is not the only factor that affects battery life. We’ll get into the other things that affect battery life in precisely a second. However understand that generally, you are looking for big battery size, something around (or above) about 3000 mAh.
Screen Size
Larger screens use a lot of battery. This is one of the reasons why simply looking for a big battery size is not enough. If you are serious about saving battery life then you’ll need to minimize screen size as much as you’ll whilst still keeping that screen big enough to make for comfortable viewing expertise. you really should not go below 4.5 inches on a good smartphone.
Screen Resolution
On a similar note, higher resolution screens also tend to drain batteries quicker. A Quad HD screen may look wonderful, but it’s going to suck out that juice like nobody’s business. Again, you are going to need to minimize resolution as much as possible while still ensuring that resolution is nice enough for a clear image. You should be searching for above 450 PPI (pixels per inch) to still get good resolution, but skip those large Quad HD displays.
Processor efficiency
How efficient a phone’s processor is is another factor which will affect overall battery life. Unfortunately, as a non-engineer, it’s powerful to tell simply how efficient a processor really is. As a general rule, lower-powered processors (those with a lower range of GHz) can drain less battery, but you don’t need to go thus low that your phone’s performance is compromised. You should look for a minimum of quad-core processing with a processor of around 1.5 gigahertz for good performance.
What Features Should I Be Looking For?
It’s important to remember that while you are looking for good battery life, you are still looking for a good phone as well. One which will do everything you need it to do. Of course, what you would like your phone to do can depend on you, however here are some extra options that you may want to look out for:
Camera Specs: Mobile photography is incredibly popular, which suggests that looking for good camera specs if you are into taking snaps. Fortunately, even the most important and best cameras have little effect on battery life, thus feel free to choose whichever camera set you like.
Security: With most personal data being kept on smartphones, and with several online payment systems no requiring a minimum of fingerprint security, you should consider the safety features of any phone you are looking at. A fingerprint sensor is probably the minimum that you’re looking for, but face recognition is even better.
Memory: With the increase of cloud storage, memory is not as vital as it used to be on a smartphone. But you’ll still need lots of storage to keep your pics, music, and apps. You’ll need at the very least eight GB of internal storage, but 16 GB is good.
What about Dumb Phones?
Before we get into model recommendations, initial we should say a word about dumb phones. Dumb phones are those who have only a 2G connection, phones that are incapable of accessing the internet in any true fashion, which are good for calling and sending messages only.
I have chosen to focus on smartphones only here since this can be what the majority are looking for. However, dumb phones can win the battery stakes every time. If you are looking for a phone which will last days without being charged, then you might need to consider a dumb phone. The nice news is that dumbphones are relatively low-cost, thus it’s not a huge investment to keep one as a second, emergency phone simply in case.
Do remember though that some operators (most notably Three) no longer support 2G service, thus if you are with one among these operators you’ll have to change networks before getting your dumb phone connected.
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