Posted in: Android, Battery tests, Featured, Mobile phones

The Sony Xperia ZR is the little brother of the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL, and boasts pretty much every key specification they have. The major is the 4.55″ 720p display, which should be kinder to the equally large 2300 mAh battery inside the phone.

Identical chipsets and batteries plus a smaller screen of lower resolution give the Xperia ZR every chance of beating its premium rivals.

Let’s kick the battery test off with 3G talk time. The Sony Xperia ZR did 17 hours and 48 minutes of 3G calls before its 2300mAh battery went flat. That’s nearly 5 hours more than Sony officially says the phone is capable of, which is quite impressive on its own, but even more so considering that its better than the Xperia Z achievement by a bit over an hour and a half.

Talk time

Huawei Ascend Mate

25:12

Motorola RAZR MAXX (ICS)

21:18

LG Optimus G Pro

20:45

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX

20:24

Motorola RAZR i

20:07

BlackBerry Q10

20:00

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3

19:54

Sony Xperia SP

19:49

Samsung Galaxy S4 (S600)

18:03

Sony Xperia ZR

17:48

Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100

16:57

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

16:40

Sony Xperia Z

16:03

Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom

15:32

LG Optimus G

15:30

Sony Xperia ZL

15:22

Nokia Lumia 720

15:17

BlackBerry Q5

14:31

Nokia Lumia 620

14:17

Oppo Find 5

14:17

Google Nexus 4

14:17

HTC One

13:38

HTC One X+

13:31

Nokia Lumia 520

13:33

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

13:10

Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos

12:45

Samsung Galaxy S4 GPE

12:37

Huawei Ascend P1

12:30

Sony Xperia L

12:30

HTC Butterfly

12:18

Samsung Galaxy Note

12:14

Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam

11:58

Samsung Galaxy Premier

11:30

Asus Padfone 2

11:20

HTC Droid DNA

11:07

HTC Windows Phone 8X

11:07

Samsung Wave 3 S8600

11:07

Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus

11:06

HTC Desire X

11:03

Samsung Galaxy S4 (Octa)

11:01

HTC One X (AT&T, LTE)

10:35

Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III

10:20

Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III (JB)

10:15

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2

10:03

HTC One V

10:00

Meizu MX 4-core

10:00

Samsung Galaxy Express

10:00

HTC One X

9:57

HTC One S

9:42

Samsung I9103 Galaxy R

9:40

HTC Sensation XL

9:30

Nokia Lumia 810

9:05

Nokia Lumia 710

9:05

Acer CloudMobile S500

9:05

Motorola Atrix HD

9:04

HTC Vivid

9:02

Nokia Lumia 920

8:56

Nokia Lumia 610

8:51

HTC Rhyme

8:48

Apple iPhone 5

8:42

LG Optimus 3D Max P720

8:42

Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V

8:41

Meizu MX

8:39

Samsung Galaxy S II

8:35

Samsung Galaxy S Duos

8:28

Nokia Lumia 800

8:25

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

8:23

Nokia Lumia 510

8:22

Samsung Galaxy Fame

8:21

BlackBerry Z10

8:20

HTC Desire V

8:20

Samsung Captivate Glide

8:20

Sony Xperia T

8:15

HTC Rezound (LTE)

8:10

Samsung Galaxy Note (LTE)

8:02

LG Optimus Vu

7:57

LG Optimus 4X HD

7:41

Apple iPhone 4S

7:41

Samsung i937 Focus S

7:25

HTC Evo 4G LTE (LTE)

7:21

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G

7:14

Nokia Lumia 820

7:09

Sony Xperia acro S

7:09

Samsung Rugby Smart I847

7:09

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro

6:57

Nokia N9

6:57

HTC Radar

6:53

Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos

6:53

BlackBerry Curve 9380

6:52

Sony Xperia E dual

6:42

Samsung Galaxy S III mini

6:22

Samsung Galaxy Pocket

5:54

Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T (LTE)

5:53

Sony Xperia ion LTE

5:52

Sony Xperia P

5:33

Nokia 808 PureView

5:16

LG Nitro HD (LTE)

5:16

HTC Titan II (LTE)

5:10

BlackBerry Bold 9790

5:00

Pantech Burst

4:46

The good news continue with the web browsing test. Here, the Sony Xperia ZR tops everything we’ve ever tested by scoring 11 hours and 20 minutes. The combination of Chrome as a default browser and the smaller screen are probably to thank for this great result.

Web browsing

Sony Xperia ZR

11:20

BlackBerry Q5

10:04

HTC One

9:58

Apple iPhone 5

9:56

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

9:47

Motorola RAZR MAXX (ICS)

9:12

Apple iPad mini

9:05

Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom

8:51

Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100

8:48

BlackBerry Q10

8:42

Nokia Lumia 810

8:20

Asus Padfone 2

8:20

Huawei Ascend Mate

8:17

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3

8:17

Nokia Lumia 610

8:01

HTC One X+

7:56

Sony Xperia E dual

7:42

Samsung Galaxy S III mini

7:38

Nokia Lumia 720

7:37

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

7:35

Samsung Galaxy S4 (S600)

7:24

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX

7:23

HTC Radar

7:17

Nokia Lumia 520

7:15

Samsung Galaxy S4 GPE

7:13

Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos

7:09

Samsung Galaxy Express

7:09

Motorola RAZR i

7:06

Samsung Galaxy S4 (Octa)

6:58

Apple iPhone 4S

6:56

HTC One V

6:49

LG Optimus G Pro

6:40

Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus

6:40

Sony Xperia L

6:40

HTC Droid DNA

6:40

Samsung Galaxy Premier

6:40

Motorola Atrix HD

6:40

BlackBerry Curve 9380

6:40

Sony Xperia Z

6:37

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2

6:35

BlackBerry Z10

6:27

Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III (JB)

6:27

HTC Butterfly

6:24

Sony Xperia SP

6:18

Samsung i937 Focus S

6:15

Nokia Lumia 510

6:13

Sony Xperia ZL

6:04

HTC Windows Phone 8X

6:01

Sony Xperia ion LTE

5:56

Samsung Galaxy Fame

5:55

Samsung Rugby Smart I847

5:53

Pantech Burst

5:51

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G

5:45

HTC Desire V

5:44

HTC Evo 4G LTE

5:41

Nokia Lumia 920

5:40

Samsung Wave 3 S8600

5:34

Oppo Find 5

5:33

Sony Xperia T

5:33

Samsung Captivate Glide

5:33

Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam

5:28

Samsung Galaxy Note LTE

5:24

Samsung Galaxy S Duos

5:23

HTC Sensation XL

5:20

Meizu MX 4-core

5:19

Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III

5:17

Sony Xperia acro S

5:16

HTC Rezound

5:16

HTC Desire X

5:16

LG Optimus G

5:15

HTC Rhyme

5:08

Samsung I9103 Galaxy R

5:07

HTC One X (AT&T)

5:03

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro

4:50

LG Optimus Vu

4:49

HTC Vivid

4:46

Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos

4:45

Meizu MX

4:35

Google Nexus 4

4:34

Nokia N9

4:33

Acer CloudMobile S500

4:32

Nokia Lumia 820

4:24

Samsung Galaxy S II

4:24

Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V

4:20

HTC One X

4:18

Nokia 808 PureView

4:14

LG Optimus 3D Max P720

4:10

Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T

4:10

Nokia Lumia 800

4:07

HTC Titan II (LTE)

4:05

HTC One S

4:03

BlackBerry Bold 9790

4:02

LG Nitro HD

4:00

LG Optimus 4X HD

3:59

Sony Xperia P

3:59

Nokia Lumia 710

3:51

Nokia Lumia 620

3:50

Samsung Galaxy Pocket

3:47

Samsung Galaxy Note

3:35

Huawei Ascend P1

3:23

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

3:01

We now arrive at the final test – video playback. Here, the Xperia ZR did alright, but nothing breathtaking. Thanks to its 720p screen it beat the 1080p display rocking Xperia Z (5:39) and Xperia ZL (5:28) by scoring two hours more – 7 hours and 30 minutes. That’s not a particularly impressive score, but it’s not half bad either.

We ran the test with Mobile BRAVIA 2 turned on as we believed that’s how most users will be using their smartphones. Nevertheless, even with it switched off, the battery life wasn’t affected in a noticable way.

Video playback

Motorola RAZR MAXX (ICS)

16:35

Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX

14:17

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini

13:12

Apple iPad mini

12:51

Samsung Galaxy Premier

12:51

Samsung Galaxy S4 GPE

12:32

Samsung Galaxy S4 (S600)

12:30

BlackBerry Q5

12:28

Huawei Ascend Mate

12:18

Samsung Galaxy S4 (Octa)

11:29

Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100

11:27

BlackBerry Q10

11:15

Apple iPhone 5

10:12

HTC One

10:02

Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III

10:01

Samsung Galaxy Express

10:00

Samsung I9105 Galaxy S II Plus

10:00

Nokia 808 PureView

9:53

Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam

9:42

Samsung Rugby Smart I847

9:34

Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom

9:30

HTC One S

9:28

Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III (JB)

9:27

Apple iPhone 4S

9:24

HTC Evo 4G LTE

9:07

BlackBerry Z10

8:44

LG Optimus G Pro

8:40

Nokia N9

8:40

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3

8:34

HTC Butterfly

8:28

Samsung Galaxy Note

8:25

Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos

8:11

HTC One X+

8:11

Motorola RAZR i

8:11

Samsung Galaxy S II

8:00

Samsung i937 Focus S

7:55

Samsung Wave 3 S8600

7:52

Samsung Galaxy S III mini

7:46

Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V

7:45

Asus Padfone 2

7:38

Huawei Ascend P1

7:38

Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G

7:33

Sony Xperia ZR

7:30

HTC Droid DNA

7:30

Samsung Galaxy Note LTE

7:30

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2

7:30

Sony Xperia SP

7:27

Nokia Lumia 610

7:23

LG Optimus G

7:16

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

7:03

Nokia Lumia 720

6:43

Meizu MX 4-core

6:33

Nokia Lumia 620

6:32

HTC Windows Phone 8X

6:27

Sony Xperia E dual

6:27

Nokia Lumia 810

6:27

HTC Desire V

6:26

HTC One X (AT&T)

6:26

Nokia Lumia 820

6:25

Samsung Galaxy Ace Duos

6:25

Nokia Lumia 510

6:23

LG Optimus Vu

6:23

Samsung I9103 Galaxy R

6:21

Nokia Lumia 920

6:19

HTC Sensation XL

6:12

Samsung Galaxy Pocket

6:06

Samsung Captivate Glide

6:04

Sony Xperia ion LTE

6:03

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

6:02

Sony Xperia T

6:01

Motorola Atrix HD

6:01

HTC Vivid

6:00

HTC Radar

5:54

Nokia Lumia 800

5:52

Nokia Lumia 520

5:50

HTC Titan II

5:50

BlackBerry Bold 9790

5:47

HTC One X

5:45

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro

5:44

Sony Xperia Z

5:39

Sony Xperia acro S

5:38

HTC Desire X

5:38

Pantech Burst

5:38

Sony Xperia ZL

5:28

Meizu MX

5:27

HTC Rhyme

5:23

HTC One V

5:20

Acer CloudMobile S500

5:18

Oppo Find 5

5:18

Nokia Lumia 900 for AT&T

5:18

BlackBerry Curve 9380

5:09

HTC Rezound

5:03

Samsung Galaxy Fame

5:02

Google Nexus 4

4:55

Sony Xperia L

4:44

Samsung Galaxy S Duos

4:30

Sony Xperia P

4:30

LG Nitro HD

4:17

LG Optimus 4X HD

4:14

LG Optimus 3D Max P720

3:28

Nokia Lumia 710

3:27

In the end, thanks to its efficient talk times and optimized web browsing, the Xperia ZR managed to pull off an endurance rating of 62 hours. We did experience strange battery drains on a couple of occasions when we left the phone idle overnight, so it wasn’t always so great when it comes to stand-by, though.

You can read more about how we do the battery tests here.