The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the longest published battery-life rating among the iPhones covered by 2026 sources: up to 45 hours of video playback for eSIM-only models or 43 hours for physical-SIM versions. The iPhone 17 Pro Max remains a standout, but it is no longer the current lineup’s endurance leader. Ratings and independent test runtimes use different workloads, so the fairest answer depends on what is being measured.
Which iPhone lasts longest?
For Apple’s published video-playback rating, the iPhone 18 Pro Max leads the current lineup reported by Macworld. Its rating is up to 45 hours for eSIM-only models and up to 43 hours for physical-SIM versions. These are Apple ratings reported by Macworld, not results from one independent test of every iPhone.
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For a shared independent test, Tom’s Guide’s October 2025 continuous 5G web-browsing test found the iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted 17 hours 54 minutes, the longest of the four iPhone 17 models tested. It narrowly beat the iPhone 16 Pro Max in that particular test. No cited shared-workload result directly compares the iPhone 18 Pro Max with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
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Macworld’s 2026 lineup comparison reports Apple’s video-playback ratings for these models. The figures are maximum published playback estimates, not a promise of mixed-use runtime.
#1 Best Overall
- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
| iPhone model | Video playback rating |
|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro Max, eSIM-only | Up to 45 hours |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max, physical-SIM | Up to 43 hours |
| iPhone 18 Pro | Up to 36 hours |
| iPhone 17 | Up to 30 hours |
| iPhone Air | Up to 27 hours |
| iPhone 17e | Up to 26 hours |
| iPhone 16 | Up to 22 hours |
Apple’s published ratings for the iPhone 17 family also distinguish local video from streamed video. MacRumors’ comparison of Apple’s figures lists the following maximums:
| Model | Video playback | Streamed video playback |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 | Up to 30 hours | Up to 27 hours |
| iPhone Air | Up to 27 hours | Up to 22 hours |
| iPhone 17 Pro | Up to 33 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | Up to 39 hours | Up to 35 hours |
| iPhone 16 Plus | Up to 27 hours | Not stated in MacRumors’ comparison |
| iPhone 16 | Up to 22 hours | Not stated in MacRumors’ comparison |
Independent battery test: iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. other tested iPhones
Tom’s Guide’s October 7, 2025 test continuously browsed the web over 5G with displays set to 150 nits. Among the tested phones, these were the recorded runtimes:
Rank #2
- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
| Model | 5G web-browsing runtime |
|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | 17 hours 54 minutes |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 17 hours 17 minutes |
| iPhone 16 Plus | 16 hours 29 minutes |
| iPhone 17 Pro | 15 hours 32 minutes |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 14 hours 7 minutes |
| iPhone 17 | 12 hours 47 minutes |
| iPhone Air | 12 hours 2 minutes |
This result supports calling the 17 Pro Max the leader among the tested iPhone 17 models in that test; it does not establish a universal winner across every generation. A separate Tom’s Guide side-by-side test published October 2, 2026 recorded 18 hours 27 minutes for the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 17 hours 38 minutes for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Because that test did not include the iPhone 17 Pro Max, it cannot establish a direct 18 Pro Max-versus-17 Pro Max result.
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Apple’s video figures measure continuous playback, while Tom’s Guide’s 2025 comparison measured continuous 5G web browsing. They are different workloads, so a 39-hour video rating for the iPhone 17 Pro Max cannot be compared numerically with its 17-hour-54-minute browsing result as if both were the same kind of test.
Rank #3
- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
Apple says its iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and Duo video tests were conducted in July 2026 on preproduction devices and software connected to LTE and 5G carrier networks. The local-video test looped a 2-hour-23-minute HDR movie purchased from the iTunes Store; the streamed-video test repeated a 3-hour-1-minute HDR movie. Apple says its iPhone 17 tests likewise used preproduction devices and software on LTE and 5G networks.
Apple cautions that battery results vary with network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, settings, and usage. Brightness, apps, workload, device age, and battery condition also affect how long an individual phone lasts. Treat ratings as controlled reference points rather than a guaranteed daily runtime.
Rank #4
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What this means if you are choosing between models
Choose for maximum published playback time
If the main goal is the longest Apple-reported video playback, the iPhone 18 Pro Max leads in the 2026 lineup comparison. Check the SIM configuration: the reported rating differs between eSIM-only and physical-SIM versions.
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Consider the iPhone 17 Pro Max as a tested endurance option
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has Apple-reported ratings of up to 39 hours of video playback and 35 hours of streamed playback. It also delivered 17 hours 54 minutes in Tom’s Guide’s 5G browsing test, the best result among the iPhone 17 models included in that test. Those figures give useful reference points, but they do not predict every owner’s mixed-use day.
Best Value
- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
Match the evidence to your use
For streaming or downloaded video, Apple’s playback ratings are the relevant published measure. If browsing on a cellular connection is closer to your routine, the Tom’s Guide test offers a controlled comparison among the specific phones it tested. Neither set of figures establishes a complete all-generation ranking under identical conditions.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Apple: iPhone battery and power information
- Apple: iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max technical specifications
- MacRumors: iPhone 17 battery-life comparison
- Tom’s Guide: iPhone 17 battery-life test
- Macworld: iPhone battery-life comparison
- Tom’s Guide: iPhone 18 Pro Max battery test
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