iPhone Battery Life Comparison

Quick Answer: The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the best battery life as of 2026, delivering up to 33 hours of video playback. The standard iPhone 17 provides up to 24 hours of playback on a single charge.

Complete comparison of iPhone battery capacity and real-world performance. Updated: September 19, 2025

Quick Facts

Best Overall Battery Life

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Up to 33 hours video

Best Compact Battery

iPhone 17

~24 hours video playback

Worst Battery Life

iPhone SE

~15 hours video playback

iPhone Battery Capacity & Playback Times

iPhone battery capacity and video playback comparison
Model	Capacity (mAh)	Video (hours)	Audio (hours)	Year
iPhone SE	2342	~15	~40	2022
iPhone 12 mini	2227	~15	~40	2020
iPhone 13 mini	2438	~17	~55	2021
iPhone 11	3110	~18	~65	2019
iPhone 12 / 13	2815 / 3240	~17 / ~19	~50 / ~75	2020 / 2021
iPhone 14 / 15	3279 / 3349	~20 / ~20	~60 / ~80	2022 / 2023
iPhone 16 / 17	3582 / 3680	~22 / ~24	~80 / ~100	2024 / 2025
iPhone 12/14/16 Plus	3687 / 4325 / 4674	~24 / ~25 / ~27	~80 / ~100 / ~120	2020 / 2022 / 2024
iPhone 11/12/13/14 Pro	3046 / 3095 / 3200 / 3200	~18 / ~17 / ~19 / ~20	~50 / ~50 / ~75 / ~75	2019-2022
iPhone 15 Pro	3274	~20	~80	2023
iPhone 16 Pro	3565	~22	~90	2024
iPhone 17 Pro	3750	~24	~100	2025
iPhone 11/12 Pro Max	3969 / 3687	~20 / ~25	~65 / ~100	2019 / 2020
iPhone 13 Pro Max	4352	~28	~95	2021
iPhone 14 Pro Max	4323	~28	~95	2022
iPhone 15 Pro Max	4383	~29	~100	2023
iPhone 16 Pro Max	4685	~31	~100	2024
iPhone 17 Pro Max	4900	~33	~120	2025

* iPhone 17 series battery capacities are from official release specifications

Battery Life Tips & Insights

Size Matters (A Lot)

Larger phones have more space for bigger batteries. iPhone Pro Max models last roughly 50% longer than standard models, not because of better optimization, but simply due to larger physical size = larger battery capacity.

Real-World Battery Performance

Light users: Can get 2+ days on standard models, 3+ days on Pro Max
Moderate users: Get roughly 1 day on standard, 1.5 days on Plus/Pro Max
Heavy users: May need evening charge on standard models
Gaming/video: Drains 20-30% faster than normal use

Battery Health Degradation

Most iPhones retain 80% battery capacity after 2 years, 70% after 3 years. At 80% health, you'll notice the need to charge more often. Consider upgrading when battery health drops below 70%.

Best iPhone by Battery Life

🏆 Best Overall: iPhone 17 Pro Max

Up to 33 hours video playback, estimated 5,000+ mAh capacity. Best for power users.

🥈 Best Value: iPhone 16 Plus

Great battery for the price. Non-Pro option with excellent endurance. ~4,674 mAh.