Google Pixel 9 Pro XL: The longest battery life we’ve ever recorded

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL was unveiled in mid-August alongside the Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I got a chance to review the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and while I was blown away by its smooth-and-seamless operation, as well as its quirky AI feature set, nothing could have prepared me for its incredibly long battery runtime.

Up until now, according to Mashable’s in-house testing, the iPhone 15 Pro Max lasted the longest on a single charge with an impressive runtime of 14 hours and 53 minutes. So imagine our surprise when the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL lasted about four hours longer than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL battery life

According to our battery test, which involves running a TikTok video loop continuously over Wi-Fi at 50% brightness, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL lasted a whopping 18 hours and 50 minutes — that’s nearly 19 hours.

Because our in-house testing is based on a continuous, non-stop video rundown, the average user will likely be able to eke out even more battery life out of the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL based on usage that involves some standby time, as well as calling, texting, web browsing, and more.

Here’s a look at some of the other runtimes we’ve recorded on the same battery life test:

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – 13 hours and 1 minute

iPhone 15 Pro Max – 14 hours and 53 minutes

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 – 12 hours and 13 minutes

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – 12 hours and 44 minutes

The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL runs on the Google Tensor G4 chip, which likely contributes to its long battery life. Based on the approximate 19-hour runtime, the processor is quite energy efficient. The downside, however, is that the performance figures, based on Geekbench 6, isn’t very impressive. With a multi-core score of just 4,569, it’s less powerful than even the Google Pixel 8 Pro that dropped last year.

For more details on Google’s new current-generation phones, check out our full reviews on the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and the Google Pixel 9.