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Battery life is still the number one reason people upgrade. Cameras and chips are all good now. What separates one iPhone from another day to day is whether it gets you to bedtime.
This guide ranks every iPhone from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, plus the new iPhone Duo foldable. It's updated for October 2026 and includes the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, 16e and 17e.
Want to get more out of the battery you already have? Read our iPhone battery and charging guide.
The quick answer
- Longest battery life overall: iPhone 18 Pro Max. Biggest battery Apple has ever put in an iPhone.
- Best value for battery: iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Plus. Within two hours of the newest Pro Max for a lot less money.
- Best non-Pro Max: iPhone 18 Pro. Just 12 minutes behind the 16 Plus in a much smaller body.
- Best on a budget: iPhone 15 Plus. Still lasts longer than the iPhone 17.
- Thinnest, with a trade-off: iPhone Air. Gorgeous, but it sits in the bottom half of this table.
How we ranked them
To compare phones fairly, every result has to come from the same test. We've used Tom's Guide's battery test for this ranking. It loops web pages over 5G with the screen fixed at 150 nits until the phone dies. It's the only long-running test we found that covers every iPhone from the 12 to the 18 series.
Our older version of this article used MrWhosTheBoss's real-world drain test. It's a great test, but the routine changes each year and it hasn't covered the 17e, 18 Pro or Duo. Mixing results from different tests would give you a misleading ranking, so we switched.
Two things to keep in mind:
- These are new-battery results. Every phone was tested when it was new. A three-year-old phone with an 80% battery won't match these numbers.
- Real life is shorter. Gaming, video, maps and poor signal all drain faster than web browsing. Use the ranking to compare phones, not to predict your exact day.
Every iPhone ranked for battery life
1. iPhone 18 Pro Max: 18hr 27m
The new champion. The UK model packs a 5,391 mAh battery, the largest in any iPhone. Apple rates it at up to 43 hours of video playback. It also charges to 50% in about 15 minutes with a 60W adapter.
Shop refurbished iPhone 18 Pro Max
2. iPhone 17 Pro Max: 17hr 54m
Less than 40 minutes behind the 18 Pro Max in this test. If you want flagship stamina without paying launch-year prices, this is the sweet spot.
Shop refurbished iPhone 17 Pro Max
3. iPhone 16 Pro Max: 17hr 17m
Two generations old and still in the top three. Probably the best battery-per-pound iPhone you can buy right now.
Shop refurbished iPhone 16 Pro Max
4. iPhone 16 Plus: 16hr 29m
Big screen, big battery, no Pro price tag. The best non-Pro iPhone for battery life Apple has made.
Shop refurbished iPhone 16 Plus
5. iPhone 18 Pro: 16hr 17m
The biggest jump for the smaller Pro in years. It outlasts the 15 Pro Max and every Pro Max before it.
Shop refurbished iPhone 18 Pro
6. iPhone 17 Pro: 15hr 32m
A big step up on the 16 Pro thanks to a larger battery. A good pick if you want a 6.3-inch phone that lasts.
Shop refurbished iPhone 17 Pro
7. iPhone 15 Plus: 14hr 14m
The budget battery hero. It lasts longer than the iPhone 17, 16 and Air.
Shop refurbished iPhone 15 Plus
8. iPhone 16 Pro: 14hr 07m
Shop refurbished iPhone 16 Pro
9. iPhone 15 Pro Max: 14hr 02m
Shop refurbished iPhone 15 Pro Max
10. iPhone 14 Pro Max: 13hr 39m
Shop refurbished iPhone 14 Pro Max
The rest of the line-up is in the full table below.
Full ranking table
Battery capacities are for the UK models. Pro models sold in the UK keep a SIM tray, so their batteries are slightly smaller than the eSIM-only US versions.
| Rank | Model | Battery test | Battery (UK) | Apple video playback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iPhone 18 Pro Max | 18hr 27m | 5,391 mAh | 43 hrs |
| 2 | iPhone 17 Pro Max | 17hr 54m | 4,823 mAh | 37 hrs |
| 3 | iPhone 16 Pro Max | 17hr 17m | 4,685 mAh | 33 hrs |
| 4 | iPhone 16 Plus | 16hr 29m | 4,674 mAh | 27 hrs |
| 5 | iPhone 18 Pro | 16hr 17m | 4,056 mAh | 34 hrs |
| 6 | iPhone 17 Pro | 15hr 32m | 3,988 mAh | 31 hrs |
| 7 | iPhone 15 Plus | 14hr 14m | 4,383 mAh | 26 hrs |
| 8 | iPhone 16 Pro | 14hr 07m | 3,582 mAh | 27 hrs |
| 9 | iPhone 15 Pro Max | 14hr 02m | 4,422 mAh | 29 hrs |
| 10 | iPhone 14 Pro Max | 13hr 39m | 4,323 mAh | 29 hrs |
| 11 | iPhone Duo* | 13hr 20m | 4,883 mAh (unconfirmed) | 31 hrs (inner screen) |
| 12 | iPhone 17 | 12hr 47m | 3,692 mAh | 30 hrs |
| 13 | iPhone 16 | 12hr 43m | 3,561 mAh | 22 hrs |
| 14 | iPhone 16e | 12hr 41m | 4,005 mAh | 26 hrs |
| 15 | iPhone 17e | 12hr 35m | 4,005 mAh | 26 hrs |
| 16 | iPhone 13 Pro Max | 12hr 16m | 4,352 mAh | 28 hrs |
| 17 | iPhone Air | 12hr 02m | 3,149 mAh | 27 hrs |
| 18 | iPhone 14 Plus | 11hr 57m | 4,325 mAh | 26 hrs |
| 19 | iPhone 13 Pro | 11hr 42m | 3,095 mAh | 22 hrs |
| 20 | iPhone 15 | 11hr 05m | 3,349 mAh | 20 hrs |
| 21 | iPhone 15 Pro | 10hr 53m | 3,274 mAh | 23 hrs |
| 21 | iPhone 12 Pro Max | 10hr 53m | 3,687 mAh | 20 hrs |
| 23 | iPhone 13 | 10hr 33m | 3,227 mAh | 19 hrs |
| 24 | iPhone 14 Pro | 10hr 13m | 3,200 mAh | 23 hrs |
| 25 | iPhone 14 | 9hr 28m | 3,279 mAh | 20 hrs |
| 26 | iPhone 12 Pro | 9hr 06m | 2,815 mAh | 17 hrs |
| 27 | iPhone 13 mini | 8hr 41m | 2,406 mAh | 17 hrs |
| 28 | iPhone 12 | 8hr 25m | 2,815 mAh | 17 hrs |
| 29 | iPhone 12 mini | 7hr 28m | 2,227 mAh | 15 hrs |
Battery test: Tom's Guide web-surfing test over 5G at 150 nits. Battery capacities from regulatory filings and teardowns. Video playback hours from Apple. *The iPhone Duo was tested on Tom's Guide's updated October 2026 test, so treat its position as a close guide rather than an exact like-for-like.
What stands out
- Bigger phones last longer. The three newest Pro Max models take the top three spots. Screen size means battery size.
- The Plus models punch above their weight. The 16 Plus and 15 Plus beat several newer, pricier phones.
- The iPhone Air is the trade-off phone. It's 5.6mm thin, and that costs it battery. It lands behind the 16e, the 17e and even the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
- The 17e didn't move things on. Same 4,005 mAh battery as the 16e and almost identical results.
- The smaller Pro finally caught up. The 17 Pro and 18 Pro both beat older Pro Max models.
Charging speeds
| Model | Wired | MagSafe / Qi2 |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max | 50% in ~15 mins (60W+ adapter) | 25W |
| iPhone Duo | 50% in ~20 mins (60W+ adapter) | 25W |
| iPhone 17 / 17 Pro / 17 Pro Max | Up to 40W, 50% in ~20 mins | 25W (needs a 30W+ adapter) |
| iPhone Air | 20W | 20W |
| iPhone 17e | 20W | 15W |
Older MagSafe chargers top out at 15W on the newer phones. If fast wireless charging matters to you, budget for a Qi2.2 charger too.
Buying refurbished? Battery health matters more than the model
Every number above assumes a fresh battery. Lithium-ion batteries wear with every charge cycle. After two to three years of normal use, most sit somewhere around 80 to 85% health.
In practice, a 16 Pro Max at 80% health can last less than a 17 Pro with a healthy battery. So when you buy refurbished, check battery health as well as the model.
At Reboxed®, every phone passes our 70-point TechCheck® before it ships, and every grade comes with at least 80% battery health. On many models you can also choose a New Battery option, so you get close to the out-of-the-box numbers above for less.
So which iPhone should you buy for battery life?
If money is no object, get the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Nothing else lasts as long.
If you want the best value, the 17 Pro Max and 16 Pro Max give you top-three battery life for a lot less. On a tighter budget, the 16 Plus and 15 Plus are the standouts.
Want a smaller phone that still goes the distance? The 18 Pro and 17 Pro are the first compact Pros that genuinely last all day for heavy users.
Browse all refurbished iPhones
FAQs
Which iPhone has the longest battery life in 2026?
The iPhone 18 Pro Max. It has the largest battery Apple has fitted to an iPhone and topped our ranking at 18hr 27m.
Which cheap iPhone has the best battery life?
The iPhone 15 Plus and 16 Plus. Both beat the newer iPhone 17 and iPhone Air in testing and usually cost much less refurbished.
Is the iPhone Air battery life bad?
It's fine for most people, but it's below average for a new iPhone. It ranked 17th of 29, just behind the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Heavy users may want a battery pack.
Why do UK iPhone 17 Pro and 18 Pro models have smaller batteries?
The US versions are eSIM-only. Without a SIM tray, Apple fits a slightly bigger battery. UK models keep the tray, so they lose a little capacity and about two hours of rated video playback.
When should I replace my iPhone battery?
Apple suggests a replacement once battery health drops below 80%. You can check it in Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
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