Introduction

We rely on our smartphone in our day-to-day life for all kinds of activities, from capturing special moments with friends and family, writing messages or even doing our shopping. How long a battery charge lasts can have a direct impact on whether or not we can actually complete these actions.  

Battery technology has advanced over the years, with more power and longevity packed into smaller forms, and it has become an important factor in deciding what model to buy. But when choosing a smartphone, buyers often discover that the only battery information available is its capacity (in milliamp hours, or mAh), which while important, is not enough. They also need to know whether the phone charges quickly, and especially how long a charge lasts. The specifications won’t provide this kind of information, but DXOMARK can. 

With its pool of experts, DXOMARK has designed a Battery protocol, launched in May 2021, that aims to bring a comprehensive view of the battery performance of each smartphone. DXOMARK does extensive tests on autonomy, charging and efficiency, using state-of the-art equipment running specifically designed measurements based on real-life use cases.  

To keep up with the latest technology trends and usages, DXOMARK regularly updates its protocols and continues to offer exhaustive and meaningful evaluations.  

Battery Score Structure

150

hours of charge/discharge

for each smartphone

100

measurement points

for each device

Learn more about our Use Cases

Autonomy 50%

We evaluate how long a charge lasts along multiple scenarios of usage: whether you’re at home or on the go. We complete this with our calibrated test, to bring a comprehensive view on autonomy.

Home / Office

DXOMARK measures the battery life of the smartphone along a “24 hour typical usage scenario,” a simulated day that starts at 7AM and runs until 11PM just like a user would do.

Entirely automated and done in a controlled environment, the typical usage scenario takes into account calls, social networks, playing music, watching videos, gaming…. For a total of 4 hours of active use, which is the global daily average.

DXOMARK Battery experts particularly look at the overall autonomy performance, as well as unusual behaviors (such as the percentage lost during the night, or the duration of the last 10%)

On the Go

Our protocol takes into account the fact that power consumption can be affected when people are on the go, as their phones search for connectivity, use GPS/location services, employ fitness trackers, etc. DXOMARK Battery experts measure the typical autonomy you can expect for usages while being on the move: calls, social networks, take photos and videos, find your way, stream music.

Calibrated

DXOMARK measures the autonomy you can expect for a set of common usages (calls, music, videos, gaming), while being put on a fixed set of parameters (brightness level, loudness level…) in order to compare all smartphones equally – while Home / Office and On the go are tested with factory default settings

Charging 33%

We evaluate how long it takes the phone to charge along two attributes: full charge and quick boost

Full charge

DXOMARK teams evaluate how much power and time it takes for the phone to charge from 0 to 80% of the battery capacity, and then from 80% to 100%… and then from when the battery indicator states 100% to when the phone is truly fully charged. The tests are performed for both official wired and wireless chargers (if available for the model evaluated)

Quick boost

Sometimes we only have a few minutes to charge our smartphone, and with the evolution of smartphone technology, the behaviors change. DXOMARK measure how much power you can gain by plugging in your smartphone for five minutes, at different stages of remaining power levels (20%, 40%, and 60%). With all these tests, and thanks to the measurements done on autonomy, DXOMARK is also able to calculate an average autonomy recovered in 5 minutes.

In addition, we also monitor the temperature of the smartphone and of the adapter while charging.

Efficiency 17%

Efficiency refers to how much power (energy) is actually consumed when charging or discharging.

We evaluate power efficiency under two sub-scores: charge up & discharge

Charge up

What we measure :

 

The overall efficiency of a full charge (how much energy you need to fill up the battery compared to the energy capacity of the battery).

The specific efficiency of the power adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to the smartphone. We observe the energy losses. 

The residual consumption: power still consumed when a charge is finished and the smartphone is still attached to the charger and after the smartphone is disconnected from the charger 

Discharge

We measure here the discharge currents during our Typical Usage scenario and calibrated test plans. Discharge currents are the ratio of battery capacity divided by autonomy. They measure how fast the battery uses up its capacity.

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