Smartphones with the Best Battery Performance 2023

These are the best smartphones you can consider buying, with no budget or brand limitations. The smartphones with the best battery performance scores – Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung, and OPPO are at the forefront.

Having tested numerous smartphones in the ViserMark test labs, using various testing criteria, measured using real-life scenarios and live networks, results are collated with that amount to the total score - the Battery Performance Score.

Smartphone manufacturers have been busy this year, releasing more devices to exceed the expectations of predecessors, pushing the boundaries for mobile phone specifications and improved functionality.

ViserMark experts have compiled a list of the top-performing smartphones for Battery Performance in 2023. Please take a look at our selection of the best smartphones of 2023.

The Smartphones For The Best Battery Performance 2023

Best Overall Smartphone

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G

The Redmi Note 12 5G supports 5G connectivity. This means faster download and upload speeds, lower latency, and improved network performance. Also, a high-resolution display provides a good viewing experience for multimedia, gaming, and productivity tasks.

The Good

· The excellent battery performance

· Offers 120hz refresh rate

· 6.67-inch OLED display

· Lightweight and easy to hold

· Good all-round performance with IP53 rating

· 3 years of Android updates, 4 years for security updates

The Not So Good

· Triple camera functionality is slightly lacking

· Lacks quality build and design

· Android 12 w/ MIUI 14 can be overwhelming

· Single mono

Battery life is often a priority for Xiaomi, and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G comes with a 5000mAh that matches the standards of many smartphones in the ViserMark Mid Tier (€200-€499). During our repeatable and rigorous testing, this smartphone recently achieved an incredible 2.5-day battery life with an impressive 61 hours between daily charges without recharging. The highest Battery Performance Scores seen so far this year!

The most battery-efficient smartphones will provide good battery life and reduce the number of times the battery will need to be charged, harming its longevity. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G offers excellent battery life and is better than others in the Mid Tier.

Also, it’s worth noting that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G uses Xiaomi's Mi FC + MMT technology. These are two technologies used to enhance the charging experience, and this device delivered charging time results of a remarkable 39 minutes to full charge.

Full Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G

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Apple iPhone 14 Plus

Credit Image: Apple

The Apple iPhone 14 Plus still has the same design, display, chipset, and battery as its predecessor, the iPhone 13 Plus. However, some noteworthy enhancements include upgraded main and selfie cameras, Emergency SOS satellite connectivity, improved graphics, and battery performance. This device has specifications as expected from smartphones in the ViserMark Flagship/Pro (€700+).

The Good

· Lightweight and durable design

· Excellent battery life

· Satellite connectivity - Emergency SOS and Crash Detection

· Great camera system

· Good stereo speakers

· Reliable flagship tier device with all-round performance

· IP68-rated dust and water resistant

The Not So Good

· Only has a 60Hz display screen refresh

· Not upgraded to the Apple A16 Bionic

· No telephoto zoom

· Poor charging speed

· Comes with no charging adapter

One of the most power-hungry components of a smartphone is the display. The Apple iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch display, bigger than its predecessors, yet has an even smaller battery capacity of 4323mAh. Also, the Apple iPhone 14 Plus is powered by the Apple A15 Bionic chip, meaning an extra GPU core. This helps improve the device's cooling and ensures increased performance, especially with battery life, lasting an impressive 2.5 days translated into 56 hours.

The ViserMark calculations show the Apple iPhone 14 Plus would use only 2.5 kWh per Annum. The smartphone's battery capacity is small at 4323mAh, which significantly determines energy consumption.

Full Review: Apple iPhone 14 Plus

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Xiaomi 13

The Xiaomi 13 is a serious contender within the ViserMark Flagship/Pro (€700+) smartphone range. Building on the strengths of its predecessor, the Xiaomi 12, the Xiaomi 13 is well-designed, sleek in appearance, and lightweight, making it comfortable to grip and convenient to use. It also has an IP68 protection rating, adding durability and peace of mind.

The Good

· Lightweight and compact design

· Sleek and minimalist appearance

· High-quality display

· Good battery life and charging support

· Excellent performance

The Not So Good

· Lacking storage capacity

· Innovation disappointing

· Slightly underperforming camera capabilities

· does not support Xiaomi 120W fast charging

· Gorilla Glass 5 instead of Victus

Using a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the Xiaomi 13 provides exceptional performance and efficiency, significantly improving battery life. This device is powered by a 4500mAh battery and is supported by 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. This helpful feature also makes it easy to use the device to charge smartwatches and earbuds wirelessly.

Additionally, the Xiaomi 13 delivers on performance and is reputed for its robust and efficient user experience, which enables quick and seamless navigation through various applications and tasks. The ViserMark tests showed 2 days of battery life and up to 50 hours of usage. Despite being only 6 hours behind the Apple iPhone 14 Plus the Xiaomi 13 has a long-lasting battery life, more than enough for daily activities.

Full Review: Xiaomi 13

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Samsung Galaxy A54

Samsung released two smartphones in March 2023 as part of the Galaxy series with all the usual functionality expected from smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy A54 has been upgraded from the previous Samsung Galaxy A53. It is more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy A34, yet both have benefited from an improved design taken from the Galaxy S23 series of smartphones.

The Good

· Good battery life

· Good 120Hz refresh display

· Better performance with a newer chipset

· Excellent camera set-up

· IP67 rated for water resistance

· Long-term OS and security updates

· Offers good value for money

The Not So Good

· Not a good fingerprint reader

· Lacking power for extensive gaming

· Shipped with no charger

· Charging is slow

From the ViserMark test results, the Samsung Galaxy A54 delivered a good battery performance. It provided 1.5 days of battery life and up to 39 hours. However, it falls behind the Apple iPhone 14 Plus and the Xiaomi 13 positioned in the ViserMark Flagship/Pro Tier.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 has an Exynos 1380 chipset with a 5,000mAh battery capacity. With its power-efficient chip, smaller display, and adaptive refresh rate, it was anticipated to offer better battery life. However, upon comparison, it falls short of expectations, providing almost 10 hours less battery life than the Samsung Galaxy A34.

Full Review: Samsung Galaxy A54

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OPPO A78

The OPPO A78 is a Mid Tier smartphone priced between €200-€499. This 5G smartphone was launched in January 2023 and is well-built and affordable, although priced higher than other competitor devices within this category. Also, with 5G connectivity becoming more readily available in smartphones, the OPPO A78 offers an affordable 5G smartphone within the OPPO range.

The Good

· Offers long-lasting battery life

· Good overall user experience

· Good 90Hz refresh display

· IP54 rated for dust and water resistance

· Fast-charging

· Offers 5G connectivity for money

The Not So Good

· Lacking camera setup

· Lower-than-expected resolution display

· Security updates are only offered every quarter

· More expensive priced

Being classified as a ViserMark Mid Tier (€200-€499) smartphone, we can see that the OPPO 78 matched the Samsung Galaxy A54 with the same Battery Performance Score of 42/100. However, our test results did show the OPPO A78 delivered longer-lasting battery performance - with an amazing 2 days of use, translating into 53 hours between charges. – higher than the Xiaomi 13.

The OPPO A78 has a battery capacity of 5000mAh and offers a great battery performance matching similar smartphones in the Mid Tier. Also, the OPPO A78 has Super Power Saving Mode and Super Night-time Standby Mode for even more battery efficiency.

Full Review: OPPO A78

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How were the Best Smartphones for Battery Performance selected?

All devices undergo an independent, repeatable, and rigorous testing protocol. It is fully automated, ensuring no room for error or human subjectivity. This also means that all tests are performed within strictly controlled test conditions under the supervision of our SmartViser experts, with their immense test knowledge, automation, and battery performance expertise.

At ViserMark, we perform a variety of testing to ensure that the battery is functioning properly and to determine how long it can last under different usage scenarios. Thanks to the test automation capabilities of viSer, we can test battery life using the smartphone under normal usage conditions, monitoring how long the battery lasts. This is done by setting up the phone to simulate typical usage (Day of Use), such as web browsing, video playback, voice calls, and other activities.

Read the Article: ViserMark Battery Life Testing Process

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What is a Smartphone Performance Score, and how is it Calculated?

A Performance Score is given between 0 and 100. It reflects the performance based on independent, repeatable, and rigorous testing. It is calculated using Battery Life, Power Efficiency, and Charging results.

ViserMark offers a comprehensive range of informative, valuable labels to show all the battery performance results.

Battery Life - How long will this smartphone battery last?

This is expressed in "Hours and Days of Use" and reflects the time in days that a smartphone can be used from a full charge. The ViserMark Battery Label translates mAh (meaning milliamp Hours), commonly used to measure the energy capacity of a Smartphone battery, into more meaningful.

Battery Charging Time - How long will this smartphone take to charge?

Charging different types and sizes of smartphone batteries takes additional time. This is expressed in Hours and Minutes.

Power Efficiency - How power-efficient is this smartphone?

It means maximising the performance of a smartphone while reducing the amount of energy it consumes, with minimal impact on battery life. It is calculated using Battery Life and Battery Capacity. This is expressed in "Leaves" and reflects a rating between 1 being the least

and 5 being the most power efficient.

Annual Energy Consumption - Will this smartphone use much energy?

Being involved in various projects that aimed to create Energy Efficiency policies, ViserMark introduced a new label in 2023. The Annual Energy Consumption Label, measured in kWh, will display, for the first time, an objective benchmark across all devices on the expected annual electricity consumption.

Learn more about ViserMark Labels

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Are there any Battery Performance Scores available for Rugged Smartphones?

Rugged smartphones are designed to endure harsh conditions and rough usage. Also, have reinforced casings and have water and dust resistance.

RugGear 750

Full Review: RugGear 750

Crosscall Core Z5

Full Review: Crosscall Core Z5

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Debbie Bouffler is the Marketing and Communications Manager for SmartViser, helping develop communications and marketing strategies for SmartViser. Before joining SmartViser, she worked in strategic business development and marketing at several companies. Debbie's greatest strengths are her creativity, drive and leadership.

She thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand the company’s reach within the Telecommunications industry and strongly focuses on continuous improvement.

Debbie is a Chartered Marketer and a Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) member. She volunteers as a Mentor for the CIM and offers members access to a sophisticated platform that supports 2,500 active members.

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