Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ official battery life stats: Won't last much longer than the S8/S8+
Wondering how long would the new Galaxy S9 and S9+ last on a full charge? Well, according to data coming straight from Samsung, they will't outlast their precursors - the Galaxy S8 and S8+ - in certain situations but not by much. This was logical to expect given that the new Galaxies pack battery units with the same size: a 3,000mAh battery for the smaller phone and a 3,500mAh one for the larger counterpart.
Of course, real-life test would be much more telling, but Samsung's official battery life stats tell a pretty telling tale that was, once again, expected.
Generally the same conclusion can be drawn out of the battery life comparison between the Galaxy S9+ and the Galaxy S8+. The new phone also has the largest gains in terms of audio playback and wouldn't necessarily provide users with more battery life than its predecessor in terms of video playback or simple Internet browsing.
Samsung's website doesn't specify if the above results showcase the results scored by the Snapdragon 845 or the Exynos 9810 Galaxy S9/S9+ variants. Although these differ in a few key areas like clock speed, it's yet to be seen if there's a significant battery life discrepancy between Samsung's own and Qualcomm's chipsets. Judging by leaked synthetic benchmark results, the Exynos 9810 should theoretically provide a much snappier experience as it scores higher than the Snapdragon 845, but these claims are yet to be tested. Even Samsung specifies that the tests above are based on internal lab test condition and that 'actual battery life may vary depending on device model, usage pattern, other surrounding and environmental factors'.
Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy S8 battery life*
* - Based on official data from Samsung
| Usage scenario | Samsung Galaxy S9 | Samsung Galaxy S8 |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 Audio playback (Always-On Display enabled) | Up to 48hrs | Up to 44hrs |
| MP3 Audio playback (Always-On Display disabled) | Up to 80hrs | Up to 67hrs |
| Video playback | Up to 16hrs | Up to 16hrs |
| Talk time | Up to 22hrs | Up to 20hrs |
| Internet use (Wi-Fi) | Up to 14hrs | Up to 14hrs |
| Internet use (3G) | Up to 11hrs | Up to 11hrs |
| Internet use (LTE) | Up to 12hrs | Up to 12hrs |
As you can see, the biggest gains the Galaxy S9 scores are mostly in audio playback when the screen is completely disabled. Even with Always On Display enabled, though, the S9 would slightly outlast its predecessor. It doesn't seem to have a much bigger difference in the other usage scenarios Samsung has tested, with video playback and Internet usage being chief.
Samsung Galaxy S9+ vs Galaxy S8+ battery life*
* - Based on official data from Samsung
| Usage scenario | Samsung Galaxy S9+ | Samsung Galaxy S8+ |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 Audio playback (Always-On Display enabled) | Up to 54hrs | Up to 50hrs |
| MP3 Audio playback (Always-On Display disabled) | Up to 94hrs | Up to 78hrs |
| Video playback | Up to 18hrs | Up to 18hrs |
| Talk time | Up to 25hr | Up to 24hrs |
| Internet use (Wi-Fi) | Up to 15hrs | Up to 15hrs |
| Internet use (3G) | Up to 13hrs | Up to 13hrs |
| Internet use (LTE) | Up to 15hrs | Up to 15hrs |
Generally the same conclusion can be drawn out of the battery life comparison between the Galaxy S9+ and the Galaxy S8+. The new phone also has the largest gains in terms of audio playback and wouldn't necessarily provide users with more battery life than its predecessor in terms of video playback or simple Internet browsing.
Nevertheless, rest assured we will be testing out the battery endurance of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ as a part of our full review. Stay tuned and make sure to check out more of our Galaxy S9/S9+ coverage.
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