iPhone 18 Pro Max Wins CNET's 32-Phone Battery Test

Quick summary: CNET ran 32 phones through its battery tests, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max came out on top overall. Apple also had the best average by brand for the second year in a row. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple’s own foldable, the iPhone Duo, both landed in the top tier too.

Key takeaways

• The iPhone 18 Pro Max was the only phone to finish first overall on its own, per 9to5Mac.
• The smaller iPhone 18 Pro had the best result in the 3-hour streaming test, with 94% left.
• The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro Max tied for first in the 45-minute mixed-use test, with 99% left.
• The Galaxy Z Fold 8 ranked third and the Galaxy S26 Ultra fifth, under CNET’s tied-rank system.
• CNET found 2026 phones average about the same battery performance as 2025 and 2024 phones.

How CNET tested

This isn’t a “run it until it dies” test, which is worth knowing before anyone starts a comment war. According to MacRumors, each phone started at 100% and ran two tests:

1. Three hours of video streaming over Wi-Fi at maximum screen brightness
2. A 45-minute mixed-use session with video playback, a video call, gaming and social media

CNET recorded the battery percentage left after each test and averaged the two to set the rankings. Higher is better.

The results

The iPhone 18 Pro Max kept 92% after the streaming test and 99% after the mixed-use test, per MacRumors and Cult of Mac. Here’s the top of the list as 9to5Mac laid it out, with ties:

Rank	Phone	Battery
1	iPhone 18 Pro Max	5,567 mAh
2	iPhone 17	3,692 mAh
2	iPhone 18 Pro	4,288 mAh
2	Motorola Razr (2026)	4,800 mAh
2	OnePlus 15	7,300 mAh
3	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8	4,800 mAh
4	iPhone 17e	4,005 mAh
4	iPhone Duo	4,883 mAh
4	Motorola Razr Ultra (2026)	5,000 mAh
5	Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra	5,000 mAh

A few things jump out at me:

• The iPhone 17 beat phones with way bigger batteries. It tied the OnePlus 15, which has almost twice the capacity on paper.
• The iPhone Duo tied for first in mixed use, but its streaming result pulled it down to a tie for fourth overall. MacRumors points out that put the $1,999 foldable level with the $699 iPhone 17e.
• The Pixel 11 Pro XL isn’t in that part of the list, but it kept 97% in the mixed-use test, up from 93% on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
• Galaxy fans, the Fold 8 placing ahead of the S26 Ultra is a nice result for a foldable.

CNET credited the Pro Max’s lead to a bigger battery than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the efficiency of the A20 Pro chip and iOS 27 optimizations. MacRumors adds that the $500 Moto G Stylus and $600 Motorola Edge also reached CNET’s overall top 10.

Apple’s numbers vs. CNET’s numbers

Apple’s own claim is up to 45 hours of video playback on the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro Max, and up to 36 hours on the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple says eSIM-only models get about two extra hours because the space that held the SIM tray now holds more battery. That’s a different test from CNET’s, so don’t try to compare 45 hours to a percentage. iGeeksBlog also notes the published results don’t say whether CNET’s units were eSIM-only.

My take

I like that this test looks like real life: a bright screen, some streaming, a video call, a little gaming. I don’t love that it stops at 3 hours and 45 minutes, because a 1% gap between phones isn’t something you’d ever feel in a day. Still, Apple topping these charts again with smaller batteries than a lot of Android phones says a lot about the chip and software.

For my audience, the bigger story is the foldables. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Duo are holding their own against regular slab phones now. And if you’re on a Galaxy S26 Ultra, fifth place in a 32-phone field is nothing to be sad about.

Check price at Best Buy (AT&T). Best Buy doesn’t list an unlocked iPhone 18 Pro Max right now, only AT&T and Verizon. If battery anxiety is your thing on any iPhone with MagSafe, a slim pack like the Anker 10,000mAh MagSafe portable charger fixes it for a lot less than a new phone.

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max at Best Buy (AT&T)
• Apple iPhone Duo at Best Buy
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 at Best Buy
• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra at Samsung
• Anker 10,000mAh MagSafe portable charger on Amazon