iPhone 17 battery test — which model lasted the longest

The iPhone Air proved more durable than expected for its 5.6 mm-thin body. In comprehensive battery tests, it lagged slightly behind the Pro models but stayed close to the standard iPhone 17.

Testing method

Tom’s Guide Battery Test was used: continuous web browsing on 5G at 150 nits screen brightness. Battery drain was also measured during 5 hours of repeated YouTube video playback. The tests included iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max, as well as Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Ultra.

5G web browsing results:

• iPhone 17 Pro Max — 17 h 54 min
• iPhone 17 Pro — 15 h 32 min
• Galaxy S25 Ultra — 14 h 27 min
• iPhone 17 — 12 h 47 min
• iPhone Air — 12 h 2 min
• Galaxy S25 Edge — 11 h 48 min

The iPhone Air lasted 12 h 2 min — slightly longer than the Galaxy S25 Edge (11 h 48 min) and 45 minutes less than the iPhone 17 (12 h 47 min). The top performer was the iPhone 17 Pro Max with 17 h 54 min, followed by the iPhone 17 Pro at 15 h 32 min.

5-hour streaming test — remaining battery:

• iPhone 17 Pro Max — 88 %
• iPhone Air — 81 %
• iPhone 16 Pro Max — 80 %
• Galaxy S25 Ultra — 75 %
• Galaxy S25 Edge — 67 %

After five hours of streaming, the iPhone Air had 81% battery remaining — noticeably better than the slim Galaxy S25 Edge (67%). A theoretical extrapolation for the Air suggests roughly 26 hours 19 minutes of video playback.

According to Apple, the $99 MagSafe Battery adds about 65% charge for the iPhone Air. In tests with this battery, the phone lasted 17 hours 15 minutes, nearly matching the 17 Pro Max in the web browsing test.

Read more:

iPhone Air — ultra-thin build means less power inside

Apple unveils iPhone Air — thinnest, most efficient iPhone yet

Apple’s big reveal — iPhone 17, Watch Series 11 and more