cell phoneCameras are evolving every day, with stronger cameras, faster performance, and brighter screens, but batteries are always a concern. Foreign media CNET recently tested a mobile phone that will be launched in 2025. iPhone After 35 mobile phones were subjected to long-term video playback and high-intensity stress testing under the same conditions, several unexpected names emerged. Some battery capacity is not the largest but achieves the best results, and some affordable models actually perform well. Mobile phones in 2026Battery lifeThe war seems to be undergoing a critical change.
▲Image source: CNET
Actual battery life tests of 35 mobile phones are released, and this phone becomes the most powerful
If you think there haven’t been any breakthroughs in mobile phone batteries in recent years, changes are actually happening behind the scenes. foreign media CNET pointed out that in the past year, more and more brands have begun to adopt silicon-carbon battery technology. This new type of battery uses silicon anode design to increase capacity without increasing volume.
Mobile phone designs are getting thinner and thinner, and every inch of internal space is valuable. Traditional lithium batteries have to be larger if they want to increase their capacity, but silicon-carbon batteries solve this problem. This is a major breakthrough for flagship phones that pursue long battery life without increasing thickness.
The question is, are the mobile phones on the market really more durable than before? Which brands do it best?
How do foreign media test and try to eliminate variables?
Battery performance is affected by many factors, including signal strength, screen brightness, usage habits, software optimization and processor efficiency. To standardize testing, CNET uses two benchmarks:
- 3-hour Wi-Fi streaming video test, the screen is fully bright, the battery level starts from 100%, and the remaining percentage is recorded.
- A 45-minute high-intensity stress test, including playing games, watching videos, social media, and video calls.
The results of the two tests are averaged, and only models officially sold in the United States are counted. However, there are many models available in Taiwan, which can still be used as a reference.
Overall battery life champion iPhone17 Pro Max
iPhone17 Pro Max stood out among 35 mobile phones and became the overall champion. And its price is also the most expensive among the top 5. Interestingly, its 5088mAh battery is not the largest capacity, but it relies on the efficiency advantages of the A19 Pro chip and iOS 26 to win the first place. This once again shows that battery capacity is not equal to battery life, and the integration of software and hardware is the key.
▲Image source: Apple
There is a tie for second place, battery size is not the only answer
The second place is tied between iPhone17 and OnePlus 15. The battery capacity of iPhone 17 is the smallest among the top ones, but it can still squeeze into the second place.
▲Image source: Apple
On the other hand, OnePlus 15 is equipped with a large-capacity silicon-carbon battery. The two took completely different routes, but achieved the same results. This comparison is actually very interesting. On one side is the ultimate efficiency, and on the other side is the strategy of increasing capacity. In addition, OnePlus accounts for 3 of CNET’s top 5 spots. In addition to OnePlus 15, it also includes the OnePlus 13R and OnePlus 15R series. These models are equipped with silicon-carbon batteries.
▲Image source: OnePlus
The only other device with a silicon-carbon battery to make the list is the Poco F7 Ultra, which sells for as low as $649 in the US (NT$15,999 in Taiwan). Judging from the data, OnePlus has almost maximized the advantages of silicon-carbon batteries.
▲Image source: Xiaomi
Affordable machine can also be very durable
The fourth place is iPhone17 Pro. Although the body size is smaller than iPhone 17 Pro Max, it still shows flagship-level battery life performance and maintains stable power consumption control during high-brightness streaming and high-intensity stress tests, proving that the energy efficiency optimization of the A19 Pro chip and iOS 26 does not only exist in the largest models.
▲Image source: Apple
In fifth place, 4 models were tied, including:
- Motorola Moto G Stylus 2025, $400.
- Motorola Edge 2025, $500.
- OnePlus 13R, $600.
- OnePlus 15R, $700.
Among them, the cheapest Moto G Stylus has amazing battery life thanks to its large battery, power-saving processor and screen configuration. This also proves that you don’t have to spend more than $1,000 to have good battery life.
▲Image source: Moto
Average brand performance Apple and OnePlus lead
If we look at the overall brand average, CNET’s statistical results after testing more than 3 models show that Apple and OnePlus are tied for the top spot. The third and fourth places are Motorola and Samsung. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Plus performed well in the video test, but failed slightly in the stress test.
The fifth place is Google. Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold performed well in the stress test, but the overall battery life is still far behind OnePlus. Interestingly, both Google and Apple have control over their own software and processor design, but there are still differences in battery life tuning.
▲Image source: Google
Test details, two scenes of video and pressure
In the 3-hour video test, iPhone17 Pro Max performed the most stably, with almost all high-scoring models at the top of the overall ranking. In addition, in the 45-minute stress test, iPhone17 Pro Max once again won the championship, and even iPhone 16e also squeezed into the top class. This means that Apple’s power consumption control under high load scenarios is quite mature.
At the same time, two folding machines, Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Motorola Razr 2025, also performed well, indicating that the battery life gap between folding machines is narrowing.
Conclusion
Judging from this test of 35 mobile phones, 2026 is indeed an important watershed in battery development. On the one hand, silicon-carbon batteries have begun to be introduced in large quantities, allowing capacity to break through physical limitations. On the other hand, Apple has used chips and system efficiency to prove that even if the capacity is not the largest, it can still achieve the best results.
The good news for consumers is that long battery life is no longer limited to the most expensive flagship phones, and affordable models can also be used for more than a whole day. In the future, the competition for mobile phone battery life may no longer just be about capacity, but about who can maximize the use of energy.
If battery life is what you care about most about your next phone, the options on the market are more interesting now than at any time in the past year.
Further reading:
Source: KOCPC Chinese