Technologies

Which 2025 iPhone Has the Best Battery? I’ve Crowned a New Power Winner

I looked at three years of exclusive CNET data of iPhone performance to find out which models hold their charges best.

Key takeaways:

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has outstanding battery life that easily lasts all day with charge to spare.
Our exclusive lab data shows you don’t need to pay over a grand for excellent battery life. The $829 iPhone 17’s battery lasts just as long as the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro.
The ultrathin iPhone Air, with a modest battery capacity, outlasted Samsung’s premium Galaxy S25 phones.

You might say that battery life is just a small consideration when buying a new iPhone or Android phone now, but that stance gets shaky when you’re staring down a sliver of red in the battery gauge and have nowhere to plug in. After reviewing smartphones for over a decade, I’ve learned that longer battery life is the one feature people consistently want from their phones.

When Apple launched the new iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air, it spent considerable time touting the longer battery life of the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, as compared to their predecessors.

My fellow CNET reviewers and I have now had the chance to test those claims.

When introducing the iPhone Air and its super slim design, Apple showed a slide during its keynote stating that it has all-day battery life. However, the company undercut its claim on the next slide when it announced a new MagSafe battery pack designed for the Air, which fed into fears that a thinner design might indicate a significant sacrifice to battery life.

Your phone’s battery life is affected by multiple variables, like how bright you keep your display or if your phone has a weak signal from your carrier. How you use your phone has a big impact, too. Someone who is obsessively online will have a much different experience with their battery life than someone who has their phone in their bag at work and checks it on breaks.

So, how do you know whether the battery life is good on the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 series?

CNET tested the new Apple phones’ battery life three ways: through an anecdotal stress test, a video streaming test and observing battery life after everyday use. We also tested wired and wireless charging. Our lab data showed strong battery life for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and even the Air, especially compared to older iPhone models.

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The iPhone 17 Pro Max has excellent battery life

Bigger batteries don’t always mean superior battery life. There’s more to battery life than the physical size or capacity. Besides Huawei, Apple is the only major smartphone maker that builds its own hardware and software and can tune its phones to work off smaller batteries than most Android phones have.

The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max have larger batteries than last year’s 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. If you’re using an eSIM-only version of either phone, like the iPhone models sold in the US, your battery is even bigger because it takes up the space where the SIM card tray would be.

Frustratingly, Apple doesn’t share the capacity of the iPhone’s batteries, and part of the reason is that its batteries are often smaller than those in Android phones. Fortunately, the EU requires that Apple publish energy labels that include the capacity of its batteries on its site. Macrumors found the capacities for eSIM-only models. You can see how the new phones’ batteries compare to the ones in the iPhone 16 series:

iPhone Air: 3,149 mAh
iPhone 17: 3,692 mAh
iPhone 17 Pro: 4,252 mAh
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 5,088 mAh
iPhone 16: 3,561 mAh
iPhone 16 Plus: 4,674 mAh
iPhone 16 Pro: 3,582 mAh
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,685 mAh

CNET has two benchmark tests (video streaming and stress tests) that allow us to compare the battery performance of one phone against another. And because we’ve been using these tests for years, we can also compare a new phone against older models.

For example, if you have an iPhone 15 and are considering upgrading to an iPhone 17, we can tell you that the new iPhone will have a longer battery life out of the box than your old one.

In CNET’s 3-hour video battery test, where we streamed a video over Wi-Fi with the screen at full brightness, the iPhone 17 series did terrific, even if the results were not dramatically better than the iPhone 16 series.

Without a Plus model this year, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the only model with a big battery (the biggest one ever in an iPhone), and it only lost 9% in the test. The lower the percentage lost, the better. This is the first time an iPhone stayed in single digits, and I should note that the 17 Pro Max tied the Motorola Razr (2024) for the best score since we’ve been running the test. The Razr has a less powerful processor and a smaller main screen with a lower resolution and less brightness.

The iPhone Air and 17 Pro dropped 15% in the test, the same as the iPhone 15. And the iPhone 17 lost only 11%, better than the iPhone 15 and 16.

Something to keep in mind is that the iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch screen that supports a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate and a max brightness of 3,000 nits, compared to the iPhone 15 and 16, which have a 6.1-inch display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a max brightness of 2,000 nits.

The new Apple phones did well in CNET’s 45-minute endurance test, during which I played games, streamed videos, scrolled social media and took a video call. The 17 Pro Max only dropped a single percent, the best result this year, but behind the iPhone 16 Plus, which stayed at 100% (the best result for any phone).

The iPhone 17 and 17 Pro had the same result, dropping 2%, making the standard iPhone 17 look even more like an incredible value. The iPhone Air dropped 5%, which matches the iPhone 15 in the same test. For perspective, the Air did better in this test than the Samsung Galaxy S25 series and tied with the Motorola Razr Ultra.

The iPhone Air gets through a day

When we review phones, we set them up as our daily driver to use and test them like our personal phones. Real-world testing is often the best indicator of what a reader can expect to get from a phone.

I started each day with a full battery for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max and tracked how much battery I had throughout the day. I ended each day with plenty of battery left — even after shooting photos and videos or keeping the screen at full brightness while filming the review video. Below is a chart that shows how the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery performed for the first five days I had it.

Similarly, CNET senior technology reporter Abrar Al-Heeti highlights that the iPhone Air she reviewed regularly ends the day with about 20% to spare (after starting with a full battery). She said it would drop below 20% on heavier-use days by the time she was ready for bed.

«Impressively, the iPhone Air has consistently lasted all day over the last several weeks I’ve been using it,» Al-Heeti said. «But I’ve hardly had to touch that MagSafe battery pack to extend battery life during the day, which is reassuring.»

In our testing, a fully-charged MagSafe battery added 69% to the iPhone Air’s battery. When I asked her whether she’d recommend people buy the $99 MagSafe Battery for the Air, Al-Heeti said that she recommends it for someone who uses their phone often and doesn’t want to hunt for an outlet.

«I don’t like the idea of having to lug around an extra battery, no matter how thin or sleek it is, so I don’t tend to carry it with me unless I know I’m going to have a long day away from home,» Al-Heeti said.

She also reviewed the standard iPhone 17 and said it can easily last a little over a day, even after snapping photos, scrolling through social media, listening to audiobooks and music, texting and watching videos.

Al-Heeti’s review notes that over several days, she’d start with a full battery, between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., and have 44% to 47% of a charge 12 hours later. If she didn’t recharge the iPhone 17 overnight, she’d still have about 30% to spare the next morning.

The iPhone 17 series charges fast

There are two ways to charge an iPhone: with a cable or with MagSafe (unless it’s the iPhone 16E, which doesn’t have MagSafe, just Qi charging). For wired charging, Apple recommends using a 40W charger with the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max and a 20W charger for the iPhone Air. However, Apple doesn’t include a charger in the box, just a USB-C cable, but the company does sell a 40W charger for $39 and a 20W charger for $19.

In our 30-minute wired charging test, the new phones, including the Air, did well. The iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max added 10% or more than the iPhone 16, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max in the same test. Apple says the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max can recharge to 50% in 20 minutes. In our tests, the iPhone 17 Pro hit 53% and the iPhone 17 Pro Max hit 49% after 20 minutes.

The iPhone Air reached 49% in our 30-minute charging test with a 20W adapter, the same as the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro, beating the iPhone 15 Plus.

In wireless charging or MagSafe charging, we ran a 30-minute test with the latest MagSafe charger and a 30W power adapter. The iPhone 17 series and Air beat every iPhone we’ve ever tested except the iPhone 16 Pro, which did better than the Air and standard iPhone 17. I should note that iPhones don’t come with a MagSafe charger or 30W adapter in the box.

Which iPhone should you buy based on CNET Labs data?

Get the iPhone 17 Pro Max if you want the best battery life. The standard iPhone 17 has great battery life and inches out the more expensive iPhone 17 Pro. And if you’re on Team Air, know that the battery life isn’t great, but depending on how hard you use it, you should get through a day on a single charge.

I should also note that iOS 26 has a new Adaptive Power mode. This feature learns your phone’s use patterns and «adapts» how much power the processor uses for specific tasks, so it draws less from the battery. The new feature takes a week to start working. I turned it on after running CNET’s battery tests and will update this story with any changes or improvements that come from it.

Last, if you have an iPhone and the only issue is that its battery doesn’t charge as much as it used to, think about replacing it with a new one. Doing so will not only be hundreds of dollars cheaper than a new iPhone, but it can extend your phone’s life another couple of years.

Technologies

Chevy’s New Bolt EV Is a Truly Affordable Electric Car, at Less Than $30,000

It’s cheaper than other so-called «affordable» EVs and fixes the weaknesses of its predecessor.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Oct. 30

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 30.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I admit, 1-Across stumped me until I filled the other answers in. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Words on either side of «___ what ___»
Answer: ITIS

5A clue: Breathes like a dog
Answer: PANTS

7A clue: Podcast’s medium
Answer: AUDIO

8A clue: Test with one’s nose
Answer: SNIFF

9A clue: President after Teddy Roosevelt
Answer: TAFT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Hoppy beers, for short
Answer: IPAS

2D clue: Talk trash to
Answer: TAUNT

3D clue: The «I» of 1-Down
Answer: INDIA

4D clue: How you might feel after a long car ride
Answer: STIFF

6D clue: Pillowy
Answer: SOFT

Technologies

Should You Upgrade to the iPhone 17? Specs, Price and Features vs. Older Models

Apple’s base iPhone 17 appears to be a sleeper hit, but does it offer enough to upgrade from an earlier model? See how it fares against recent iPhones.

While the bright orange iPhone 17 Pro gets all the attention, Apple’s iPhone 17 has quietly turned out to be this year’s early roaring success, with preorders beating out the iPhone 16. If your current serviceable but aging iPhone is starting to feel rusty, maybe this is the year to replace it with a new iPhone 17.

But is the iPhone 17 worth it, or is it better to look for an older iPhone? The new model starts at $829, but here’s the kicker: Apple finally did away with the measly 128GB base storage. The new entry-level model now starts at a much more reasonable 256GB, which is a long-overdue bump that might just make the upgrade a no-brainer.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Several noteworthy updates to the iPhone 17 make it feel like a tempting choice, even over the pricier iPhone 17 Pro models. At long last, Apple has extended a 1-120Hz display across its entire lineup, so you can have smoother scrolling and an always-on display without spending upwards of $1,100 on a Pro model. An anti-reflective coating and higher 3,000-nit peak brightness make the screen slightly easier to see outdoors. And camera upgrades help to level up photos and selfies.

Here’s how the iPhone 17 compares to older iPhones, ranging from last year’s iPhone 16 to 2020’s iPhone 12.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16

Appearance-wise, the iPhone 17 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16. But beneath the surface, there are some key differences.

The display goes from a meager 60Hz on the iPhone 16 to 120Hz on the iPhone 17 (at long last). That means the iPhone 17 finally supports an always-on display, so you can glance at the time and your notifications without waking the screen and enjoy smoother scrolling. A new anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare, especially in the bright outdoor conditions.

The iPhone 17 has a larger 6.3-inch display, versus the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen, thanks to slimmer bezels. That can make viewing content slightly more immersive, though it won’t be a hugely noticeable difference. And a new Ceramic Shield 2 cover on the iPhone 17 offers three times better scratch resistance, according to Apple, so you can worry a little less about etching into your phone’s screen (but maybe still get a screen protector to be safe).

The iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, but the iPhone 17 bumps the ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels. The front-facing camera also gets upgraded from 12 megapixels (on the iPhone 16) to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. Both phones have a Camera Control button for quickly launching the camera and snapping photos.

A new Center Stage feature can automatically adjust selfie photos from portrait orientation to landscape to ensure everyone is in the shot, so you don’t have to manually rotate your phone to its side anymore. Dual Capture lets you simultaneously record on your front and back cameras. These upgrades are specifically catered to the latest iPhone lineup, so that they won’t be coming to older models like the iPhone 16, even with an iOS 26 update.

Battery life is a little longer on the iPhone 17. Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 8 hours more of video playback than the iPhone 16. This change aligns with improvements CNET noticed in our battery tests. In a 3-hour streaming test, for example, the iPhone 17’s battery dropped from 100% to 89%, while the iPhone 16 hit 86%. It’s an incremental update, but even a little more battery life is a welcome change. The iPhone 17 also supports up to 40-watt charging, which is a boost over the 25 watts you get with the iPhone 16, helping you top off your battery a little faster.

The bottom line: While the updates to the iPhone 17 help it stand out as an all-around solid device, the changes over last year’s iPhone 16 are incremental enough that there’s not much reason to upgrade — unless you’re really excited about that smoother display and faster charging. But for most people, subtle differences mean you should probably just hold onto your iPhone 16.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16, including a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 6.1-inch display. The 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 17 has slimmer bezels to expand that real estate a bit, and the 48-megapixel ultrawide camera can lead to slightly sharper shots.

The baseline iPhone 15 doesn’t have an Action button that you can customize to launch various apps and functions, and instead has the more traditional ring/silent switch. The iPhone 17 has an Action button and a Camera Control button.

Both phones have a Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the display for showing alerts and Live Activities, such as the time your DoorDash order is arriving, flight updates and what song is currently playing.

With each generation, Apple touts longer battery life, so you can expect to get a couple more hours of video playback with the iPhone 17 than you would with the 15.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the iPhone 15 and 17 is that the iPhone 15 doesn’t have Apple Intelligence; those AI features only arrived on that year’s Pro models. If you upgrade to the iPhone 17, you’ll have access to writing and image editing tools, as well as newer features like Live Translation for calls and messages.

The bottom line: Like the iPhone 16, there aren’t many drastic differences between the iPhone 15 and 17, though upgrading will notably grant you access to Apple Intelligence. But the other hardware and software-related updates are relatively minimal, so you’re probably good keeping your iPhone 15 for at least another year.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 was the last Apple phone with a Lightning port and that’s one of most significant differences between it and the iPhone 17, which has a USB-C port. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 means you won’t have to rely on an outdated and limited-use charging cable anymore, and can instead use one that works with most of your other devices.

The baseline iPhone 14 also doesn’t have a Dynamic Island cutout in the display, as that feature launched with just the Pro models that year. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will let you quickly tap into activities like your rideshare trip or flight information.

The iPhone 14 has a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide-angle camera on the back, while the iPhone 17 bumps that to 48 megapixels across the board. The iPhone 17 also increases the front-facing camera’s resolution from 12 megapixels to 18 megapixels, while adding a new Center Stage selfie feature to automatically adjust between portrait and landscape images without you having to rotate your phone.

But the two phones also some key similarities, like having eSIM and satellite connectivity on board.

The bottom line: The iPhone 14 has the most noticeable differences with the iPhone 17. Upgrading could offer some fresh features like an Action button and, at last, a USB-C port, as well as Dynamic Island and an upgraded camera. But if you want to save some money and keep your current phone, you won’t be missing out on anything too drastic.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 has a similar A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 14, and shares the same dual 12-megapixel camera system. But unlike the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 doesn’t have crash detection or satellite connectivity, or camera features like Action mode for more stable videos.

At this point, your iPhone 13 may be showing its age. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will give you access to newer features like Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, USB-C charging and the Camera Control and Action buttons. You might also notice faster speeds by switching to the iPhone 17, now that it’s been a few years since the iPhone 13 came out.

The bottom line: It may be time to upgrade to the iPhone 17 if you have an iPhone 13. It’s possible your phone is starting to show its age, and switching to Apple’s latest baseline will get you a longer-lasting battery, an upgraded camera, AI features and a handful of new hardware and software capabilities.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 12

Like the next couple of iPhones after it, the iPhone 12 has a dual 12-megapixel camera system, as well as a 6.1-inch display. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will get you a slightly more immersive 6.3-inch display with thinner bezels, along with a 48-megapixel dual camera system.

The iPhone 12 lacks features like crash detection, satellite connectivity, Dynamic Island and USB-C charging. It also doesn’t support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features for writing, photo editing, language translation and more.

It’s possible your iPhone 12 has become sluggish and your battery isn’t holding up like it used to. Taking age out of the equation, at launch, the iPhone 12 boasted up to 17 hours of video playback, while Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 30 hours. So there’s likely to be a noticeable difference between how long each phone can hold up.

The bottom line: Swapping your iPhone 12 for the iPhone 17 could be a smart move. There have been noticeable changes over the last several years, from the addition of the Action and Camera Control buttons to the introduction of Apple Intelligence. The swap to USB-C and expanded battery capacity can also make the newest iPhone more tempting; you won’t have to cling to your now-outdated Lightning cable. And you’ll likely notice faster speeds and higher performance across the board when switching from a 5-year-old device to the latest generation.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Older iPhones

	Apple iPhone 17	Apple iPhone 16	Apple iPhone 15	Apple iPhone 14	Apple iPhone 13	Apple iPhone 12
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels
Pixel density	460ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches	2.82 x 5.81 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm	71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.65 mm	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	177 g (6.24 oz)	170 g (6 oz.)	171g (6.02 oz)	172 g (6.07 oz)	6.14 oz; 174g	5.78oz; 164g
Mobile software	iOS 26	iOS 18	iOS 17	iOS 16	iOS 15	iOS 14
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K at 60 fps	HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Apple A18	A16 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple Bionic 14
RAM + storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	RAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	RAM NA; 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None (Face ID)	None	None	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
Battery	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)	Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims 20 hours of video playback	No	No
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback	Undisclosed; Apple lists 15 hours of video playback
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C (USB 2.0)	Lightning	No (Face ID)	No (FaceID)
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None	Lightning	Lightning
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.	Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	No	No
US price starts at	$829 (256GB)	$799 (128GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)