Apple got a lot of things right with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro — including surprisingly great battery life for all available models. As with any smartphone, one of the most important specs to keep an eye on is battery life. It doesn't matter if a phone has the fastest processor, biggest display, or fanciest design. If its battery can't make it through a regular day of use, all of those things are for naught. So, what kind of battery life can iPhone 13 users look forward to? In short, it's some of the best battery endurance ever seen on an Apple handset.
Let's start with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini. The baseline iPhone 13 has a battery capacity of 3,227mAh and is rated to last up to 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12. Per Apple's battery tests, that works out to up to 19 hours of video playback, up to 15 hours of streaming online video, and up to 75 hours of audio playback. The iPhone 13 mini is technically worse in every way, though it's still quite good given its compact footprint. Apple says to expect up to 17 hours of video playback, up to 13 hours of streaming video, and up to 55 hours of audio playback. That's all possible with a tiny 2,406mAh battery, and in general, users can expect up to 1.5 hours of extra battery compared to the iPhone 12 mini.
How Long Is Battery Life For The iPhone 13 Pro?
Where things get even more exciting is with the Pro iPhones. For folks who pick up the iPhone 13 Pro, here are the numbers they can expect: up to 22 hours of video playback, up to 20 hours of streaming video, and up to 75 hours of audio playback. Almost all of those are better numbers than the regular iPhone 13 — even though the iPhone 13 Pro has the same screen size and a slightly smaller 3,095mAh capacity. How is that possible? It's more than likely thanks to the iPhone 13 Pro's LTPO display technology. While this allows the iPhone 13 Pro to hit 120Hz refresh rates while scrolling and interacting with the screen, it also enables it to go all the way down to 10Hz when reading an article, viewing a photo, etc.
Last but certainly not least, there's the iPhone 13 Pro Max. If battery life is someone's top priority when buying a new smartphone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is one of the very best options out there. Apple says it can last up to 28 hours for video playback, up to 25 hours for streaming video, and up to 95 hours for audio playback. All of that's possible thanks to the 4,352mAh battery inside the device, which typically allows for an extra 2.5 hours of use over the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
It's hard to be disappointed with the battery life of any iPhone 13 model. The iPhone 13 mini is the weakest of the bunch once again, but unlike its predecessor, it's much easier to get through a regular day of use without needing to charge up in the afternoon. Heavy use still kills the phone more quickly than its larger siblings, but as a tiny flagship option, most people should now be comfortable with the endurance it provides. Stepping up to the iPhone 13 ensures there's plenty of power left at the end of a full day, and if someone goes with the iPhone 13 Pro, getting a day and a half out of just one charge is relatively easy. If someone wants two days or more out of each charge, that's where the iPhone 13 Pro Max comes into play.
Tips To Extend The iPhone 13's Battery Life
In the event the iPhone 13's battery runs out faster than expected, there are a few ways users can extend the battery life. The easiest way is to enable the Low Power Mode. To do this, open Settings, go to 'Battery,' and toggle on 'Low Power Mode.' For a quicker option, add Low Power Mode to Control Center. To do this, go to Settings, tap 'Control Center,' and then hit 'Customize Controls.' Select 'Low Power Mode' and add it to the list. Once the mode is enabled, the iPhone should last much longer even when there's less than 20 percent battery remaining. It's important to note that Low Power Mode will disable some activities, such as automatic downloads and email fetch. On the iPhone 13 Pro models, the display refresh rate will be limited to 60Hz. All key functions, however, will still continue to be available.
To extend an iPhone's battery life without enabling Low Power Mode, users can dim their screen brightness or enable Auto Brightness. Using Wi-Fi instead of cellular data when available is also helpful. Users can also choose to turn off background activity for apps by going to Settings, tapping 'General,' and then 'Background App Refresh.' Turning off location services for apps that don't need access can also extend battery. Finally, users can turn off app notifications for apps that send frequent push notifications to stop the screen from waking constantly. To do this, open 'Notifications' in the Settings app and turn off 'Allow Notifications' for specific apps.
How To Fast Charge The iPhone 13
If users do run out of battery, it's worth looking into fast charging options for the iPhone 13 series. Apple doesn't include a charger in the box, but it does provide a Lightning to USB-C cable, however. The iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 Pro all charge at up to 20W using a charger and cable. To take advantage of these speeds, users will need to pick up a 20W power adapter. Apple sells one for $19, but there are plenty of third-party chargers available.
If a user has the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it can charge at up to 27W. Users can buy a 30W adapter (such as Apple's 35W Dual USB-C adapter), or use a MacBook charger, if they have one handy. All three iPhones support Qi wireless charging, but this will reduce the speeds to just 7.5W. While charging the iPhone 13 wirelessly is convenient, it's not the best option to top up the battery in a hurry. A slightly faster option is MagSafe, which can charge the iPhone 13 at up to 15W.