Each iPhone 17, including the thinner iPhone Air, is rated for 1,000 charge cycles before its battery drops below 80 percent of original capacity. That’s the same limit Apple has used for past models. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 line doubles that figure at 2,000 cycles, while Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL matches Apple at 1,000.
Day-to-day endurance tells a different story. In EU testing, the iPhone 17 Pro Max ran for 53 hours on a charge, ahead of the Galaxy S25 Ultra at just under 45 hours and the Pixel 10 Pro XL at nearly 49. The iPhone Air managed around 40 hours, about the same as Samsung’s S25 Edge, even though Apple’s phone uses a smaller battery.
Battery performance also varies by market. In the United States, the iPhone 17 Pro ships only with eSIM and carries a slightly larger battery, allowing up to two extra hours compared with the version sold in India that keeps a physical SIM slot. Official ratings put the Pro at 33 hours of video playback in the U.S. and 31 in India.
Durability scores point to modest gains. The iPhone 17 Pro Max survived 180 drops in standardized tests, earning a Class B grade. That is double what the iPhone 16 Pro Max managed last year. Even so, Samsung’s S25 Ultra and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL both withstood 270 falls and secured Class A grades.
Repairability results remain less favorable. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air both received Class C marks, equal to Samsung’s flagship but behind the Pixel’s Class B.
Efficiency is the one area where Apple now leads. The Pro Max earned a Class A rating under the EU’s energy label system, moving up from Class B the year before. Apple achieved this through stacked batteries and new cooling methods, including a vapor chamber in the Pro and Pro Max models, designed to keep performance stable during heavy use.
The results highlight Apple’s direction. The company has delivered longer runtime and stronger energy control but still lags its main competitors in long-term battery health and physical resilience. For buyers weighing upgrades, the trade-off is clear: Apple has better efficiency and day-to-day life, but Samsung and Google hold the edge on durability and sustained endurance.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.
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References
- ^ European tests (eprel.ec.europa.eu)
- ^ Microsoft Employees Fired After Gaza Protests Against Israel Contracts, Exposing Corporate Culture Where Profit Trumps Morality (www.digitalinformationworld.com)