Google Pixel 6 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S21 Ultra Battery Test

The Phone Test

We started off with a phone test where each device was put through the same one hour phone call. 60 minutes into it, the iPhone did the best, dropping by only one percent compared to the three-point drop on the Pixel and a pretty big five-point drop on the Galaxy. In this messaging test, the phones were texting back and forth with our automated chat bots. After one hour of doing so, the Galaxy did the best, somewhat making up for its poor performance in the phone test by tying the Pixel at 89% while still behind the iPhone at 92%.

The Email Test

In the email test, we're not doing anything too intensive, just opening and scrolling through the same set of emails. The biggest factor here is the display itself, and one hour later, the iPhone seemed to be the most efficient with it dropping by just five points compared to the six-point drop on the Galaxy and an unimpressive eight-point drop on the Pixel.

The Browser Test

In the browser test, this time the display isn't the only major factor with the processors under the hood also being put to work as we cycle through the same set of websites. One hour later, that Tensor SOC didn't seem to make the Pixel any more efficient with it matching the Galaxy's 12-point drop while the iPhone just sipped on power dropping by only seven points.

The Instagram Test

Heading into this Instagram test, the iPhone had created some real separation between it and the two Android phones. After an hour of scrolling through the home feed, that gap only grew with the iPhone only dropping by five points while the Galaxy dropped by seven and the Pixel once again was the least efficient of the bunch dropping by eight points.

The Battery Test

Starting off with this 16-hour standby, historically Pixel phones have done pretty well. In the case of the Pixel 6 Pro, it's the same story; it did well but just not any better than the Galaxy, so it remains three points behind it while the iPhone was able to add another point to its lead.

The YouTube Test

In this YouTube test, where in addition to all three displays being calibrated to the same brightness level we've also calibrated the speakers on each phone to keep things as controlled as possible. One hour later, the same trend continued with the iPhone doing the best dropping by just eight points while the Galaxy came in second dropping by 10 points and the Pixel did the worst of the three dropping by eleven points.

The Gaming Test

Oh man, after an hour of gaming, the Pixel dropped by a whopping twenty while the iPhone was only down nine percent. The Galaxy split the difference with a fifteen-point drop meaning at this point the Pixel had fallen way behind even the Galaxy S21 Ultra with it being 9 points behind at the start of this Maps test and eleven points behind by the end of it but compared to the iPhone both Android phones fell short.

The Spotify Test

In the Spotify test, the iPhone started eighteen points ahead of the Galaxy and an almost unbelievable twenty-nine points ahead of the Pixel. Unfortunately that twelve percent the Pixel started with ran out after just 48 minutes into Spotify at which point the iPhone was still at a healthy thirty-three while the Galaxy was not as impressively ahead but it still had thirteen left to go.

The Camera Test

Really a surprisingly bad performance from the Pixel given that this phone has a 5,000 milliamp hour battery for some context. The 33 on the iPhone would actually be enough to last an additional four hours and forty-two minutes of web browsing while the thirteen percent on the Galaxy would last its for one hour and five minutes of web browsing.

The App Cycle Test

So just a huge difference between these phones now. For those of you wondering, the Galaxy did go on to finish Snapchat but not as well as it could have with an intensive camera test where the iPhone not only finished all 60 minutes in snap but it continued on and on for two hours and six minutes in our intensive App cycle test bringing the iPhone's total time to that record-breaking 28 hours and six minutes while the Galaxy lasted a respectable 25 hours and twenty-eight minutes.