We subjected the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max to our rigorous SBMARK battery test suite to measure its performance in terms of range, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will analyze how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key specs:
- Battery capacity: 4323mAh
- 20W charger (not included)
- 6.7-inch, 1290 x 2796, 120Hz OLED display
- Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm)
- Tested ROM / RAM combination: 512GB + 6GB
Pros
- Excellent performance in a typical use scenario, with low discharge currents
- Excellent autonomy in calibrated mode, especially when streaming videos
- Excellent autonomy when scrolling through social apps on the go
- Low discharge currents overall
versus
- Low battery life when using the camera
- Poor charging experience
- Very low wired charging efficiency
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max achieved an excellent overall score, but is slightly lower than its predecessor, the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The latest device was tested with the “always-on display” mode disabled, a feature we disable for all models in our tests for a fair comparison. The score difference with the 13 Pro Max was mainly due to slightly lower performance during on-the-go and calibrated tests, but the results remained close.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max showed excellent performance during the typical use scenario, with an average loss of less than 2% per night. Outdoors, the screen brightness was excellent, but it comes at a slight cost for runtimes. Battery life was very good when scrolling through social apps, which we test on the subway, but battery performance struggled when using the challenging new camera and during navigation tests. However, during the calibrated mode test, the runtimes were above average in all our use cases, especially when streaming video, but slightly below average in the call test.
When it came to charging, the small 20W charger took 2 hours and 21 minutes to fill the 4323mAh battery. Likewise, the wireless charger took 2 hours and 44 minutes to fully charge the battery, which is longer than average. The residual consumption of both wired and wireless chargers was very low.
Discharge currents were also very low, meaning the device was well optimized, whatever the use case.
Compared to devices in the same Ultra-premium price range ($ 800 +), the iPhone scored the second highest score, just below its predecessor, thanks to its excellent battery life and efficiency. However, his charge score was among the lowest.
Test summary
Information on SBMARK battery tests: For the score and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective tests over a period of one week both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory article and how we test articles for more details on our Smartphone Battery Protocol.)
The following section collects the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyzes performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
| Battery | Battery charger | wireless | Screen | Processor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max | 4323 mAh | 20 W (not included) |
15W | OLED 1290 x 2796 |
Apple A16 Bionic |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | 4352 mAh | 20 W (included) |
15W | OLED 1284 x 2778 |
Apple A15 Bionic |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon) | 5000 mAh | 45 W (included) |
15W | AMOLED 2X 1440 x 3088 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
| Oppo Find X5 Pro | 5000 mAh | 80 W (included) |
50 W | (LTPO) OLED 1440 x 3216 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Autonomy
151
Wiko Power U30
Wiko Power U30
How the autonomy score is composed
The autonomy score is made up of three performance sub-scores: Home / Office, On the go, and Calibrated Use Cases. Each sub-score includes the results of a full range of tests to measure autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
95 hours
Light use
Active: 2h30 / day
65 hours
Moderate use
Active: 4 hours a day
40 hours
Intense use
Active: 7 hours a day
Home office
161
Viva Y72 5G
Viva Y72 5G
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a series of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical use scenario” (TUS) – making calls, streaming video, etc. – 4 hours of active use over a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep”. The robot repeats this series of actions every day until the device is discharged.
In movement
129
Samsung Galaxy M51
Samsung Galaxy M51
Using a smartphone on the go puts a strain on autonomy due to additional “hidden” needs, such as the continuous signaling associated with the selection of the cellular network. SBMARK Battery experts take the phone outdoors and perform a well-defined set of activities while following the same three-hour travel itinerary (on foot, by bus, by subway …) for each device
Calibrated
144
Samsung Galaxy M51
Samsung Galaxy M51
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and ours robots repeatedly perform actions related to a specific use case (such as games, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting at an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have consumed at least 5% of the battery charge.
Reload
107
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
How the Charge score is composed
Charging is completely part of the overall battery experience. In some situations where autonomy is minimal, knowing how fast you can charge becomes a problem. The SBMARK battery charge score consists of two secondary scores, (1) Full charge and (2) Fast boost.
Full charge
100
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
Full charge tests evaluate the reliability of the battery charge indicator; measure how long and how much energy the battery takes to charge from zero to 80% capacity, 80 to 100% as shown by the user interface, and up to an actual full charge.
The charging curves, in wired and wireless mode (if available) show the evolution of the battery level indicator as well as the energy consumption in watts during the charging phases towards full capacity.
The charging curves, in wired and wireless mode (if available) show the evolution of the battery level indicator as well as the energy consumption in watts during the charging phases towards full capacity.
Fast thrust
114
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
With the phone at different charge levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%), Quick boost tests measure the amount of charge the battery receives after being plugged in for 5 minutes. The graph here compares the average runtime gain from a 5 minute quick charge.
Efficiency
140
Oppo Reno6 5G
Oppo Reno6 5G
How the efficiency score is composed
The SBMARK energy efficiency score consists of two secondary scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, which combine both data obtained during a typical use scenario based on robots, calibrated tests and charge evaluation, taking into account the battery capacity of the device . SBMARK calculates the annual energy consumption of the product, shown in the graph below, which is representative of the overall efficiency during charging and in use.
To load
88
Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro
The secondary charge score is a combination of four factors: the overall efficiency of a full charge, relative to the amount of energy needed to fill the battery versus the energy the battery can provide; the efficiency of the travel adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to the phone; the residual consumption when the phone is fully charged and still connected to the charger; and the residual consumption of the charger itself, when the smartphone is disconnected from it. The graph below shows the overall efficiency of a full charge in%.
Discharge
176
Apple iPhone 12 mini
Apple iPhone 12 mini
The discharge secondary score evaluates the discharge rate of a battery during a test, which is independent of the battery capacity. It is the ratio of the capacity of a battery divided by its autonomy. A small capacity battery may have the same runtime as a large capacity battery, indicating that the device is well optimized, with a low discharge rate.
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