Battery life has always been a huge limiting factor for mobile devices. Batteries are obviously among the most critical components in smartphones and tablets, but battery technology simply hasn’t progressed as quickly as tech has in other areas. The result is a new generation of sleek and slim smartphones with batteries that struggle to make it through a full day on a charge as big, beautiful displays and insanely powerful processors command an increasing amount of power. If the battery life on your current smartphone just isn’t cutting it, a series of tests suggest that Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S5 flagship phone could be just what the doctor ordered.
The all new Galaxy S5 launches in just a couple of weeks — unless you live in South Korea, where the phone is already on sale.
When Samsung unveiled the new device, it revealed a brand new “ultra power saving mode” that could be enabled in a pinch to squeeze hours of life out of a charge of just a few percent. As it turns out, however, the battery life on Samsung’s new hero phone is pretty impressive even without the new ultra power saving mode enabled.
Korean tech blog Playwares conducted a series of battery life tests on the Galaxy S5 and found that only two smartphones bested its performance — the LG G Pro 2 and Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 2. According to the tests, the Galaxy S5 lasted between about 6 hours and nearly 8 hours of continuous use depending on display brightness.
The S5’s top rival, Apple’s iPhone 5s, lasted 20 minutes less than the new Samsung phone at full brightness but almost an hour longer with both displays dimmed.
Samsung fans have a lot to look forward to next month when the Galaxy S5 goes on sale, and now great battery life can be added to the list. And while you’re waiting for Samsung’s new flagship phone to launch, be sure to check out our hands-on Galaxy S5 preview.
