Replacement iPhone batteries with more capacity than the standard ones promise to significantly extend the time between recharges. Tests done on these third-party alternatives show that some deliver on their promises but not others.
Third-party iPhone battery tests
iAppleBytes tested an iPhone 6S with the standard 1715mAh battery from Apple, then compared it to a 2200mAh battery sold by Ockered and a 2580mAh one from Shenmz. All the tests were run successively on the same handset.
The tests were done with Geekbench, which found that the standard battery lasted 3 hours and 17 minutes, while the Ockered one went for 26% longer: 4 hours and 8 minutes.
However, the Shenmz product, which promised a capacity increase of 50%, lasted just a few minutes longer than Apple’s standard battery. It also shut down long before reaching 0%.
Watch the full iAppleBytes video to see more details:
“Can you buy a battery that extends your battery life beyond that of the original battery? The answer seems to be yes,” notes iAppleBytes. “But you have to be careful. Batteries advertised do not always live up to the promised mAh.”
Other considerations
Anyone now filled with excitement over the possibility of increasing the useful life of their handset with a high-capacity iPhone battery might run into extra challenges. The winner in this head-to-head test is Ockered, but obtaining this company’s products could be difficualt — they don’t ship to the US, for example. Still, their replacement batteries are just £16.88 ($21.75) on Amazon.UK.
For the next hurdle, iPhone battery replacement isn’t something an average user should attempt at home. iFixit offers a guide to the installation process showing how complex it can be. A skilled repair person might take on the job, but no Apple Store will install an unauthorized part in an iPhone.
Another alternative is an external battery. In Cult of Mac tests, the Mophie Juice Pack Access battery case extended the time between charges for an iPhone 11 by 35%. And Apple makes its own version.
