Rating of the best smartphone models by autonomy for 2021

Autonomy is a property of a mobile device that determines its ability to operate from the built-in battery. This is one of the leading criteria for choosing a smartphone.

The level of autonomy depends on numerous factors. These include battery capacity, power consumption mode used, and load intensity on the device.

Autonomy is determined based on the operating time without recharging the battery. During testing, devices are subjected to different loads to evaluate battery consumption.

Based on the test results, a rating of smartphone autonomy is formed, which will help you choose a mobile device with maximum operating time.

How is the autonomy rating of smartphones calculated?

When testing, equal conditions are created for all models. Several identical applications are installed on the tested smartphones. The brightness of the screen backlight on all models is set at the same level using a lux meter.

Also, when preparing for testing on smartphones:

1. Disable all wireless interfaces except Wi-Fi.
2. Install the latest version of the OS.
3. Set up a unified format for shooting photos and videos.
4. Add a large file (for example a movie) to memory.
5. Disable all services, notifications, third-party applications.

To subsequently determine autonomy, the smartphone is fully charged. After this, a series of tests are performed.

These include:

1. Record video on the front camera for 30 minutes.
2. Checking in Antutu Benchmark and similar services.
3. Start the game for 1 hour.
4. Half an hour of video recording on the main camera.
5. Watching videos online and offline (1 hour each).
6. Record sound on a voice recorder.
7. Restart the game (until the battery is completely discharged).

Not all smartphones can withstand such loads. Calculating the playing time after completing all the tests allows you to determine which of the devices has the highest autonomy.

Smartphone Moto G7 Power – 5000 mAh

Although the Moto G Power recently dethroned it, in terms of battery life, the Moto G7 remains a beast. With a 5,000mAh battery, the G7 offers up to 15 hours of continuous use, which is much more than you'd expect from smartphones well outside of this price range. For the conservative phone user, the G7's battery life can be extended to sixty hours.

Not only is the battery life impressive, but so is the charging time. It comes with a Motorola TurboPower charger that charges it from zero to 100% in just two hours. Considering the sheer size of this battery, it's nothing short of a miracle.

The Moto G7 Power also offers fairly reliable performance. It is powered by a Snapdragon 632 processor and is paired with 3GB of RAM, making it ideal for everyday phone use such as web browsing and light gaming. It is equipped with a 12-megapixel camera, which does a good job. An 8-megapixel camera is enough for selfies on Instagram. Simply put, for a phone in this price range, the Moto G7's power is incredibly good in terms of battery life as well as performance.

What we liked:

• Incredible battery life

Accessible

• Fast charging
• High performance for its price

What disappointed us:

• Low resolution display

TOP 10 best smartphones in terms of autonomy for 2021

When choosing a smartphone, it is extremely important to consider battery capacity and battery life. However, these are not the only selection criteria, so it is worth paying attention to other technical characteristics.

Motorola Moto G9 Plus

A mid-budget smartphone released in the fall of 2021.
The device is equipped with a 6.8-inch IPS display with a refresh rate of 60 fps. The body is made of plastic, but the screen is protected by tempered glass, resistant to damage. Performance is provided by the Snapdragon 730G processor. The maximum amount of RAM is 6 GB, and the storage capacity is 128 GB. Autonomy is provided by a 5000 mAh battery. The device can last up to 53 hours in talk mode.

pros:

• large screen;
• a good camera with a maximum image resolution of 9248x6936 pixels;
• powerful processor;
• fast charging - about 75 minutes.

Minuses:

• easily soiled plastic case;
• low display refresh rate.

Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro

A good Chinese smartphone with a Super AMOLED screen and a retractable front camera.
The metal and glass body is protected from dust and moisture. The performance is ensured by the Snapdragon 865 processor with a maximum computing power of 2.8 GHz. Models with 6 and 8 GB of RAM are available for sale. This model has a built-in battery with a capacity of 4700 mAh. The maximum talk time is 36 hours, and when playing video – 25 hours. With an average load, the device will work for at least two days without recharging.

pros:

• Super AMOLED screen;
• fast charging;
• stable branded shell;
• good processor;
• metal case.

Minuses:

• weighs 219 grams;
• does not support contactless charging;
• many pre-installed Chinese applications.

Asus ROG Phone 2 ZS660KL

A gaming smartphone with high performance.
The developers equipped the model with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is a record figure. The metal case reliably protects hardware elements from damage. The smartphone has a built-in Snapdragon 855 Plus processor with a maximum clock frequency of 2.9 GHz and an Adreno 640 graphics core. The RAM capacity is 12 GB, which allows you to work with any applications. The 6000 mAh battery provides autonomy up to 40 hours of talk time.

pros:

• stylish, durable body;
• excellent screen refresh rate;
• dual camera with 48 megapixel main lens;
• 4K recording up to 60 fps;
• 12 GB RAM;
• capacious battery;
• fast charging function.

Minuses:

• weighs 240 grams;
• The housing is not protected from moisture.

Xiaomi Poco M3

A stylish, relatively thin device with a 6.5-inch screen and a plastic body.
The device is characterized by average performance. The Snapdragon 662 processor allows you to run applications with different system requirements. The weak point of the model is the RAM module, the capacity of which is 4 GB. The advantages include a triple main camera, a good battery and support for all functions necessary for full operation.

pros:

• 6000 mAh lithium polymer battery;
• ergonomic body design;
• thin frames around the screen;
• fast fingerprint scanner.

Minuses:

• 4 GB of RAM;
• Full charging time – 3 hours.

Motorola Moto G9 Power

The device, released in November 2021, is equipped with a good camera, a bright IPS screen with excellent color reproduction and a powerful battery.
According to test results, the device is capable of operating in autonomous mode for more than 60 hours. The processing power is supported by the Snapdragon 662 CPU. The amount of RAM is only 4 GB, so the device cannot cope with demanding games and applications. Internal storage capacity is 128 GB, expandable up to 512 GB.

pros:

• IPS screen;
• high autonomy;
• high quality pictures and videos.

Minuses:

• no NFC;
• 4 GB RAM;
• weighs more than 220 grams.

Samsung Galaxy A42

A high-quality Korean smartphone released in September 2021.
The model is equipped with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED screen, a plastic body and a 5000 mAh battery. The line includes models with 4, 6 and 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The developers installed a quad camera in the device with a maximum resolution of 48 megapixels. The model supports the 5G communication standard, which sets it apart from its competitors. Autonomy is at a fairly high level. The device can last up to 42 hours in talk mode.

pros:

• 20 MP front camera;
• fast charging support;
• good indicator of autonomy;
• decent amount of memory.

Minuses:

• slow fingerprint scanner;
• low display resolution.

Oppo Realme 5s

An inexpensive smartphone with an IPS screen and a body made of impact-resistant plastic.
The model is characterized by good autonomy, but in other criteria it is inferior to devices of a similar price category. The smartphone has only 4 GB of RAM, and the eight-core CPU accelerates to a maximum of 2.2 GHz. The 5000 mAh battery, combined with good energy efficiency, provides up to 47 hours of talk time. One battery charge will probably last for several days of use. The average full charge time is 2.5 hours.

pros:

• frameless design;
• good screen viewing angles;
• protected housing;
• good quality of pictures and videos;
• Built-in 8 MP wide-angle lens.

Minuses:

• RAM – 4 GB;
• far from being the most productive processor;
• no NFC.

Oppo Realme 5

The top three is opened by the Oppo Realme 5 version, which is characterized by average performance indicators.
The device has only 3 GB of RAM, so it is not suitable for working with demanding programs. The volume of the built-in storage is 64 GB. Processor – Snapdragon 665. The key advantage of the device is its autonomy. Thanks to balanced energy consumption, the device holds a charge for more than 47 hours.

pros:

• large, bright screen;
• case design;
• long operating time;
• supports NFC;
• Decent photo quality, like for a budget model.

Minuses:

• weak CPU;
• 3 GB RAM.

Samsung Galaxy M51

A compact mid-class smartphone, characterized not only by high autonomy, but also by excellent performance.
The device has a built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G CPU, and the RAM capacity reaches 6 GB. Thanks to this, the smartphone copes with any task. The 7000 mAh battery charges in 1 hour 47 minutes. You will be pleased with the high resolution of pictures and videos, the 32-megapixel front camera and the excellent sound quality of the external speaker.

pros:

• 6 GB RAM;
• main camera 64 MP;
• 7000 mAh battery;
• good performance.

Minuses:

• plastic body;
• fingerprint scanner built into the side button.

Oppo Realme 6i

The leading position is occupied by a powerful smartphone with a gaming processor, a thin body and a 6.5-inch screen.
The model is equipped with a gaming processor. The case is made of plastic, thanks to which the device weighs only 190 grams. Performance is handled by the Helio G80 CPU from MediaTek combined with the Mali-G52 MP2 graphics core.

Despite the small amount of RAM, the smartphone works reliably with any applications, including demanding games. The battery life during web surfing talk time reaches 30 hours.

pros:

• very fast charging (65% in 45 minutes);
• ability to shoot 4K video;
• lightweight body;
• the presence of pre-installed protective glass;
• built-in memory storage 128 GB.

Minuses:

• 4 GB RAM;
• poor sound quality of speakers;
• unstable operation of the proximity sensor.

Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S10+ – 4000 mAh

The Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone for 2021. What makes it stand out is the large 6.4-inch edge-to-edge screen that pushes the front camera to the top corner. With a screen-to-body ratio of 93.1%, pixels stretch from the small top speaker to the bottom, moving from the right to the left edge. This unique design redefined what a phablet should look like.

Its AMOLED display has three resolution options: Full HD+, QHD+ and HDR10+. The default resolution is Full HD+, but you can bump it up to QHD+ or HDR10+ for extra color and contrast. This feature is especially convenient for those who watch movies from their mobile devices.

The 4000 mAh battery capacity deserves respect. You can watch TV shows, play games and stream for hours and still have an impressive 10-30% charge left. Moreover, you can add several hours of use by switching to any of the phone's power saving modes.

In addition to long battery life, the phone comes with Samsung's new Wireless PowerShare feature. This means the device turns into a Qi charging mat that helps charge a friend's phone when the battery is low. Activating this feature is quite simple, as it is located in the quick settings menu under the notification panel.

What we liked:

• In-screen fingerprint sensor

Super AMOLED display

• Wireless PowerShare
• Excellent screen-to-body ratio

What disappointed us:

• Very slippery

Andro News Ranking Table

The table shows the TOP best models in terms of autonomy according to Andro News, an authoritative Internet portal about mobile devices. The rating is based on the results of numerous tests.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 (10 hours 5 minutes)

One of the most anticipated smartphones of 2021 was the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 . Sales started back in March. In appearance, the new product looks very nice, but what is its filling? The smartphone has a bright screen (it creates good visibility even in bright spring light), a 5000 mAh battery, and amazing 4 cameras.

One of the most important characteristics for users is battery capacity. The manufacturer promised to work with the smartphone for 2 days, in fact, with moderate use of social networks, the autonomy can be extended by 3. During games, active use of social networks, the battery life will, of course, be reduced by 10 hours 5 minutes, but this is also not bad, considering how quickly other phones drain.

OPPO A53 (10 hours 13 minutes)

2 days without charging - not a problem? Of course, if we are talking about OPPO A53 ! The new 2021 OPPO A53 pleased us with a 6.5-inch screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, the presence of NFS, and a good price/quality ratio, but what impressed us most was the 5000 mAh battery.

The manufacturer assures that the smartphone can last 2 days without recharging - is this true? Testing has shown that in OPPO A53 the battery does not run out for more than 10 hours and 13 minutes, however, during an hour-long game the battery showed only 11%. Dry tests are unlikely to tell you about real autonomy. With extremely active use of the OPPO A53 for 11 hours, the battery showed 54% - it matters what you do on the smartphone: play or chat in instant messengers.

Which smartphone to buy with a good battery?

Based on the information above, it is much easier to answer the question, which smartphone with the best battery to choose? Here are a few suggestions from different price ranges that may have other benefits in addition to good batteries.

It is also worth paying attention to whether the model supports fast battery charging , which affects the comfort of using such a device. Initially, this was a function only for representatives of the upper segment. Currently, it is also increasingly found in the middle segment.

Additionally, wireless charging support could be a benefit for many people. In such a situation, it is enough to connect the smartphone to a suitable charger that supports this standard. However, in this case, this is a solution intended for the most expensive models.

The same can be said about the possibility of wireless charging of other devices. You can find it, for example, in the Samsung Galaxy S10+ , Samsung Glaxy S10 or Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ .

Are you looking for a smartphone that will last more than a day without recharging? Many manufacturers offer models that have very good batteries. See our ranking of phones with the best battery .

What accessories will extend battery life?

By following the tips above you can significantly extend your smartphone's battery life, but in some situations you may need GSM accessories that will allow you to charge your phone, such as when traveling or during heavy use of your smartphone throughout the day.

External battery

An interesting and increasingly popular solution is powerbanki . Simply put, these are external batteries that allow you to charge the battery in your smartphone via a USB connector. The capacity of these types of gadgets varies, but usually ranges from 3,000 to 10,000 mAh. In this way, you can supply power to the cell phone two or three times.

additional battery

Some also choose to buy an extra battery. It should be remembered that not every smartphone can be easily replaced. In fact, there are fewer and fewer models of this type, if only because the design is more attractive or the construction of waterproof cases.