[DigitalToday reporter Seung-a Yoo (유승아)] Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max took first place overall in a battery comparison test of 32 smartphones. The iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro also tied for second, with Apple devices broadly ranking near the top.

On Nov. 11 (local time), IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that CNET compared battery performance across 32 of the latest smartphones.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max, with a 5,567 mAh battery, ranked first. The iPhone 17 (3,692 mAh) and iPhone 18 Pro (4,288 mAh) tied for second along with the Motorola Razr (2026) and OnePlus 15. Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Fold8 ranked third, while the iPhone 17E, iPhone Duo and Motorola Razr Ultra (2026) tied for fourth. The Galaxy S26 Ultra placed fifth.

A notable point in the results was that battery capacity did not necessarily correspond to ranking. The OnePlus 15, which tied for second, has a 7,300 mAh battery but recorded the same ranking as the iPhone 17, which has a 3,692 mAh battery. The iPhone 17 placed near the top even though its battery capacity was relatively small among the devices compared.

CNET measured battery performance in two ways. It tested streaming video over WiFi for 3 hours with all devices fully charged. It also ran a 45-minute test combining video playback, video calls, gaming and social media use. It averaged the remaining battery levels after each test to calculate overall rankings. The 45-minute stress test in particular focused on recreating typical smartphone use by mixing multiple tasks.

The results may differ depending on the test method and usage conditions. CNET also explained that battery test results can vary depending on how they are measured, and differences may arise depending on how heavily a user uses a smartphone. It said the rankings should be seen as a comparison of battery performance under set conditions rather than as representative of all usage environments.

The test also shows that real-world usage time is not determined by battery capacity alone. Display, processor and operating system power management, among other factors, affect battery efficiency. Among the 32 models, the iPhone 18 Pro Max ranking first overall and multiple Apple models placing near the top indicate that Apple’s lineup has competitive battery performance.