iPhone 17 Pro Max nails battery life with 13 hours in a real‑world test, beating Galaxy S25 Ultra
For most shoppers, battery life sits at the top of the wish list—and this year, Apple finally delivers a true leap forward. Thanks to a larger battery, improved thermals, and the efficient A19 Pro chip, the iPhone 17 Pro Max posts the biggest endurance jump we’ve seen from Apple in years.
In a recent real‑world test, the iPhone 17 Pro Max outlasted Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra with ease. Even more interesting, the test used the UK model with a physical SIM slot. Apple says the eSIM version sold in North America carries a slightly larger battery, suggesting even longer runtime is possible there.
That 45‑minute gap between the iPhone 17 Pro Max and last year’s flagship might not sound huge on paper, but in daily life it’s the difference between arriving home with battery to spare or scrambling for a charger. The smaller models tell a clear story, too: ultra‑thin designs limit battery capacity, and the Air pays the price. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro benefits from the A19 Pro’s efficiency and better heat management to edge past the standard iPhone 17.
What makes this test compelling is the workload. Instead of looping videos in a lab, the phones were put through the kind of tasks people actually do: scrolling social apps, jumping between Slack and productivity tools, recording video, and streaming music. That’s far more demanding than simple video playback, which is why claims like 35 hours of continuous streaming never translate to everyday use. Seeing the iPhone 17 Pro Max push to 13 hours under this mixed, real‑world load is the result that matters.
Right now, the iPhone 17 Pro Max wears the battery‑life crown. Looking ahead, expectations are high that Samsung’s next‑gen Galaxy S26 Ultra with a custom Exynos 2600 built on a 2nm process could deliver major efficiency gains and challenge Apple’s lead. Until then, if all‑day power is your priority, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the endurance champ to beat.
