Google Pixel 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Which has the longest battery life?

When buying a new one phone, battery life is one of the most important aspects to consider. After all, you don’t want to be stuck looking for a charger on your way home from work or out to dinner with friends. If you’re trying to decide between $800 (£769, AU$1,249) Galaxy S22 or $599 (£599, AU$999) Google Pixel 7 and battery life is the main determining factor, Google phone is probably the better choice.

I tested battery life on both phones in three ways. In one test, I used each phone for 45 minutes to see how much battery it drained during everyday tasks like making video calls, playing games, browsing social media, and streaming videos. For my second test, I streamed a video on YouTube for three hours with brightness set to 100% and checked the battery percentage at one, two, and three hours. I ran this test three times on both phones and averaged it, which is the number you’ll see in the chart below.

And third, I use each device as a normal phone for a day and measure how much battery is left at lunch, at the end of the workday, and before bed. This is in addition to the anecdotal testing I did while reviewing these two phones at launch, which involved using them as my main phone for several days straight.

For both phones, I left the adaptive refresh rate setting enabled and disabled the always-on display. During my 45 minute test and in daily use, I set the screen brightness to 50% on both devices. I also replicated the same general usage patterns between the two devices when using them as my main phone. This includes checking notifications, social media, and email sporadically throughout the day, connecting the smartwatch to each phone via Bluetooth, and making short phone calls. The only major difference is that I use Pixel 7 one day when i was on my way to office, while i was at home most of the day when i went to Galaxy S22.

Pixel 7 vs Galaxy S22 battery test results

The Pixel 7 beats the Galaxy S22 in all of these scenarios. However, it’s important to remember that battery life will always vary depending on a variety of factors, including how you use your device and what settings are enabled. Also keep in mind that each device has its own advantages and disadvantages, and these differences can be very significant when it comes to battery life and your overall experience. For example, in my experience, the Galaxy S22’s screen appears brighter than the Pixel 7’s, meaning you may not need to set it to 50% so you can conserve battery.

Pixel 7 and Galaxy S22 battery specifications and tips

The Pixel 7 is expected to have a typical capacity of 4,355 mAh, while the Galaxy S22 is 3,700 mAh. These figures refer to the battery capacity provided by each device based on Google and Samsung’s respective tests. The Galaxy S22 supports 25 watts of charging speed, while the Pixel 7 can charge up to 20 watts when using Google’s 30 watt charger. Neither phone comes with a charger in the box, which means you have to buy a power adapter separately.

The typical Pixel 7’s capacity is higher than the S22’s, but that alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Factors such as screen size and brightness as well as the power efficiency of the processor and software all play a role in battery life. The way you use your device will also have an impact. That’s why we try to reflect usage as closely as possible between devices when comparing battery life.

The Pixel 7 and Galaxy S22 each include some type of power saving mode. It’s called Battery Saver on the Pixel 7, and you can access it by opening the settings menu, tapping Battery, and selecting Battery Saver. On the Galaxy S22, open Settings, tap Battery & Device Care, then tap the Battery option. From there, you will see an option to enable power saving mode.

There are also steps you can take to extend battery life on most phones, such as disabling background app refresh, reducing screen brightness, using dark mode, and disabling the always-on display.

For more tips and tricks, see the most anticipated mobile phone in 2023, settings you need to change on your Pixel phone and all about buying a smartwatch.