5G phones with the best battery life

We’ve reached a point where no self-respecting smartphone manufacturer dares release a flagship phone without 5G capability. Indeed, few will even launch a mid-range phone without 5G support, and low-end handsets are starting to get it too.

This is good news for consumers, who can benefit from 5G’s increased download speeds and lower latency at a range of price points. But there’s one crucial specification that can get overlooked in all the 5G hype: battery life.

The price you pay for next-generation mobile network connectivity, at least at this point in history, is increased battery drain. This makes it imperative that anyone intending to make regular and intensive use of 5G choose a phone with better-than-average battery life.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of five 5G phones with the best battery life.

5. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the top non-foldable Pixel you can buy, and it also has a battery that’s slightly bigger than you typically find in phones. It feels like the standard battery size for a big-screen Android flagship is 5,000mAh, but the Pixel 9 Pro XL exceeds that slightly, at 5,060mAh.

That extra 60mAh doesn’t make a vast difference, and in fact some phones with smaller batteries seem able to outperform it going by third-party tests, but it’s still up there with the best.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL also has respectable charging speeds, at 37W wired or up to 23W wireless (though the latter is only achievable with a Pixel Stand, otherwise it’s stuck at 12W).

And the rest of the phone’s specs also impress, with the Pixel 9 Pro XL having a 6.8-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a superb triple-lens camera – backed up by all sorts of AI trickery.

4. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is arguably the ultimate Android phone, and it also ranks among the best for battery life – though it’s not quite the ultimate model on that front, as you’ll see below.

This has a 5,000mAh battery, which isn’t an uncommon capacity, but through optimisations Samsung has made this last well above an average amount of time. On top of which, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra also charges quite fast, with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.

Elsewhere, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and a quad-lens camera, headlined by a 200MP main sensor.

3. iPhone 16 Pro Max

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the best iPhone for battery life, so if you’re set on an Apple device then this is the one to choose.

The battery here is surprisingly small, at just 4,685mAh, but Apple has never competed on capacity, yet through efficient hardware and software it can still compete on longevity. Though with just 25W wired charging and 15W wireless this isn’t one of the speediest phones to juice back up.

In any case, as well as being the best iPhone for battery, this is also the best iPhone in most other ways, with specs like a top-tier A18 Pro chipset, a 6.9-inch 120Hz OLED display, and a superb triple-lens camera.

2. Asus ROG Phone 9 / 9 Pro

The Asus ROG Phone 9 and Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro both have enormous 5,800mAh batteries, making them among the biggest batteries you’ll find in a phone.

There’s a good reason for that – these are gaming phones, so like most gaming phones battery life has been prioritised, since high-end games can run the battery down fast.

Of course, you don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate these phones. As well as long-lasting batteries (with fast 65W wired charging and 15W wireless) they also have 6.78-inch screens with a silky smooth 185Hz refresh rate, plus top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets.

As with most gaming phones their cameras aren’t among the best though, and you are getting some gaming-specific features like AirTrigger controls, which let you play games without as much reliance on the touchscreen.

1. OnePlus 13

Our current top pick for the best battery life on a 5G phone is the OnePlus 13, a phone with a beastly 6,000mAh battery.

As well as that being absolutely massive, it also charges faster than most rivals, with up to 100W wired charging and 50W wireless.

Beyond the battery, the OnePlus 13 also excels in other ways, with a high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, a 6.82-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, and a capable triple-lens camera. It’s arguably not quite as good an all-rounder as some of the options above, but it’s also cheaper than most of the other phones in this list, while having them beat for battery life.

Conclusion

There isn’t a huge gap in battery performance between these five phones. All will last you well on your 5G roamings.

This means that while we’ve arranged these phones into a loose ranking, you can really take your pick according to other factors. Take a closer look at which design, operating system, price, and camera set-up appeals to you.

For example, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a top all-round performer, with a price to match, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra are similar, but packing Android rather than iOS, the OnePlus 13 is a bit cheaper, and the Asus ROG Phone 9 and 9 Pro are more aimed at gamers.

But for raw battery performance under 5G load, you’ll struggle to do better than the OnePlus 13 right now.