If you’re an Android user thinking about switching to iPhone, you may’ve been discouraged by their smaller batteries. Just consider the one-thousand dollar Galaxy S22 Plus. It has a 4,500 milliamp hour battery. While the eleven-hundred dollar iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 4,350 milliamp hour battery. That means you’d pay an extra one-hundred dollars for 4 percent less capacity. But it gets even worse with the iPhone 13 Pro, which is the same price as the GalaxyS22 Plus, but has a whopping 32% less battery capacity. So considering these numbers, many are wondering why Apple isn’t putting larger batteries in their phones. And the answer has to do with efficiency.

Efficiency of iPhone batteries

The average user doesn’t care about how large or small their battery is, all that matters is how long they can use their device before it needs to be recharged. And while a larger battery might deliver longer battery life, that isn’t always the case. Just look at this battery life test. The iPhone 13 Pro Max not only lasted the longest, but it still had 23 percent left after all the other android devices died. Including the S22 Ultra which has a 5,000 milliamp-hour battery, which is 13 percent larger than the Pro Max. So how can the iPhone, which has a smaller battery, achieve more real-world battery life?

Well, the reason is power efficiency. Apple has carefully designed the iPhone’s hardware, operating system, and apps to optimize power efficiency at every stage. So switching between apps, browsing the internet, or playing games don’t consume as much battery as Android.

Problem with Android phones

Google can’t optimize their OS for the hundreds of various Android devices. Plus, manufacturers are free to add software features to their phones. Which many in the industry refer to as bloatware. This extra software often consumes more resources and drains power in the background without users even realizing it. That’s why the first thing many Android users do when setting up their new device is remove all the software that spams them with endless notifications and ads. Something iPhone users never worry about. And all that extra junk on Android, paired with its unoptimized OS, results in poor power efficiency. So their larger batteries aren’t a feature so much as a necessity. And that’s the reality most customers don’t consider.

Final thoughts

A larger battery isn’t actually something manufactures want to put in their devices. Since they’re heavy, take up more space, take longer to charge, and can even be dangerous. Like, for example, with the Galaxy Note 7. Which had one of the largest batteries on the market, squeezed inside a 7.9mm chassis. This caused overheating problems, expanding battery packs, and explosions. So Apple has struck a balance between power efficiency, battery size, and battery life. Giving users the most convenient and safe experience possible.