We put the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max through our rigorous DXOMARK Battery test suite to measure its performance in autonomy, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will break down how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key specifications:
- Battery capacity: 4323 mAh
- 20W charger (not included)
- 6.7-inch, 1290 x 2796, 120 Hz, OLED display
- Apple A16 Bionic (4 nm)
- Tested ROM / RAM combination: 512 GB + 6 GB
Scoring
Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Key performances
These key points are derived from the lab measurements during testing and do not figure into the overall score. The lab measurements, however, are used for the overall score.
Pros
- Excellent performance during a typical usage scenario, with low discharge currents
- Excellent autonomy in calibrated mode, especially when streaming videos
- Very good autonomy when scrolling on social apps on the go
- Low discharge currents overall
Cons
- Low autonomy when using the camera
- Poor charging experience
- Very low wired charge efficiency
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max reached an excellent global score but stands slightly below its predecessor, the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The latest device was tested with the “always-on display” mode turned off — a feature that we deactivate 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 an excellent performance during the typical usage scenario, with less than 2% lost per night on average. Outdoors, the screen’s brightness was excellent, but it came at a slight cost to the autonomy. Autonomy was very good when scrolling social apps, which we test in the subway, but battery performance struggled when using the new demanding camera and during the navigation tests. However, when testing in calibrated mode, the autonomy was above average across all our use cases, especially when streaming videos, 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 up the 4323 mAh battery. Similarly, the wireless charger took 2 hours and 44 minutes to fully charge the battery, which was longer than average. The residual consumption of both wired and wireless chargers was very low.
The discharge currents were very low, too, meaning that the device was well-optimized, whatever the use case.
Compared with devices from the same Ultra-premium price range ($800+), the iPhone earned the second top score, just below its predecessor, thanks to its excellent autonomy and efficiency. However, its charging score was among the lowest.
Test Summary
About DXOMARK Battery tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, DXOMARK engineers perform a variety of objective tests over a week-long period both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory and how we test articles for more details about our smartphone Battery protocol.)
The following section gathers key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyses performed in DXOMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations under the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Battery | Charger | Wireless | Display | Processor | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max | 4323mAh | 20W (not included) |
15W | OLED 1290 x 2796 |
Apple A16 Bionic |
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | 4352mAh | 20W (not included) |
15W | OLED 1284 x 2778 |
Apple A15 Bionic |
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (Snapdragon) | 5000mAh | 45W (not included) |
15W | AMOLED 2X 1440 x 3088 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Oppo Find X5 Pro | 5000mAh | 80W (included) |
50W | (LTPO) OLED 1440 x 3216 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Autonomy
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
182
Autonomy score is composed of three performance sub-scores: Home/Office, On the go, and Calibrated use cases. Each sub-score comprises the results of a comprehensive range of tests for measuring autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
Battery Life (moderate)
Battery Life (moderate)
Home/Office
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
189
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a set of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical usage scenario” (TUS) — making calls, video streaming, etc. — 4 hours of active use over the course of a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep.” The robot repeats this set of actions every day until the device runs out of power.
On the go
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
195
Using a smartphone on the go takes a toll on autonomy because of extra “hidden” demands, such as the continuous signaling associated with cellphone network selection, for example. DXOMARK Battery experts take the phone outdoors and perform a precisely defined set of activities while following the same three-hour travel itinerary (walking, taking the bus, the subway…) for each device
Calibrated
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
198
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and our robots repeatedly perform actions linked to one specific use case (such as gaming, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting from an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have expended at least 5% of their battery power.
Charging
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
181
Charging is fully part of the overall battery experience. In some situations where autonomy is at a minimum, knowing how fast you can charge becomes a concern. The DXOMARK Battery charging score is composed of two sub-scores, (1) Full charge and (2) Quick boost.
Full charge
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
184
Full charge tests assess the reliability of the battery power gauge; measure how long and how much power the battery takes to charge from zero to 80% capacity, from 80 to 100% as shown by the UI, and until an actual full charge.
Charging Time 0-80%
Charging Time 0-80%
Quick boost
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
182
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 chart here compares the average autonomy gain from a quick 5-minute charge.
Efficiency
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
154
The DXOMARK power efficiency score consists of two sub-scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, both of which combine data obtained during robot-based typical usage scenario, calibrated tests and charging evaluation, taking into consideration the device’s battery capacity. DXOMARK calculate the annual power consumption of the product, shown on below graph, which is representative of the overall efficiency during a charge and when in use.
Charge up
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205
The charge up sub-score is a combination of four factors: the overall efficiency of a full charge, related to how much energy you need to fill up the battery compared to the energy that the battery can provide; the efficiency of the travel adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to your phone; the residual consumption when your phone is fully charged and still plugged into the charger; and the residual consumption of the charger itself, when the smartphone is disconnected from it. The chart here below shows the overall efficiency of a full charge in %.
Discharge
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
194
The discharge subscore rates the speed of a battery’s discharge during a test, which is independent of the battery’s capacity. It is the ratio of a battery’s capacity divided by its autonomy. A small-capacity battery could have the same autonomy as a large-capacity battery, indicating that the device is well-optimized, with a low discharge rate.
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