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Don’t expect the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to win any battery life contests

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:51PM EST
iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6 Plus Battery Life
Image: Jonathan Geller, BGR

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Now that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are in the hands of millions of buyers, people are putting them through all sorts of experiences including accidental or intentional drop tests and detailed teardowns, but also battery life tests. In fact, Phone Arena has put both devices through its regular battery measurements that use “a custom web-script, designed to replicate the power consumption of typical real-life usage,” publishing its findings and updating its battery life smartphone rankings to accommodate the new arrivals.

FROM EARLIER: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus crush rivals in performance tests despite dual-core CPU

During the iPhone 6 event, Apple’s battery estimates for both devices revealed that they should offer more usage time than the iPhone 5s even though they have bigger screens and are slimmer than the 2013 smartphone. Unsurprisingly though, neither the iPhone 6 nor the iPhone 6 Plus managed to top Phone Arena’s list. Not even the iPhone 6 Plus’ significantly increased battery was enough to help it break in the top 3.

The Xperia Z3 offers most battery life per charge (9 hours and 29 minutes) followed by the Huawei Ascend Mate7, the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8). The iPhone 6 Plus lasted for 6 hours and 32 minutes, while the iPhone 6’s battery died 70 minutes earlier, lasting for 5 hours and 22 minutes. The iPhone 5s’s battery lasted for 5 hours and 2 minutes in the same test.

iPhone 6 reviewers also suggested that the iPhone 6 Plus may better satisfy battery needs of power users, rather than the iPhone 6.

An image showing Phone Arena’s current smartphone battery life rankings follows below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.