We subjected the Google Pixel 6 to our rigorous SBMARK battery test suite to measure its performance in terms of range, charging and efficiency. In these test results, we will analyze how it fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key specs:
- Battery capacity: 4614mAh
- 30W charger (not included)
- 6.4-inch, 1080 x 2340, 90Hz OLED display
- Google tensor (5 nm)
- ROM / RAM combination tested: 128GB + 8GB
Pros
- Fair autonomy when streaming videos
- Low residual battery charger consumption whether the device is plugged in and fully charged or simply unplugged
versus
- High consumption during downtime
- Low autonomy in calls, both in calibrated mode and in motion
- High consumption when streaming music
- Low gain in autonomy after 5 minutes of charging
- Poor charging efficiency
- Very long wireless charging time, 3 hours and 12 for a full battery charge
- Extremely high residual power consumption of the wireless charger when the device is fully charged
The Google Pixel 6’s overall battery score places it among the below-average performance of the entire database.
With moderate use, the Google Pixel 6 provided 2 days of battery life, which is slightly below the average in our database. The device showed high consumption not only during calls and music streaming, but also during periods of inactivity. However, the video performance was decent. Despite the 30W charger, the battery charging time was quite long, taking 1 hour and 3 minutes to reach 80% of full capacity. A closer look at the charging power curve showed that the maximum output was only 22W, a far cry from the 30W indicated.
A 5-minute quick charge only produced an average runtime gain of 2 hours and 36 minutes, which is low compared to other phones. However, the upside is that the residual power consumption of the device was low, regardless of whether the device was plugged in and fully charged or just unplugged.
The Pixel 6 comes with wireless charging, which is a plus for this price range, but the overall experience was poor. Wireless charging took 3 hours and 12 minutes to fully charge the 4614 mAh battery, using a maximum of only 14 W. Charging efficiency was very low and residual power consumption was extremely high when the smartphone was fully charged and still on the wireless holder.
Even when comparing the Pixel 6 to other similarly priced devices in the high-end segment ($ 400 – $ 599), its performance remained below average on range, next to last in charge, and among the very latest in efficiency.
Test summary
About SBMARK Battery Tests: For the score and analysis in our smartphone battery reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective tests over a period of one week both indoors and outdoors. (See our introductory article and how we test articles for more details on our Smartphone Battery Protocol.)
The following section collects the key elements of our exhaustive tests and analyzes performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
| Battery | Battery charger | wireless | Screen | Processor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 6 | 4614 mAh | 30 W (not included) |
21W | OLED 1080 x 2400 |
Google tensor |
| Google Pixel 5 | 4080 mAh | 18W (included) |
12W | OLED 1080 x 2340 |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G |
| Apple iPhone SE (2022) | 2018 mAh | 18W (not included) |
15W | IPS LCD 750 x 1334 |
Apple A15 Bionic |
| Oppo Find X5 Lite | 4500 mAh | 65 W (included) |
– | AMOLED 1080 x 2400 |
Mediatek Size 900 5G |
Autonomy
51
Wiko Power U30
Wiko Power U30
How the autonomy score is composed
The range score is made up of three performance sub-scores: stationary, moving, and calibrated use cases. Each sub-score includes the results of a full range of tests to measure autonomy in all kinds of real-life scenarios.
69 hours
Light use
Active: 2h30 / day
48 hours
Moderate use
Active: 4 hours a day
30 hours
Intense use
Active: 7 hours a day
Stationary
53
Viva Y72 5G
Viva Y72 5G
A robot housed in a Faraday cage performs a series of touch-based user actions during what we call our “typical use scenario” (TUS) – making calls, streaming video, etc. – 4 hours of active use over a 16-hour period, plus 8 hours of “sleep”. The robot repeats this series of actions every day until the device is discharged.
In movement
56
Samsung Galaxy M51
Samsung Galaxy M51
Using a smartphone on the go puts a strain on autonomy due to further “hidden” requests, such as the continuous signaling associated with the selection of the cell phone network. SBMARK Battery experts take the phone outdoors and perform a well-defined set of activities following the same three-hour travel itinerary (walking, taking the bus, the subway …) for each device
Calibrated
55
Samsung Galaxy M51
Samsung Galaxy M51
For this series of tests, the smartphone returns to the Faraday cage and ours robots repeatedly perform actions related to a specific use case (such as games, video streaming, etc.) at a time. Starting at an 80% charge, all devices are tested until they have consumed at least 5% of the battery charge.
Reload
69
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
How the Charge score is composed
Charging is completely part of the overall battery experience. In some situations where battery life is minimal, knowing how fast you can charge becomes a problem. The SBMARK battery charge score consists of two secondary scores, (1) Full charge and (2) Quick boost.
Full charge
71
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
Full charge tests evaluate the reliability of the battery charge indicator; measure how long and how much energy it takes the battery to charge from zero to 80% capacity, 80 to 100% as shown by the user interface, and up to an actual full charge.
Two graphs below illustrate the full charge performance of the smartphone: (1) The charging curves, in wired and wireless mode (if available) which show the evolution of the battery level indicator as well as the power consumption in watts during charging phases towards full capacity.
(2) The full charge time graph breaks down the time it takes to reach 80%, 100% and full charge.
The charging curves, in wired and wireless mode (if available) show the evolution of the battery level indicator as well as the energy consumption in watts during the charging phases towards full capacity.
The full charge time graph breaks down the time it takes to reach 80%, 100% and full charge.
Fast thrust
67
Realme GT Neo 3
Realme GT Neo 3
With the phone at different charge levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%), Quick boost tests measure the amount of charge the battery receives after being plugged in for 5 minutes. The graph here compares the average runtime gain from a 5 minute quick charge.
Efficiency
62
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
How the efficiency score is composed
The SBMARK energy efficiency score consists of two secondary scores, Charge up and Discharge rate, which combine both data obtained during a typical use scenario based on robots, calibrated tests and charge evaluation, taking into account the battery capacity of the device . SBMARK calculates the annual energy consumption of the product, shown in the graph below, which is representative of the overall efficiency during charging and in use.
To load
66
Xiaomi 12 Pro
Xiaomi 12 Pro
The secondary charge score is a combination of four factors: the overall efficiency of a full charge, relative to the amount of energy needed to fill the battery versus the energy the battery can provide; the efficiency of the travel adapter when it comes to transferring power from an outlet to the phone; the residual consumption when the phone is fully charged and still connected to the charger; and the residual consumption of the charger itself, when the smartphone is disconnected from it. The graph below shows the overall efficiency of a full charge in%.
Discharge
65
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Apple iPhone 13 Pro
The discharge secondary score evaluates the discharge rate of a battery during a test, which is independent of the battery capacity. It is the ratio of the capacity of a battery divided by its autonomy. A small capacity battery may have the same runtime as a large capacity battery, indicating that the device is well optimized, with a low discharge rate.
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