Apple always claims battery life improvements with its latest devices, including the new iPhone 16 Pro Max, but often doesn’t offer the data to back it up. However, it seems that someone’s done the tech giant’s job for it, proving equivocally that the latest premium iPhone flagship is the best around when it comes to holding charge.
In a direct test against the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the iPhone 16 Pro Max lasted 28 hours and 14 minutes, almost an hour longer than the S24 Ultra’s 27 hours and 18 minutes. That’s not a massive difference, but as we make clear in our guide to the best gaming phones, battery life is a key factor in what we’re looking for when picking up a new cell phone. It could be the difference between gaming for an extra hour or staring out the window on a train. I know which I’d rather.
The test, courtesy of YouTuber iPhone Buff, compared the two flagship devices using a robot arm that runs through different functions and apps until the phone runs out of charge. The new iPhone 16 Pro Max didn’t just outperform the S24 Ultra during the testing, though. It also surpassed the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 27 hours and 45 minutes of battery life by just under 30 minutes. Again, it’s not a seismic change, but it should be enough to notice if you’re one of the many users who often find themselves flying by the seat of their pants at a 1% charge.
Unfortunately, while there’s a proven increase to the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery life, its charging speeds still lag behind some of the big-name Android flagships. According to research from ChargerLabs, the 16 Pro Max takes two hours and 20 minutes to juice from flat to 100%. That’s considerably longer than the Honor Magic6 Pro and the Xiaomi 14T, which take around 30 minutes to boost back to full charge. At least now we know what we want from the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Of course, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s winning position could change as soon as January, when we expect to see new launches and additions to our guide to the best Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. If you’re looking for something to play to test your iPhone’s battery life in the meantime, check out our picks for the best iPhone games and the best Apple Arcade games. Or, if you’re looking for a good portable charger, then check out our guide to the best iPhone power banks.