iPhone 18 Pro Max tops battery test
Apple's first foldable phone, iPhone Duo, shared the top spot in mixed use, but finished fourth overall
Quick Look
- In CNET's battery comparison with 32 smartphones, iPhone 18 Pro Max came first in the overall rankings.
- The iPhone Duo tied for the top spot in mixed use but finished fourth overall.
- Apple ranked first in the manufacturers' average for two years in a row.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
CNET conducted a two-stage battery test with 32 smartphones. Testing started with a 100 percent charge and included video streaming and mixed usage scenarios.
iPhone 18 Pro Max took first place overall in CNET's battery comparison of 32 smartphones. In the test, Apple's first foldable phone, iPhone Duo, also shared the same peak in mixed use. However, he tied for fourth place in the overall rankings.
How was the iPhone 18 Pro Max tested?
CNET put each phone through two tests totaling three hours and 45 minutes. In the first, the phones streamed video over Wi-Fi for three hours, with the screen brightness at its highest. The second lasted 45 minutes and combined video playback, video calling, gaming and social media.
Both tests started with 100 percent charge. The publication created the overall ranking by averaging the remaining percentages. Thus, it was not the phone that stood out in a single test, but the model that gave balanced results in both tests.
Who is at the top
iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo completed the mixed use test with 99 percent charge. Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL model has 97 percent charge remaining. On the other hand, Pixel 10 Pro XL remained at 93 percent in the same test.
The best in the video streaming test was the smaller iPhone 18 Pro. The phone retained 94 percent of its charge after three hours. The iPhone 17 and Motorola's Razr and Razr Ultra models also performed well in two tests.
CNET attributed the iPhone 18 Pro Max's lead to three factors: increased battery capacity over the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the efficiency of the A20 Pro chip, and iOS 27 optimizations.
Price and performance
The $1,999 iPhone Duo tied for fourth place overall. Its combined result was the same as the $699 iPhone 17e and the $1,400 Motorola Razr Ultra. So the cheap iPhone is at the same point as two much higher priced foldable phones.
CNET listed the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e among the affordable options in terms of battery durability. Apart from Apple, the $500 Motorola Moto G Stylus and the $600 Motorola Edge also entered the top 10.
Apple ranked first in the manufacturers' average for the second year in a row. Because only brands with more than one model tested were included in this list. In second place is OnePlus.
The average in the sector did not change
The overall picture is not that bright. According to CNET, the average battery performance of phones tested in 2026 is about the same as in 2025 and 2024. A big battery does not mean longer use, because the screen, processor and other features also consume power.
Open Questions
- The date and location where the tests were performed are unclear.
- The full list and ranking of the other 32 phones have not been fully disclosed.
