The Apple iPhone X comes with a brand new 2,716 mAh battery that takes a weird L-shape and it's clear that Apple has made the most of the available space to cram in a big battery cell. It's not as large as on Android phones, but it is bigger than the battery of the iPhone 8 Plus.
So what is the actual battery life on the iPhone X?
We have spent a few days with the $1,000 phone and we have run our battery test to get the numbers. But first, here is how the iPhone X battery size compares to other iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones' batteries:
Model | Battery | Capacity | Size | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
iPhone X | 2,716 mAh | ||||
iPhone 8+, 7+, 6s+ | 2,675 mAh | 2,900 mAh | 2,750 mAh | ||
iPhone 8, 7, 6s | 1,821 mAh | 1,960 mAh | 1,715 mAh | ||
Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, Note 8 | 3,000 mAh | 3,500 mAh | 3,300 mAh |
In our experience, the iPhone X battery will last users even through those longer days, but you will still need to recharge your phone every night.
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iPhone X uses an L-shaped battery, image by iFixit |
We experienced better battery life than what you get on the small iPhone 8, but not quite as good battery longevity as on the larger iPhone 8 Plus.
Not as long lasting as an iPhone 8+, but will easily get you through a long day
To confirm our experience, we ran a custom test that measures typical use of a phone. We do this tests for all phones that we review and we set the phones to equal conditions.
The iPhone X scored 8 hours and 41 minutes on our test, slightly better than the average score for a 2017 flagship phone. You can see how it compares to other major flagships in the chart below.
Battery Test
Battery life (hours)
Higher is better |
Apple iPhone X
8h 41 min (Excellent)
Apple iPhone 8 Plus
10h 35 min (Excellent)
Apple iPhone 8
8h 37 min (Excellent)
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
7h 50 min (Good)
Samsung Galaxy S8+
8h (Excellent)
LG V30
9h 34 min (Excellent)
Google Pixel 2 XL
8h 57 min (Excellent)
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Another important aspect of the battery experience is the time it takes to charge the battery. The iPhone X does support fast charging, but it still ships with the old, "slow", 5-watt charger in the box. If you want to make full use of the new fast charge capabilities of the iPhone X, you need to separately buy the Apple USB-C power adapter ($50) and a USB-C to Lightning cable ($25). Alternatively, you will also get faster charging speeds if you use an iPad charger, but a USB-C power adapter is required for the full fast-charge capabilities.
We used the regular charger that comes in the box with the iPhone X, and here is how long it took to charge the battery from 0 to 100% using this charger.
Re-Charge Benchmark
Charging time (minutes)
Lower is better |
Apple iPhone X
189
Apple iPhone 8 Plus
178
Apple iPhone 8
148
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
102
Samsung Galaxy S8+
99
LG V30
108
Google Pixel 2 XL
152
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Yes, that's an excruciatingly long 3 hours and 9 minutes! Those slow speeds do not matter much when you leave your phone charging on the night stand, but if you need a quick battery top-up during the day, those speeds can be too slow.
The iPhone X also supports Qi wireless charging. It will work with most Qi-standard wireless chargers, but there is no wireless charger included in the box. To make use of this feature, you will need to purchase a third-party wireless charger. You can get one by Mophie or Belkin for $60 on the Apple Store, or get an even cheaper one for half this price from companies like Ravpower and Anker selling on Amazon and Best Buy.