Expert tests iPhone 17 battery life across entire lineup and it's looking promising

Published on Sep 23, 2025 at 8:06 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid

Last updated on Sep 23, 2025 at 8:06 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by Claire Reid

The Apple iPhone 17 battery life has been put to the test across the entire range, and the results look pretty interesting.

Earlier this month, Apple announced the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. 

It also unveiled the iPhone Air, hailed as the ‘thinnest and most durable’ iPhone yet

And if you’ve been wondering what sort of battery life you can expect from the new handsets, one expert has put them to the test.

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How does the Apple iPhone 17 battery life measure up?

As ever, when a new Apple product is released, there is plenty of fanfare.

Revealing the new iPhones, the tech giant said folks could expect major updates when it came to the camera and display

It also launched the Apple iPhone Air and has challenged people to bend the phone to test its durability

But, of course, the real question most want to know is how the battery fares.

Thankfully, that’s been answered by YouTuber The Tech Chap

He carried out a battery test for the full Apple iPhone 17 range as well as the new iPhone Air. 

To test the battery life, he used the phones to continuously screen YouTube videos on Wi-Fi and cellular until the batteries gave out. 

The tech enthusiast used the iPhone 16 Pro Max as the benchmark, which had a battery life of seven hours and 29 minutes. 

This was bested by the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which managed seven hours and 58 minutes. 

It was also beaten by the iPhone 17 Pro, which clocked a time of seven hours and 34 minutes. 

The stock standard iPhone 17 battery life didn’t quite last as long as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, dying after six hours and 55 minutes. 

But it was the iPhone Air that did the worst. The new addition lasted six hours and 43 minutes.

Apple has warned that downloading the new iOS 26 might impact your battery

Alongside the range of new phones, Apple has also launched its latest operating system, which comes with lots of cool new features, including the Liquid Glass display. 

However, the company has also warned that updating to iOS 26 might impact your iPhone’s battery, albeit only temporarily.

“Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance,” the company warned.

“This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.”

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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.