Which? Magazine Claims iPhone 7 Has 'Poor Battery Life' Compared to Rival Smartphones

U.K. Consumers' Association magazine Which? has concluded that the iPhone 7 offers the worst battery life when compared against the current crop of rival flagship smartphones.

Using a series of tests designed to account for everyday usage variables, the subscriber-only magazine compared Apple's 4.7-inch phone against the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10, and LG 5, and called the results "staggering".

smartphone-battery-life-2016

Whilst the iPhone 7’s 712 minutes of call time (nearly 12 hours) may sound acceptable, the rival Samsung Galaxy S7 lasted twice as long – and it doesn’t even have the longest lasting battery. The HTC 10 lasted an incredible 1,859 minutes (that’s almost 31 hours).

Internet browsing time measurements were less contrasting, nevertheless the iPhone 7 still came last.

The 615 minutes of battery life offered by the iPhone 7 is 25 minutes less than its nearest rival, the LG G5, and 175 minutes less than the top performing HTC 10. In fact, the HTC 10’s 3G internet browsing time was even longer than the iPhone 7’s 3G call time. It doesn’t make for pretty reading for Apple.

The new iPhone's poor results in the battery test shouldn't come as a surprise, given the limitations of the 4.7-inch handset's battery cell compared to its larger rivals (5.1-5.3 inches). Measured in milliampere hours, the iPhone 7 has a 1,960mAh battery, compared to the HTC 10's 3,000mAh cell, for instance, yet Which? describes this as a 'fault' of the phone.

The larger iPhone 7 Plus, on the other hand, features a 2,900 mAh battery, but wasn't mentioned in the test, perhaps because it was perceived as belonging in the 5.5-inch handset bracket populated by devices like the Galaxy S7 Edge (3600mAh) and the HTC 10 Desire (2700 mAh).

The test doesn't mention that Apple's own product specifications show that the iPhone 7 has a higher-capacity battery than the iPhone 6s (1,810mAh), and seems to continue a recent negative trend where media reports have criticized Apple's new flagship phone on the basis of its battery life. For example, last month, The Guardian ran an iPhone 7 story titled "How good can a phone be if the battery doesn't last even a day?" and claimed that its holding charge was worse than the iPhone 6s.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

WannaGoMac Avatar
115 months ago
Strange how Ars did a test and found iPhone 7 outlasted all these others... http://arstechnica.com/apple/2016/09/iphone-7-and-7-plus-review-great-annual-upgrades-with-one-major-catch/5/#h6
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bbeagle Avatar
115 months ago
Who makes phone calls any more? The iPhone 7 only loses badly on battery life while making phone calls. Using Wifi for internet use, it's neck and neck, and something people wouldn't notice.

It's an article with a misleading headline to get the anti-Apple people riled up and feeling superior. It means nothing in real life.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Schwyz Avatar
115 months ago
you're testing it wrong.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gingaman Avatar
115 months ago
Wow,people actually use their iPhone to make calls!;)
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xnu Avatar
115 months ago
A smaller battery in the iPhone 7, but it explodes less. Sooooo, feature, not 'fault'?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
radiology Avatar
115 months ago
Who makes phone calls any more? The iPhone 7 only loses badly on battery life while making phone calls. Using Wifi for internet use, it's neck and neck, and something people wouldn't notice.

It's an article with a misleading headline to get the anti-Apple people riled up and feeling superior. It means nothing in real life.
Who makes phone calls? Did you really asked that?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)