Pixel 9 Smokes IPhone 16 And Galaxy S25 In One-Off Battery Drain Test [Video]

Despite some criticism of the lifespan of most Google devices, the Pixel 9 has outlasted the brand-new Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 in one of the most realistic battery tests of late.

Almost since the switch to internally developed Tensor chips, Pixel lifespan has been a point of concern. In recent years, things have improved as Google has sought to increase battery capacities and improve chip efficiency.

In a 7+ hour marathon live stream, YouTuber Ben Aboagye, aka “Lover of Tech,” pitted the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S25, base iPhone 16, and Google Pixel 9 against each other in a series of so-called “real-world battery drain” tests.

Devices are tested in a cycle that consists of an hour of recording at 4K 60fps, an hour-long Instagram Live stream, one hour of TikTok scrolling, one hour of YouTube (1440p resolution), one hour of YouTube Music, and an hour-long Twitter Space. If devices withstand this, a further hour of Asphalt Unite and an hour of WhatsApp video call awaits.

Aboagye stated that this test is to try and “emulate how someone might use their phone beyond regular calls and texts” and “simulates some scenarios where the ‘average’ person sees the greatest battery loss each day” based on feedback from his audience. Sadly, there is no perfect test, but with hourly measurements, you get a better idea of what each phone does when using common applications. Doing so back-to-back is also an extreme edge case, which means real-world usage could be greater for all three phones.

In the interest of fairness, all phones had less than 10 charge cycles to ensure that it’s as like-for-like as possible and variables are removed. Display brightness is set to 200 nits across each display with light mode enabled, all volumes set to maximum, and each test is on a Vodafone 4G prepaid SIM with Wi-Fi disabled:

In addition to tracking the battery drain of the Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, and iPhone 16, the YouTuber’s analysis includes temperature readings too. It’s here where the Pixel and the Tensor G4 actually impressed, it was not the hottest chip throughout the marathon 7 hour stream. It did hit a toasty 42.7°C or 108.9°F during the 4K60 video test, but that was identical to the Galaxy S25 and the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.

At the end of the extensive text, the Galaxy S25 only managed 5 hours and 36 minutes on a full charge. The iPhone 16 attained 6 hours and 7 minutes, while the Pixel 9 was out in front with a lifespan of 6 hours and 56 minutes.

It’s worth noting that the Pixel 9 has a much larger battery than the other devices at 4,700mAh. The Galaxy S25 ships with a 4,000mAh internal cell and the iPhone 16 has a supposed 3,561mAh capacity. At least on the first read, that should result in a resounding increase in longevity. The reality is that due to certain quirks of the SoCs within each phone, a large battery doesn’t always guarantee an extensive lifespan. One of the major criticisms leveled at the Pixel lineup in years prior has been average or below average lifespan.

There will no doubt be people rushing to state this is one such test, and it doesn’t represent how it would play out if it were run again. That is a very valid point. However, while this is indeed a one-off test of the battery life of the Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, and iPhone 16, Aboagye has seen similar results from the Pixel 9 in the past. So yes, it might be a one-off comparison between the base models from the biggest brands, but the Pixel 9 has a very respectable battery – which you knew already, right?