iPhone 3G battery results: Music and video

Apple iPhone 3G

(Credit: CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze)

Our CNET Labs team has unveiled their battery performance results for music and video playback on the iPhone 3G. We've completed talk time testing and we'll be doing another round of audio and video tests with 3G disabled--but at least we have another piece of the puzzle to add to our review.

To give the test results some context, we also retested the first-generation iPhone, and simultaneously tested a comparable 3G multimedia phone, the Samsung Instinct. Apple's public tech specs claim the iPhone 3G is capable of up to 7 hours of video playback and 24 hours of music playback. Surprisingly, with 3G switched on the iPhone sailed past 24 hours of music playback, but tanked when it came to video. Further testing with 3G disabled may yet redeem Apple's claim of 7 hours of video playback.

Enough talk--here's the numbers:

Music playback battery drain

Apple iPhone 3G (Wi-Fi off, 3G on): 25.5 hours

Apple iPhone (Wi-Fi off, EDGE on): 31.4 hours

Samsung Instinct (3G on, Wi-Fi unavailable): 18.2 hours

Video playback battery drain (same settings as audio)

Apple iPhone 3G: 2.68 hours

Apple iPhone: 5.99 hours

Samsung Instinct: 4.28 hours

For good measure, we also threw in a data transfer test, which measures the time it takes to transfer a single 500Mb file to the phone from a PC. Files were transferred in iTunes 7.7 for both the iPhone 3G and first-generation iPhone, and Windows Media Player 11 for the Samsung Instinct.

File transfer speed

Apple iPhone 3G: 1.35 minutes

Apple iPhone: 1.6 minutes

Samsung Instinct: 7.71 minutes

[NCTARHEELS]

interesting. I'd like to know how the iPhone 3G performs with 3G off (only Edge on); that would test how the supposed improved battery performs against the previous iPhone

[Yieeman]

Does anyone know what the stand-by time for the iPhone is with 3G on and having direct push email going is? I have a Nokia N95 and the stand by time with 3G on isn't too bad as long as I have it set to check my email accounts every 30 minutes or so, but during the week when I need the email pushed to my phone as quickly as possibly, battery life goes down quickly. So what is the iPhone's battery life like in a real world "stand-by" environment?

[bigmc6000]

I would say that the 7 hours of video and probably closer to 30+ hours of audio is possible if not likely by simply turning off 3G. Of course it would be nice if there was an option where upon opening Safari, Contacts, YouTube or Mail it would enable 3G and then turn it off when you go back to the home screen and you'd be able to enable that feature. As for the video - I've got to guess the only people watching that much video are going to be sitting on a plane in which case they are in Airplane mode so all cell tower data is turned off. Could you guys do that? Put it airplane mode and see how long it lasts watching video - that'd be quite useful I think.

[dirty55409]

why would you buy the Iphone 3g and then turn off the feature you bought it for... to watch a movie. I mean to compare the battery life I guess... but you're not going to do that in a real world setting.

[RenoDavid]

So, watching a movie on a plane isn't a real world situation???

[RenoDavid]

So, watching a movie on a plane isn't a real world situation???

[tech_junky48]

@ renodavid

Yes, but CNET doesn't turn 3G off for any other phone, why should the iPhone 3G get that benefit. My blackjack 2 still doesn't have battery life posted (it was reviewed 6 months ago)

[Benf]

Does that really supprise you?