Mobile phones with the best battery

If your mobile doesn’t last past lunchtime, our selection of mobile phones with the best battery lives will help you stay connected for longer.

By James Sherwood - 01/03/011 print

Mobile phones and their batteries have a thorny relationship.

Although the length of time phone batteries can last without needing a recharge is gradually increasing, sophisticated features such as large touchscreens mean even more power is required.

Buying a mobile phone with a battery that’s able to last as long as possible without requiring a recharge is therefore the key to ensuring you’re always able to check emails, surf the internet, take pictures and play games.

BlackBerry smartphones with good batteries

BlackBerry mobile phones and smartphones are generally considered to have some of the longest battery lives.

This makes the phones ideal for business use because you can be confident that your BlackBerry phone will be able to manage emails and phone calls, even if you haven’t charged it up since yesterday.

A BlackBerry’s battery life is dependent on what you use the phone for and for how long, of course. For example, constant web use instead of infrequent calls will use up power more quickly.

BlackBerry phones with long battery lives include:

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Sonim XP3300 Force

The Sonim XP3300 Force has a battery that will last between 20 and 24 hours without a recharge, even with heavy use. And if on standby, it’ll last for an amazing 800 hours - more than one month.

The phone isn’t your conventional Nokia, though - it’s a ruggedised phone designed for use in harsh environments where pretty smartphones, such as the iPhone 4, wouldn’t last long.

Nokia phones with long battery lives

Nokia mobile phones, much like BlackBerrys, are also held in high regard for the length of time their batteries can go without needing a recharge.

As Nokia phones have become more powerful and able to offer a wider range of services, such as mobile internet and apps, their battery lives have started to suffer somewhat. However, low-end Nokia phones which don’t offer as many features could still last for several days without a recharge.

Such models include:

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Alternative phones with good batteries

Other mobile phones with equally respectable battery lives include:

Top tips for prolonging your mobile phone’s battery life

If you struggle to get more than a few hours use from your mobile phone or smartphone before its battery goes flat, then there are ways of squeezing more time from the phone.

Turn down the screen brightness - this is one of the biggest drainers of battery power
Turn off vibrate
Close apps - multiple or “multitasking” apps will shorten your phone’s battery life
Email updates - reduce how frequently the phone checks for new updates to conserve power
Switch off Bluetooth

If all else fails, carry a spare fully-charged battery with you.

Top iPhone 4 deals

iPhone 4 (32GB)(black) £69.99	300 min Unlimited texts	£27.00
iPhone 4 (32GB)(black) £29.99	300 min Unlimited texts	£31.00
iPhone 4 (32GB)(black) £89.99	200 min Unlimited texts	£18.50