All of the power in the smartphone world won’t get you very far without a good battery to back it up. After all, you have to keep the lights on to make use of your fancy cameras and premium processors. If you’re ready to upgrade to a new device with a little more kick, we have you covered. Here are the Android phones with the best battery life.
Before we get to the list, you should know that these aren’t just the Android phones with the largest batteries. Bigger isn’t always the best, especially if it has sluggish charging to match. Instead, we’ve gone for the devices that offer long-lasting battery life, reliable charging, and good longevity in the same package.
We’ve done our best to include everything from flagships to budget-friendly options, so let’s get to it.
Best Android phones with the best battery time phone:
1. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Last year, Samsung introduced its Ultra moniker with the premium Galaxy S20, but the top-of-the-line model has come into its own in 2021. It addressed most of the shortcomings of its predecessor, with a revamped camera setup, a sharp 120Hz display, and excellent battery life despite not offering a charger in the box.
The Korean OEM packed a colossal 5,000mAh battery into its premium handset, which graced David Imel with a solid two days of battery life throughout his testing. One thing that Samsung trimmed back from its previous model is that the Galaxy S21 Ultra charges at just 25W rather than 45W. The lack of a charging block in the box means you may have to drop a few extra bucks for a compatible charger.
On the wireless charging side, you’ll get speeds up to 15W for the phone itself, or you can try 9W reverse wireless charging on for size. It’s great if you have a pair of Galaxy Buds or a Galaxy Watch you need to get juiced back to full speed.
While Samsung may not have gone for the fastest charging options in the world, the 5,000mAh battery and widespread availability more than make up for it. You can grab it on all major US carriers or go for the unlocked model and bring it anywhere you please.
2. Asus ROG Phone 5
Our current gaming king should be no surprise on this list. After all, gaming has some of the biggest drain on the battery life of anything you do with your phone. Asus didn’t want to leave anything to chance with its latest ROG Phone 5 and jammed it full with a pair of 3,000mAh batteries that add up to a whopping 6,000mAh.
Even better, the two cells charge in parallel so that you can get back to 100% even faster. Asus added 65W wired speeds to its gaming powerhouse, which can get you back to a full charge in less than an hour. You’ll also notice that the USB-C port is mounted on the side so you can stay right in the game while you charge.
Unfortunately, Asus decided to skip wireless charging for its powerful gaming flagship. It’s easy enough to understand as the phone can run hot under heavy usage, but a surprising omission either way.
3. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Xiaomi couldn’t let Samsung have all of the “Ultra” glory. It added the Mi 11 Ultra to its lineup, complete with improved specs across almost every category. While the massive camera bump might get most of the attention, it’s Xiaomi’s battery that deserves a lot of acclaim.
For starters, the OEM gave it a 400mAh boost over the standard Mi 11. Once you factor in both 67W wired and wireless charging, you’re looking at one fast customer. Xiaomi even includes a 67W GaN block in the packaging so you can make use of those speeds. The one-two punch of a big 5,000mAh battery and blistering fast charging gave Eric more than a day of power in his review, even with all of the specs maxed out.
If you’re wondering what kind of speeds a 67W charger can put down, Eric achieved a full charge in just 37 minutes. It’s not quite as fast as the Mi 10 Ultra’s 120W charging, but the Mi 11 Ultra’s battery should offer quite a bit more longevity. You can tap into 10W reverse wireless charging to get your earbuds back up and running, too.
The one drawback to the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is that you might struggle to find it in the United States. There are a few ways to import the device, though it’s the most expensive phone on our list.
4. OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro
Just like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, the new camera setup gets most of the attention on the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. It was developed in partnership with Hasselblad, and it packs more megapixels than you can shake a stick at. OnePlus is incredibly proud of its crisp ultra-wide lens, but we’re here to talk about the battery life.
Both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro pack 4,500mAh cells, which are smaller than most on our list so far. They probably won’t power you through two full days of usage, but you can easily make it through a long day. OnePlus also opted for 65W wired and 50W wireless charging on its premium OnePlus 9 Pro. That means it charges faster wirelessly than the OnePlus 8 Pro charged wired.
If you go for the vanilla OnePlus 9, you’ll still get excellent wired charging speeds. However, the wireless speeds top out at just 15W, so it may not be your best course of action. Either way, OnePlus still includes a charger in the box, which is nice as Apple and Samsung move in the opposite direction.
You can pick up the OnePlus 9 series from a few sources. OnePlus and Amazon might be your best unlocked bets, but T-Mobile is the exclusive carrier home of the duo.
5. Sony Xperia 1 III
The Sony Xperia 1 III prides itself as a phone for creators. It pairs perfectly as an external monitor for your Sony Alpha-series camera, or you can take advantage of familiar features in the triple camera system. Sony’s latest flagship is also somewhat of a rarity as it keeps the headphone jack alive and well into 2021.
As for the battery, you should have no trouble eclipsing a full day of usage. Sony’s 4,500mAh cell is plenty large enough, and you can optimize your refresh rate and other specs to push the battery further. The Xperia 1 III also charges faster than last year’s model, jumping from 21W speeds to 30W. Unfortunately, that’s one of the slowest speeds on our list, and a full charge took over an hour and 45 minutes in our testing.
Sony earns solid props for its Battery Care setting, which learns from your usage and optimizes power to keep the lights on until your next charge. The phone offers Qi wireless charging as well, but Sony is tight-lipped about the charging speeds. Of course, they don’t come anywhere close to those of the OnePlus 9 duo.
Before you hurry off to grab yourself a Sony Xperia 1 III, know that this is an expensive device. It costs nearly $1,300 yet offers less battery capacity than quite a few others on the list.