Editors' note: CNET is currently transitioning to a new battery testing regimen for phones. As a result, we've removed the iPhone XR from the list below as the numbers we originally got were not in line with our expectations. We'll update this article soon with more details and fresh results.

Now that the end of 2019 is nearing and phone companies have finished launching their flagship phones for the year, it's time to examine some of the best phones so far in terms of battery life. Usually, a phone lasts a full workday with moderate use. But if you use it heavily, you'll need to recharge it more often. Batteries also lose steam over time, running down faster the longer you've owned the phone. The possibility of losing battery -- and therefore losing your communication hub -- is frightening and real.

In an industry where 5G, folding displays, pop-up cameras and in-screen fingerprint scanners trend as desirable features, one feature consistently ranks at the top of the must-have list: long battery life. Even as something as highly anticipated as the Pixel 4 can disappoint with a surprisingly mediocre battery life.

If you feel your phone's battery seems to be stuck in the '90s and doesn't last as long as you'd like, you're not alone. So if a long-life battery tops your list of needs, check out these top scorers -- they lasted impressively long during our lab tests for continuous video playback in Airplane mode.

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Angela Lang/CNET With a run time of 21 hours, the Note 10 Plus has enough juice to power that huge 6.8-inch display all day. Like its Note 10 counterpart, it has a single front-facing camera but in addition to its three rear cameras, it has a fourth depth-sensing camera. And while it doesn't have a headphone jack, it does have expandable memory, unlike the Note 10. Read our Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus review.

Angela Lang / CNET Packed with four cameras and flaunting a beautiful design, the pricey P30 Pro has one of the best cameras around. Its big, 4,200-mAh battery lasted 22 hours and 57 minutes. The smaller Huawei P30 also has a great battery life, lasting 21 hours and 31 minutes. The phones are not available in the US, however. Read our Huawei P30 Pro review.

Angela Lang/CNET The Galaxy S10 Plus has a phenomenal AMOLED screen, loads of useful camera tools and the option to wirelessly charge other devices. Its monster battery life lasted an excellent 21 hours. If the phone is too pricey or too big for you, however, consider its smaller counterpart, the S10, which lasted an impressive 18 hours during our battery tests. Read our Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review.

Angela Lang/CNET We haven't finished battery testing for the LG G8X ThinQ when both of its two screens are turned on and active yet. But we conducted tests for just the phone's single 6.4-inch display and it ran for a solid 17 hours and 49 minutes. Besides its dual-screen accessory, the phone also features a headphone jack, expandable memory and wireless charging. Read our LG G8X ThinQ review.

Angela Lang/CNET True, the Note 9 launched in 2018, but its battery lasted 19 hours and 20 minutes and that's still excellent even in 2019. In addition, it has a big, bright screen, an embedded S Pen stylus that can trigger the phone's camera shutter and lots of internal storage. Read our Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review.

Originally published Oct. 31, 2011, and updated as new developments occur.