Communication over WiFi is known to be more efficient than using the 5G cellular network, but by how much exactly? This is exactly what PhoneBuff launched to measure up in the latest battery life benchmark test.
Using one iPhone 17 Pro Maxthe test simulated general phone usage including messaging, web browsing, video streaming, Instagram and FaceTime. Once on 5G, once on WiFi. The end times are probably closer than you think.
In this specific test, the iPhone on 5G lasted a total of 10 hours and 22 minutes in terms of screen-on time, with another 16 hours of standby time in the mix as well. When iPhone 5G died, the WiFi-enabled iPhone had 25% battery left, meaning the difference between WiFi and cellular is about 3 hours of extra phone time.
Results will vary depending on the location, conditions and activities you are doing on the phone. But still, a 25% difference is a smaller delta than I would have predicted. It simply shows the energy efficiency of modern iPhones in general, even when they are only connected to the cellular network.
Of course, if the test were performed in an area with weaker signal strength, the difference would likely be stronger. When moving around, switching between cell towers is also a particularly power-intensive operation, something that wasn’t tested here with both phones in a static location.
However, it’s a good benchmark to look at for Apple’s flagship Pro iPhone line, which use Qualcomm’s latest generation modems.
It would also be interesting to repeat this test with the iPhone Air or iPhone 16e, which are powered by Apple’s custom C1X and C1 modem chips. Apple promotes energy efficiency as one of the main user benefits of its internal modem models. (Future iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have the second-generation Apple C2 modem.)
See the full test summary here:
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