From 5G and folding displays to pop-up cameras and in-screen fingerprint readers, this year has been a dynamic time for phones. But whether or not these technological trends are here to stay, one phone feature always ranks at the top of the list for users: a long battery life.
Now that we’ve reached the middle of 2019, it’s time to take a look at some of the best phones so far. After all, the last thing you want is for your phone to run out of juice when you need it most. Usually, a phone lasts a full workday with moderate use. But if you use it heavily, you’ll need to recharge it more often. Batteries also lose steam over time, running down faster the longer you’ve owned the phone. The possibility of losing battery — and therefore losing your communication hub — is frightening and real.
If you feel your phone’s battery seems to be stuck in the ’90s and doesn’t last as long as you’d like, you’re not alone. So if a long-life battery tops your list of needs, check out these top-scorers — they lasted impressively long during our lab tests for continuous video playback on Airplane mode.
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Apple iPhone XR
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Clocking in the best time for all three of the latest iPhones, the iPhone XR lasted a fantastic 19 hours and 53 minutes. It also delivers many desirable iPhone features, including an excellent big screen in a comfortable body, fast performance, Face ID and wireless charging, as well as a camera that’s mostly as good as the iPhone XS.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
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The Galaxy S10 Plus has a phenomenal AMOLED screen, loads of useful camera tools and the option to wirelessly charge other devices. Its monster battery life lasted an excellent 21 hours. If the phone is too pricey or too big for you, however, consider its smaller counterpart, the S10, which lasted an impressive 18 hours during our battery tests.
Huawei P30 Pro
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Packed with four cameras and flaunting a beautiful design, the pricey P30 Pro has one of the best cameras around. It also holds the longest battery life of any phone we tested this year with a time of 22 hours and 57 minutes. The the Huawei P30 also has a great battery life, lasting 21 hours and 31 minutes.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
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While the Note 10 is due out on Aug. 7, the Note 9 is still an outstanding phone. Its battery lasted 19 hours and 20 minutes. In addition, it has a big, bright screen, an embedded S Pen stylus that can trigger the phone’s camera shutter and lots of internal storage.
LG V50 ThinQ
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Clocking in at 17 hours and 49 minutes is the V50 ThinQ — a phone that has a total of five cameras, water resistance and a headphone jack. It’s also one of the first phones to have 5G connectivity, enabling users to surf the internet at lightning-quick data speeds.
Originally published Oct. 31, 2011.
Update, Dec 7, 2018: Update for winter 2018.
Update, June 30, 2019: Update for summer 2019.