What's the battery life of a smartphone?
Battery capacity
We indicate the battery life with each smartphone. This is indicated in mAh, which is milliampere per hour. When you charge your smartphone, you insert energy into your battery. Simply said, the battery capacity tells you how much energy the battery can store. The higher the number, the more energy the battery stores. You can see it as a type of storage, but for energy instead. On average, a smartphone has a battery capacity of about 4500mAh.
Other factors
The battery capacity says a lot, but not everything. You now know how much energy the smartphone can store. But for the battery life, it's also important to know how much energy the device uses. This differs per smartphone. The processor is one of the things that affects the battery life. An energy-efficient processor will use less energy. iPhone processors are more energy-efficient than the Android ones, which is why iPhone models need lower battery capacity. The size and technique of the screen also affect the battery life. For example, OLED and AMOLED are more energy-efficient than LCD.
Own usage
In addition to the properties of the smartphone, your own usage also has a huge impact on the battery life. For example, the battery drains quicker when you use your smartphone all day long. Apps that run in the background also use energy constantly. Your settings also affect the battery life. A screen at the highest brightness drains the battery very quickly. Are you in an area with bad reception (both WiFi and 4G or 5G)? Your smartphone will look for a better signal continuously. This uses a lot of energy too.
The best battery for you
Based on all the discussed factors, we can't say how long the battery life is exactly. We're happy to give you an estimation of the average battery life based on the battery capacity. View the table on this page for this. Keep in mind that your usage has an impact on the actual battery life. Please note, the table is applicable to Android smartphones. Do you want to know the battery life of an iPhone? Read our article.
Battery life Android smartphones
Battery capacity | Battery life |
---|---|
Up to 4200mAh | You need to charge your smartphone during the day. |
4200 - 4500mAh | When you leave the house in the morning with a fully-charged battery, you'll only have to charge it again at night. |
4500 - 4800mAh | You won't have to charge the battery throughout the day. |
4800mAh and more | The battery lasts longer than a day. |
Fast charging
Do you have a place to charge your smartphone during your school or working day? A smartphone with a large battery capacity isn't as important. More and more smartphones support fast charging. Nowadays, you can charge a couple of high-end smartphones in about 30 minutes. Briefly charge your device during your break and you can last for the rest of the day. Check if a new smartphone supports fast charging before you buy it.
Lifespan battery
The battery will wear over the years. As a result, the battery capacity decreases. This means the battery will store less energy, so you'll have to charge your smartphone more often. You can't prevent this wear, but you can minimize it. Especially the way you charge your smartphone is important for this. For example, always use the original chargers and never charge your device for an entire day.