iPhone XS and XS Max Battery Life Exceed Apple's Promise Says Consumer Reports
Several complaints have been leveled against Apple's iPhone XS and XS Max smartphones since launch. One of the major complaints from users was allegedly poor WiFi and cellular signal quality; something recent tests refute. Other complaints have focused on charging with the smartphones not recognizing the charger for some users.
In addition, testing by Tom's Guide found that the battery life on the iPhone XS was shorter than that of Phone X that preceded it. New testing from Consumer Reports has found the opposite to be true. The publication has tested the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max and found that both devices outperformed Apple's claim for battery life per charge compared to the iPhone X. Consumer Reports uses a test regime that involves a robotic finger that uses the phone in a manner very similar to a human.
The robotic finger runs through a series of tasks on each device, including web surfing, taking pictures, using GPS navigation, and making phone calls. For consistency, the publication runs the screen at 100% brightness during testing. However, operating the screen at lesser brightness settings may improve battery life over what Consumer Reports achieved in its testing. The publication found that the iPhone XS Max ran for 26 hours while the iPhone XS ran for 24.5 hours. Those battery durations are significantly longer than the iPhone X achieved in the same test by running for 19.5 hours before battery depletion.
Apple promised the iPhone XS Max was good for 90 minutes longer runtimes compared to the iPhone X. Apple's promise for the iPhone XS was 30 minutes longer battery life than last year's iPhone X. Consumer Reports' tests show that, in some situations, Apple delivered much more than promised. The publication did lament that Apple continues to refuse to put a USB-C fast charger in the box with the new iPhone models. Apple's charger requires 210 minutes to fully charge the iPhone XS Max, about twice as long as it takes Samsung's Note 9 to charge fully.
