Which Smartphones Have the Best Battery Life in 2016?

Look up almost any survey of mobile phone users today and you’ll find that battery life is the biggest concern. It’s the only real limitation of the modern smartphone. How you use your handset often depends on how much juice you have left in the tank.

Engineers are tackling the battery problem on two fronts. First, they designed quick chargers to speed up battery charging. Second, they are making the cells themselves larger.What's a Quick Charger? Here's Why You Need One Now What's a Quick Charger? Here's Why You Need One NowSmartphones take less time to charge up these days and it's all thanks to a new technology called Quick Charge. If you don't have it yet, you'll want it soon

If you understand how a battery works, you’ll know to look for the milliampere-hour (mAh) rating. The higher the number, the larger the battery’s capacity. That’s the most important figure. But other factors also affect a phone’s battery life, like the hardware, the screen’s size and resolution, the antenna’s signal strength, the temperature of the device, and so on. On top of that, the battery’s age leads to reduced capacity — which is why you need to make your battery last longer.How a Battery Works and 3 Ways You Can Ruin It How a Battery Works and 3 Ways You Can Ruin ItThe modern battery is featured in so many of our favourite technologies that you could almost be forgiven for not spending time learning about their workings.

After putting it all together, it’s difficult to say objectively one phone’s battery life is better than another’s. The best we can do is make educated guesses based on core battery specifications, phone hardware, and expert and user reviews. With that in mind, these are the phones with the best battery life today.

Longest Battery Life: Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL (CA/UK)

• Capacity: 5,000 mAh
• Talk time: 38 hours
• Standby time: 914 hours

GSM Arena has one of the most comprehensive battery life tests for phones, and it is carried out in every model they review. Their numbers are trustworthy and reliable. From the models available in the U.S., the Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL topped their battery test.

It’s not that surprising, considering the large size of the Zenfone Max and its 5,000 mAh lithium-polymer battery. Although the screen is 5.5 inches, its resolution is High Definition (HD is 1280×720 pixels) instead of Full HD (1920×1080 pixels). Since the screen pushes fewer pixels, it conserves power.

The Zenfone Max ZC550KL is ideal for anyone who needs a big screen, large icons, lots of talk-time and Internet-surfing, rather than playing games or watching movies. Outside of battery life, the Max’s anemic hardware isn’t ideal for power users.

Asus Zenfone Max ZC550KL 5.5" 13MP 5000mAh 16GB Smartphone - Black/International Version/No WarrantyAsus Zenfone Max ZC550KL 5.5" 13MP 5000mAh 16GB Smartphone - Black/International Version/No Warranty5.5 inches IPS capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Android OS, v5.0 (Lollipop) BUY NOW AT AMAZON$163.99

At the same price tier, you can also consider the Lenovo Vibe P1 (CA/UK), which is a better overall phone and still has a similar 5,000 mAh battery. The Vibe P1 has a much better screen, processor, and camera. While the battery life won’t be as long, it’s still better than most other phones and will last you longer than a day easily.

Lenovo Vibe P1 Android 5.1 4g LTE Mobile Phones Snapdragon615 Octa Core 5000mah 3gb RAM 5.5" FHD 1920x1080p 13.0mp Quick ChargeLenovo Vibe P1 Android 5.1 4g LTE Mobile Phones Snapdragon615 Octa Core 5000mah 3gb RAM 5.5" FHD 1920x1080p 13.0mp Quick ChargeLenovo Vibe P1 5.5 inch Android OS 5.1 cell Phone BUY NOW AT AMAZON$217.99

Best Battery Under $100: Blu Energy X2 (CA)

• Capacity: 4,000 mAh
• Talk time: 38 hours
• Standby time: 875 hours

If you’re on a budget, the Blu Energy X2 does a good job of balancing long battery life with the base hygiene features required of a modern Android smartphone. Apart from the stellar battery, everything about it is “decent” or “good enough”.

The Energy X2 also incorporates a quick charge feature that will give you about an hour’s worth of usage if you charge it for 10 minutes. All for one Benjamin Franklin note.

BLU Energy X 2 - With 4000 mAh Super Battery - US GSM Unlocked Smartphone - GoldBLU Energy X 2 - With 4000 mAh Super Battery - US GSM Unlocked Smartphone - Gold• Unlocked Dual SIM smartphone, with Android 5.1 Lollipop BUY NOW AT AMAZON$97.00

Best Compact Battery: Sony Xperia Z5 Compact (CA/UK)

• Capacity: 2,700 mAh
• Talk time: 15 hours
• Standby time: 520 hours

Big battery life almost always means a big-sized phone, with the screen measuring 5.5 inches or more. The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is the exception to this rule. It’s a smaller phone — much smaller than the iPhone 6s, even though it has a similar 4.6-inch screen. And the battery life is impressive.

GSM Arena gave it a high rating on its endurance battery testing, particularly noting that it excels in talk time. The Z5 Compact can manage 28 hours of phone calls on a single charge, so it’s one of the ideal handsets if you speak on the phone a lot throughout the day.

Most importantly, the rest of the hardware in the Z5 Compact is top-notch. You get one of the best cameras on the market, a snappy Snapdragon 810 processor, and all the bells and whistles you are used to. We loved the Sony Xperia Z5 and we’re sure you’ll love the Z5 Compact. It’s no wonder this made it to our list of the best smartphones for students in 2016.

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Unlocked Phone - Black (U.S. Warranty)23MP Camera with the world's fastest Autofocus*, highest low-light sensitivity, and highest dxo Score for video stabilization* BUY NOW AT AMAZON$399.95

Best Phone With Stellar Battery: Samsung Galaxy S7 (CA/UK) or Galaxy S7 Edge (CA/UK)

• Capacity: 3,000 mAh (S7) / 3,600 mAh (S7 Edge)
• Talk time: 22 hours (S7) / 27 hours (S7 Edge)
• Standby time: N/A

There’s no beating around the bush here. Samsung has outdone itself with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge — arguably two of the finest Android phones ever made. Consumer Reports rates them in the top five for battery life.

When Riley reviewed the 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge, she was ready to make a long-term commitment to that phone. The 5-inch Galaxy S7 also has some amazing features that aren’t well known. Both the phones come with state-of-the-art hardware and will safely get you through the next few generations of smartphones.

Picking between the two is a matter of subjective preference. The Edge looks sexier but ask yourself if you need curved glass or if it’s just a gimmick. The base S7 is more traditional but lacks the oomph of the Edge. And let’s face it, the Galaxy S7 Edge topped our list of the best Android phones of 2016.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge unlocked smartphone, 32 GB Silver (US Warranty - Model SM-G935UZSAXAA)Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge unlocked smartphone, 32 GB Silver (US Warranty - Model SM-G935UZSAXAA)The Phone you need the Phone you want BUY NOW AT AMAZON$769.99

Best Non-Android Battery: Microsoft Lumia 1520

• Capacity: 3,400 mAh
• Talk time: 25 hours
• Standby time: 768 hours

If Android isn’t your thing, then the Nokia/Microsoft Lumia 1520 is the best you can get. On GSM Arena’s endurance test, it scored 107h and ranked at number 5 overall, while the iPhone 6s Plus was only at 85h and not worth ranking.

Of course, the Lumia 1520 is a pretty old model at this point, having first released in 2013. But it’s among the few Lumias that you can upgrade to Windows 10 mobile and take advantage of all the new cross-platform features like Continuum (check out the new Windows 10 features).

That said, the gargantuan 6-inch screen and the limited 2 GB RAM might make it unwieldy as a phone, and not that powerful as a mobile computer.

Nokia Lumia 1020 32GB GSM Unlocked Windows Smartphone - (Yellow) International Version, No WarrantyNokia Lumia 1020 32GB GSM Unlocked Windows Smartphone - (Yellow) International Version, No Warranty2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network: WCDMA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, 4G Network: LTE 800 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 BUY NOW AT AMAZON$199.99

Outside the U.S.

Step outside the U.S. and you can get some incredible phones for a low price. Don’t knock those Chinese brands — they make reliable and brilliant handsets these days. In fact, cheap Androids often beat flagships in battery life, as the ones below will show.

The Gionee Marathon M6 Plus is set to be the king of battery life. It’s a huge 6-inch phone, and it has an incredible 6,000 mAh battery that will keep it ticking long after every other phone has died. The previous model, the Marathon M5, is GSM Arena’s current battery topper. The new model, releasing soon, should be a doozy.

Xiaomi Redmi 3 series

With a 4,100 mAh battery packed with a 5-inch HD screen and a low-power processor, the Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime has been wowing reviewers with its incredible battery life. The Redmi 3 series, which also includes the Redmi 3, Redmi 3s, and Redmi 3 Pro, have similar specifications with an odd change here or there. This Redmi 3 series has again ranked high on GSM Arena’s battery endurance test and is a solid 4G-ready smartphone for India and China.

Moto Turbo

It can be a little tricky to get your hands on the original Motorola Droid Turbo in the U.S. now, but the Moto Turbo is still available in other markets. With its 3,900 mAh battery, reinforced high-resolution glass screen, waterproof body, and powerful hardware, this is one of the best phones money can buy.

How Long Does Your Phone Last?

Before you make a buying decision based on this article, remember, the battery is just one aspect of your overall smartphone experience. Having fantastic battery life but substandard performance isn’t worth it. Similarly, it’s frustrating to have great hardware but see the battery dying quickly. Balance out the features that matter to you, that’s always the key.

With that in mind, which smartphone are you thinking of buying? What are you using right now, and how often do you recharge it? And do you prefer Quick Charge or larger batteries?