iPhone 5 batteried by Samsung

THE battery life of the latest iPhone is shorter than that of its predecessor when browsing the internet, tests have shown.

Research carried out by consumer champion Which? found the battery in the new iPhone 5 lasts for up to two hours longer than the battery in the previous model, the iPhone 4S.

However, in tests where both phones were used in exactly the same way, the battery in the newer model lasted eight minutes less than the iPhone 4S, running out of power after three hours and 20 minutes of constant web browsing.

And while above-average compared to other smartphones, the new iPhone 5 is roundly beaten by Samsung’s rival smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S3, which lasted more than six hours in the same battery life tests.

Tim Gee, of Which?, said: “Manufacturer claims about battery life give the best possible outcome, but because of that are often unrealistic. We test in true-life conditions, with screen brightness set to maximum and with medium reception levels. Signal strength can have a serious impact on battery life, so we even broadcast our own 3G signal to ensure that the strength is consistent and that every phone is tested in exactly the same way.”

The other phones which outperformed the iPhone 5 in the web browsing test were the Sony Xperia S, though it was still short of the Galaxy S3 by over an hour, and the HTC One X.

The average battery life of 99 different phones tested was 193 minutes while browsing the internet.

Earlier this week it emerged the challenge of delivering millions of new iPhones across the world had pushed up the cost of air freight. Delivery firms and airlines chartered extra planes and cancelled routes during “Operation iPhone Drop”.