Does using your phone while charging damage the battery?

Using your phone while charging doesn't significantly damage the battery. Today's smartphones use lithium-ion batteries with built-in safeguards that regulate voltage and temperature during use. However, heavy tasks like gaming while charging can generate extra heat, which may accelerate long-term battery wear. To protect battery health, use the original charger, avoid extreme temperatures, and consider enabling battery protection features that limit charging beyond 80–85% for everyday use.

How to recycle phone batteries?

Never dispose of phone batteries in household bins, as they contain materials that are hazardous to the environment. Instead, take your old device to a certified e-waste recycling point, a local council collection site, or a participating retailer offering battery drop-off services. Many Samsung stores and authorised UK retailers accept old phones and batteries for responsible recycling. Trading in your old phone when upgrading to a new model, such as the Galaxy S26 series, is another convenient and eco-friendly way to ensure proper battery disposal.

Does heat make your phone battery drain faster?

Yes, heat significantly accelerates battery drain and degrades long-term battery health. High temperatures increase the internal resistance of lithium-ion batteries, causing them to lose charge faster and wear out sooner. Avoid leaving your phone in direct sunlight, hot cars, or near heat sources, and remove thick cases while charging to prevent overheating.

What does the battery saver do on my phone?

Battery saver mode extends battery life by limiting background app activity, reducing screen brightness, and restricting performance-heavy features. On Galaxy phones, it can also disable always-on display and vibration feedback. This helps your phone last longer between charges when power is running low or during extended use away from a charger.

How long does a dead phone battery take to charge?

A fully dead phone battery typically takes around 60–90 minutes to reach 100%, depending on the charger and battery capacity. Charging speed also varies by phone model and charger wattage, with fast-charging support cutting this time significantly. For example, a 4,900mAh battery with fast charging support can take you from empty to a substantial charge in about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes using its 45W wired charging, helping you stay powered throughout the day without long waits near a plug socket.

What is Samsung's latest phone with the best battery life?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is one of Samsung's latest smartphones with long-lasting battery life. It features a 4,900mAh battery and offers up to 29 hours of video playback on a single charge. It also supports 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, helping you stay powered throughout the day.

How are smartphone screens measured?

Screen size measurements for smartphones are calculated by measuring diagonally from the upper left-hand corner of the screen to the lower right-hand corner¹. These measurements are expressed in inches.

How do you decide on the perfect phone screen size?

Our smartphones have become a really big part of our lives. We use our phones to listen to music, take pictures, study, work, or even pay. Whether we are standing, walking, on the way to work or doing just about anything, we mostly have our phones in our hands. Consider how you hold and use your phone to work out the best screen size for you.

What can your thumbs actually reach?

When trying out a new phone, a great tip is to swipe your thumb across the phone screen from left to right in a curved arched. This way, you can work out what size phone screen works for you. For a comfortable fit you should be able to reach to approximately the middle of the screen or more.

Do you use your phone with two hands?

Think about how you type on your phone; do you use one hand or two? Large phone screens will probably feel more comfortable if you use two hands, whereas a smartphone with a small phone screen will be less of a stretch for one-hand typers.

What’s the biggest Samsung phone?

The Galaxy Z Fold5’s expandable 7.6-inch display has the largest screen on a Samsung smartphone. If a foldable smartphone is not something you are looking for, the epic Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen is your next biggest option.

What’s the smallest Samsung phone?

The Galaxy Z Flip5 is the smallest Samsung phone measuring in at only 8.5cm x 7.2cm when folded shut. Alternatively, the Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch screen which makes it another great option if you’re looking for a smaller screen phone.

What is the best Samsung phone for my phone battery needs?

Discover your ideal phone battery life and the best Samsung phone for your usage.

How long will my Samsung phone battery last?

Internet Usage (Wi-Fi/LTE)

Up to 25 hours*

Video Playback (streamed)

Up to 26 hours*

Audio Playback

Up to 99 hours*

*These are average-use estimates, so your real-world numbers will vary with screen brightness, app usage, and network conditions.

How Long Does a Phone Battery Last on Average?

Your phone battery will depend on how you use your phone, including screen time, apps running in the background, and display settings like brightness and refresh rate. Generally, a full charge should comfortably get you through a normal day of browsing, streaming, and calls. Latest models like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 FE, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 come with efficient batteries and smarter power management, helping them last longer between charges even with everyday heavy use like gaming, camera use, and multitasking.

What affects your phone battery life?

Smartphone battery life depends on several factors, including how you use your phone, its age, and even the temperature around you. But the single biggest factor is battery capacity. So how long can a phone battery actually last? It largely comes down to size: not every smartphone packs the same battery, and charging capabilities vary too. If long battery life is your priority, look at smartphones with higher mAh ratings, such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy A57 5G, Galaxy A37 5G, and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, all built around a 5,000mAh (typical) battery.

One phone worth calling out here is the Galaxy S26 FE. Samsung made battery life a headline upgrade for this model, pairing a 4,900mAh (typical) battery with 45W wired fast charging, a combination that lets it go further between charges while topping up quickly when it does need power.

The takeaway: the higher the mAh, the longer a phone can typically last on a single charge.

What is mAh?

mAh means “milliampere hour” which refers to the amount of charge a mobile phone battery is able to deliver. Each of our phones has an mAh value assigned, which is calculated based on average usage. This can be used to estimate the number of hours of battery life. However, it is important to note that how long your phone battery can last will vary based on how you use your phone.

How much does screen brightness affect battery life?

Setting your screen brightness at maximum brightness will of course require more battery power compared to minimum brightness. Therefore, turning your screen brightness down is one way to reduce your battery consumption.

As a rule of thumb, smartphones with larger screens like the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8, and Z Flip8 also require more power to light up the display as they have more surface area. Models with higher resolutions and higher refresh rates will also require extra processing power. For example, having a 120Hz display means it will refresh twice as often as the standard 60Hz display. This requires additional processing power and therefore battery life.

How do cameras affect phone battery life?

Phone cameras take a lot of processing power, as they are an additional piece of hardware that your phone battery needs to support. If you use your phone camera often, whether that’s taking selfies or recording videos, it will place a demand on your phone battery. This is especially true for smartphones with pro-grade camera capabilities, such as recording in 8K resolution, as these are much more battery-intensive.

If you’re looking for pro-grade cameras, 8K video resolution and revolutionary AI enhanced Nightography, look no further than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Don’t worry about the battery draining fast, as the Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with a whopping 5000mAh battery that can last day and night.

What Samsung phone has the best battery life?

Your ideal Samsung phone will depend on your usage. If you play mobile games or like taking high-quality photos or videos, look for phones with bigger batteries and fast charging capabilities like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26 FE, Galaxy A57 5G, Galaxy A37 5G, and Galaxy Z Fold8. You can find a battery capacity comparison of the top Samsung phones in the table below

Table
Battery capacity (mAh, Typical)	Model
5000 mAh	Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Galaxy S26 Ultra Galaxy S25 Ultra Galaxy S24 Ultra Galaxy S23 Ultra Galaxy S22 Ultra Galaxy A57 Galaxy A56 Galaxy A55 Galaxy A54 Galaxy A53 Galaxy A37 Galaxy A36 Galaxy A35 Galaxy A34 Galaxy A33 Galaxy A17 Galaxy A16 Galaxy A15 Galaxy A14
4900 mAh	Galaxy S26+ Galaxy S26 FE Galaxy S25+ Galaxy S24+
48000 mAh	Galaxy Z Fold8
4700 mAh	Galaxy S23+
4500 mAh	Galaxy S22+ Galaxy S21 FE
4400 mAh	Galaxy Z Fold7 Galaxy Z Fold6 Galaxy Z Fold5 Galaxy Z Fold4 Galaxy Z Fold3
4300 mAh	Galaxy Z Flip8 Galaxy S26 Galaxy Z Flip7
4000 mAh	Galaxy Z Flip7 FE Galaxy Z Flip6 Galaxy S25 Galaxy S25 FE Galaxy S24
3900 mAh	Galaxy S25 Edge Galaxy S23
3700 mAh	Galaxy Z Flip5 Galaxy Z Flip4 Galaxy S22
3300 mAh	Galaxy Z Flip3

How Can I Save Phone Battery When It's Draining Fast?

If your phone battery is draining faster than usual, there are a few quick fixes worth trying. Start by closing any apps running in the background, as they continue to use power even when you're not actively using them. Lowering your screen brightness and switching off features like 120Hz refresh rate can also help save phone battery throughout the day. It's worth checking your phone's temperature too, since overheating drains battery much faster. Turning on power saving mode, disabling location services when not needed, and keeping your software updated are simple habits that can extend your phone's battery life significantly.

Why is my phone battery draining so fast?

How long your battery can last depends on how you use your phone. The main thing to note is that smartphone battery life usually gets shorter over time. If you open many applications at once, your battery is also likely to run out faster even if you are not actively using them. The applications can still consume battery power in the background, so it’s best to close any apps once you’ve stopped using them. Your battery also drains much faster when your phone’s temperature is high. You can check out our 'What to do when your phone heats up' guide if your phone heats up often.

How to Check Phone Battery Health on Your Samsung?

Want to check phone battery health on your Samsung phone? It's quick and easy on the Galaxy S26 FE:

• Open Settings on your phone
• Tap Battery and device care
• Tap Battery
• Tap Battery information

This shows your battery's current maximum capacity compared to when it was new, so you can see how much it has worn down over time. If your phone's battery health has dropped a lot, it might be time to think about a battery replacement or upgrading to a newer phone.

How to share battery on Samsung?

Left your charger at home? Wireless Powershare* allows you to charge your phone using another Qi-enabled device. Even better, you can now charge two devices simultaneously with a single charger*.

Wireless PowerShare is limited to smartphones with Qi wireless charging. You can find a list of Samsung Qi-enabled devices below:

-Galaxy S26 FE, S26, S26+ & S26 Ultra
-Galaxy S25 FE, S25, S25+, S25 Edge & S25 Ultra
-Galaxy S24, S24+ & S24 Ultra
-Galaxy S23, S23+ & S23 Ultra
-Galaxy S22, S22+ & S22 Ultra
-Galaxy S21 FE 5G
-Galaxy Z Fold3, Fold4, Fold5, Fold6, Fold7, Fold8 & Fold8 Ultra
-Galaxy Z Flip3, Flip4, Flip5, Flip6, Flip7 & Flip8
-Galaxy Watch4, Watch4 Classic, Watch5, Watch5 Pro, Watch6, Watch6 Classic, Watch7, Watch Ultra, Watch8, Watch8 Classic, Watch9 LTE, Watch9 Bluetooth & Ultra2
-Galaxy Buds Live, Buds Pro, Buds2, Buds2 Pro, Buds3, Buds3 Pro, Bud4 & Bud4 Pro

*Limited to Samsung or other brand smartphones with Qi wireless charging. If battery power is lower than 30% Wireless PowerShare may not function. May not work with certain accessories, covers, other brand devices or some Samsung wearables. May affect call reception or data services, depending on your network environment.

Which Samsung earbuds are best for battery life?

Samsung’s range of Galaxy earbuds are designed to keep up with everyday use, with a long lasting battery that keeps up with you throughout the day. The Galaxy Buds4 Pro have a 530mAh battery in the case and 61mAh in the Earbud to keep you going all day long. For effortless recharging you can also wirelessly charge your earbuds with a compatible phone using Wireless PowerShare or a QI-compatible wireless charging pad.

Need a phone that can power up quickly?

The Galaxy S26, Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip8 are compatible with 25 Watt Super Fast Charging*, meaning you can get back to using your phone in a flash. If that’s still not fast enough, you can charge even quicker with 60W Super Fast Charging 3.0* capabilities, compatible with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

*25W Power Adapter and 15W Fast Wireless Charger sold separately.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does using your phone while charging damage the battery?

Using your phone while charging doesn't significantly damage the battery. Today's smartphones use lithium-ion batteries with built-in safeguards that regulate voltage and temperature during use. However, heavy tasks like gaming while charging can generate extra heat, which may accelerate long-term battery wear. To protect battery health, use the original charger, avoid extreme temperatures, and consider enabling battery protection features that limit charging beyond 80–85% for everyday use.
How to recycle phone batteries?

Never dispose of phone batteries in household bins, as they contain materials that are hazardous to the environment. Instead, take your old device to a certified e-waste recycling point, a local council collection site, or a participating retailer offering battery drop-off services. Many Samsung stores and authorised UK retailers accept old phones and batteries for responsible recycling. Trading in your old phone when upgrading to a new model, such as the Galaxy S26 series, is another convenient and eco-friendly way to ensure proper battery disposal.
Does heat make your phone battery drain faster?

Yes, heat significantly accelerates battery drain and degrades long-term battery health. High temperatures increase the internal resistance of lithium-ion batteries, causing them to lose charge faster and wear out sooner. Avoid leaving your phone in direct sunlight, hot cars, or near heat sources, and remove thick cases while charging to prevent overheating.
What does the battery saver do on my phone?

Battery saver mode extends battery life by limiting background app activity, reducing screen brightness, and restricting performance-heavy features. On Galaxy phones, it can also disable always-on display and vibration feedback. This helps your phone last longer between charges when power is running low or during extended use away from a charger.
How long does a dead phone battery take to charge?

A fully dead phone battery typically takes around 60–90 minutes to reach 100%, depending on the charger and battery capacity. Charging speed also varies by phone model and charger wattage, with fast-charging support cutting this time significantly. For example, a 4,900mAh battery with fast charging support can take you from empty to a substantial charge in about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes using its 45W wired charging, helping you stay powered throughout the day without long waits near a plug socket.
What is Samsung's latest phone with the best battery life?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 FE is one of Samsung's latest smartphones with long-lasting battery life. It features a 4,900mAh battery and offers up to 29 hours of video playback on a single charge. It also supports 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, helping you stay powered throughout the day.

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