There are many relevant characteristics in a mobile phone and depending on the use that you want to give, more importance is given to some than to others. However, there are certain values that are taken into account in the vast majority of cases and one of them is autonomy. Analyzing the phones released by Apple in 2020, which one has the best battery of the iPhone 12? In this article we tell you all the data obtained after our test and we warn you that there are surprises.
Technical data may not be entirely relevant
Although the test that we have carried out can be much more visual and effective to standardize the data for real use, it is no less true that knowing at first what we are dealing with with these iPhone is interesting. In the following sections you will be able to know the characteristics of the batteries that they mount, as well as the data that Apple itself offers in this regard.
Battery Capacities
Apple is a company that in many aspects tries to differentiate itself from the rest and one of the most curious points is that it does not offer data regarding the battery capacity of its iPhone. However, that the company does not make them public does not mean that they are not known, since based on different performance tests and verifications made by professionals it can be determined. In the iPhone 12 we find these data:
- iPhone 12 mini: 2,227 mAh
- iPhone 12 and 12 Pro: 2,775 mAh
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687 mAh
The reason that Apple does not make this information public is mainly because it can be misleading. If we compare these capabilities with those incorporated by their competitors, we can see that Apple’s are far behind and yet in some cases such as the ‘Pro Max’ they can achieve the same and even better autonomy than Android devices with much higher capacities. Fundamentally, this is due to the good optimization of resources that Apple makes in its equipment, achieved thanks to being the ones who design the software and hardware.
What Apple says about its autonomy
In view of the comments in the previous point, we believe that the data of the batteries of these and other iPhones is interesting and especially for the more techie public that wants to know everything about the products. Now, on a day-to-day basis, these data are not so relevant because they do not serve to identify their autonomy.
Giving specific data is complex because not always a single task is done with the iPhone and we do not even find two users who make identical use. However, Apple makes the following estimate that could serve in a way to get an idea:
- Video playback without internet:
- iPhone 12 mini: maximum of 15 hours
- iPhone 12 and 12 Pro: maximum of 17 hours
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: 20 hours maximum
- Streaming video playback:
- iPhone 12 mini: maximum of 10 hours
- iPhone 12 and 12 Pro: maximum of 11 hours
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: 12 hours maximum
- Audio Playback:
- iPhone 12 mini: maximum of 50 hours
- iPhone 12 and 12 Pro: 65 hours maximum
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: maximum of 80 hours
The conclusion we draw is that, on average, there is a difference of 1 hour between devices, going from more to less if we start counting with the ‘mini’ and end up with the ‘Pro Max’, taking the standard iPhone 12 as an intermediate point. and the 12 Pro that have identical specifications in this regard.
Actual battery performance test
At the beginning of this article, if you click on the cover photo, you will be able to find a video published on our YouTube channel in which you will be able to appreciate in a very visual way how long it took to download each of the four iPhone 12 after having subjected them to different tests such as playing video games, video playback, or 4K video recording.
Data we obtained in the tests
And the curious thing about this test and that, at least to us, we were most surprised was to see that there are differences with the data that Apple gives about autonomy. We did not do a test with a single task as indicated by the company in its data, although doing these homologous we should have seen that the iPhone was turning off in this order: iPhone 12 mini, 12 and 12 Pro at the same time and finally the 12 Pro Max. But this did not really happen.
It must be considered that these are intensive tests for a long time without turning off the screen at any time, so it must be taken into account that in real use this would not be the real autonomy, since on rare occasions we spend so many hours with the iPhone on, being therefore a test of screen hours (something that you can see yourself on your iOS device by going to Settings> Battery).
These were the hours and minutes that endured the test:
- iPhone 12 mini: 5 hours and 21 minutes
- iPhone 12 Pro: 5 hours and 23 minutes
- iPhone 12: 6 hours and 56 minutes
- iPhone 12 Pro Max: 7 hours and 10 minutes
Highlights and final conclusions
The most curious thing about this test, as you have already seen, is that the iPhone 12 Pro was not at all comparable to the iPhone 12 and it turned off only 2 minutes after the ‘mini’. That standard model lasted much longer and came to give an autonomy of almost 2 more hours. Where there were no surprises in the ‘Max’ model capable of crowning itself as the device with the best battery of this generation.
Something to note is that the iPhone 12 crashed during a performance test done with an app specialized in taking the benchmarks, thus not keeping up with the large model that was competing alone at that time. Regarding temperatures, it must be said that they all felt hotter than usual, but being something normal and without reaching the point of shutting down due to overheating.
It also caught our attention how iOS optimizes the autonomy of these devices , being able to see how at times the screens were dimmed or processes were blocked as mentioned in the iPhone 12 when doing performance tests. What did not jump was the low power mode, which was configured not to activate and to make the test even more intensive.
All iPhones had 100% battery health at that time, so we can say that it was made at its longest time. Therefore, it is understandable that in case of repeating this test we would see shorter times as there has already been a certain level of degradation.
Broadly speaking, we can say that these iPhone are surprising for good in terms of their autonomy and even more knowing their capabilities. Especially noteworthy is the ’12 mini ‘, a device that has always been said to have its main flaw is the battery. And yes, it is the weakest of the four phones, but we cannot consider that it has a bad battery either. We refer to the tests to see that it only lasted 2 minutes less than the ‘Pro’.
In any case, we want to emphasize again that in the end these tests have been carried out based on very intensive use that, as a general rule, a normal user will not do in a day and if they do, it is unlikely that they will do so for so many hours in a row. Now it is you who must draw the conclusions.