Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max finished first overall in CNET’s comparison of 32 smartphones, according to November 11 reports from MacRumors and 9to5Mac. SourceSource
MacRumors lists the iPhone 17e at $699 and the Duo at $1,999, with both tied for fourth overall alongside the $1,400 Motorola Razr Ultra. That’s a $1,300 price gap without a higher spot on this particular leaderboard. SourceSource
What the battery test actually measured
According to MacRumors’ account, CNET ran two separate tests, each starting at 100% charge:
- Three hours of video streaming over Wi-Fi at maximum screen brightness.
- 45 minutes of mixed use, combining video playback, video calls, gaming and social media.
CNET averaged the battery percentages remaining after those tests to produce the overall rankings. The phones didn’t go through one continuous three-hour-and-45-minute run. SourceSource
Neither test measured runtime to empty. As 9to5Mac cautions, changing how a phone is tested can change the results. Keep the trophy; leave the full-day guarantees out of it. SourceSource
The other winners—and the year-to-year letdown
MacRumors reports that the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo shared first place in the mixed-use test, each finishing with 99% charge remaining. The smaller iPhone 18 Pro, meanwhile, delivered the strongest streaming result, retaining 94% after three hours. The Pro Max won overall, but it didn’t sweep every event. Source
In the overall rankings reproduced by 9to5Mac, the iPhone 17, iPhone 18 Pro, Motorola Razr (2026) and OnePlus 15 tied for second. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 followed in third. Source
MacRumors reports that, according to CNET, phones tested in 2026 had approximately the same average battery performance as those tested in 2025 and 2024. Source
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