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Tests show that the Apple iPad Air has the best battery life among tablets

posted by Alan F. / Feb 12, 2014, 10:59 AM

Tests show that the Apple iPad Air has the best battery life among tablets

No one likes to be in the middle of doing something with their tablet, only to have the batteries go dead. For example, let's say that you are amongst the 15% of Netflix subscribers that use their tablet to view television shows and movies. You've cleared your schedule so that you can watch every episode of Law and Order on your slate. But without a decent battery, you might be able to view only the Law, but not the Order.

A published report out of the U.K. on Tuesday, reveals the results of a couple of battery tests conducted on some of the top tablets available today. One test measured the battery life on the slates while using the internet, while the other test measured how long the batteries lasted while using the tablets to watch videos.

One tablet ended up topping both lists and that was the Apple iPad Air. Providing 658 minutes of battery life for internet use, and an even higher 777 minutes for watching video, Apple's current high-end tablet was the clear winner of the tests. When it comes to internet use, the Apple iPad mini with Retina display finished 44 minutes behind its stable-mate. And with a battery that conked out 24 minutes before that tablet, the Apple iPad 2 finished third. Not bad for a greybeard. The first Android tablet on the list was the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 edition). That slab lasted 483 minutes, good enough for fifth, and two minutes longer than the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9.

After the Apple iPad Air's 777 minutes of battery life for viewing video, the next slate on the list lasted 714 minutes and that was the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9. The Nexus 7 (2013) was third, conking out after 669 minutes of viewing video content. The Apple iPad 2 (660 minutes) and Tesco Hudl (644 minutes) rounded out the top five.

You can check out a graph, showing the results of both tests, below.

The Apple iPad Air has the best battery life among tablets based on these new tests

Thanks, Anonymous Tipster!

source: Which?

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54 Comments

1. VLaRueC

Posts: 189; Member since: Dec 18, 2012

Where's the surface pro 2?

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:02 AM 2

9. ihavenoname

Posts: 1693; Member since: Aug 18, 2013

IDK, but remember, it's really a PC packed inside tablet. It has more power-hungry internals, but on the other hand, it probably needs less power to do some easy stuff, like browsing internet. So I think that not as good as Air, but not bad considering power it has.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:18 AM 0

11. brrunopt

Posts: 742; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

I want to now is where is the Surface 2 , did they just didn't tested it so the iPad wouldn't loose the throne ? And these "tech sites" eat the BS..

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:22 AM 1

36. Sauce unregistered

LOLOLOLOL ANGRY FANBOY IS ANGRY TROLLLOLOL

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:17 PM 3

53. brrunopt

Posts: 742; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

ans the clueless trool is trooling....

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 5:45 PM 0

14. sprockkets

Posts: 1612; Member since: Jan 16, 2012

Close but not enough. http://anandtech.com/show/7478/microsoft-surface-pro-2-firmware-update-improves-battery-life

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:30 AM 2

39. vincelongman

Posts: 5750; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

Also no other windows tablet such the Surface 2, T100, Venue 11 Pro and Omni 10. Also the Sony Xperia Tablet isn't there.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:25 PM 0

2. Caralho

Posts: 119; Member since: Jun 18, 2012

All worship almighty Apple. An obvious puff piece...

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:03 AM 0

4. ihavenoname

Posts: 1693; Member since: Aug 18, 2013

Ok, that's just ignorant hating. iPad Air has huge battery and well optimized software, so of course it has great battery life. Or should the guys who tested be like: "iPad Air has the best battery life, but to please that small group of haters, it has to lose."?

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:14 AM 10

8. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Don't feed the trolls. Haters are bound to hate anything Apple.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:17 AM 7

13. brrunopt

Posts: 742; Member since: Aug 15, 2013

No, because there are tablet with better battery ; its seems they just "forgot " to include them on the comparative...

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:27 AM 1

15. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Please name them. I'll wait.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:34 AM 2

18. Finalflash

Posts: 4063; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

This is a serious fluff piece for Apple, please observe the following. First example, Anandtech article comparing battery life because I don't think iWhich? is better than them. http://www.anandtech.com/show/7519/apple-ipad-mini-with-retina-display-reviewed/5 As you will notice, the Nexus 7 beat them in wifi by 2 hours, and was within 2 hours of their video playback scores. Then you have the fact that the Nexus 7 has a much higher brightness than the Apple products in contention (about 35+% higher). So the same brightness (50% lets say) on all tablets is unequal and of course they never account for that. So the brightness on average will be kept lower on the Nexus 7 while providing higher battery life but same overall brightness compared to the Apple tablets. Also, the Tesco hudl made the cut but not the transformer or LG G pad, or nexus 10....wth? Not saying the new Apple tablets are bad but this is an OBVIOUS fluff piece for Apple.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 11:56 AM 3

23. bigstrudel

Posts: 621; Member since: Aug 20, 2012

Tests be damned. I own both a current iPad and the new Nexus 7. The iPad outlasts the Nexus every time. Just my real world experience.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 12:05 PM 7

27. hboy857

Posts: 367; Member since: Jun 03, 2013

+1 dude. That should shut up PapaSmurf. Hey Smurf If you want real "tech" review you should read Anandtech.com and notebookcheck.net

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 12:25 PM 0

29. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Sorry to say bud, but real life tests have proved otherwise. It's cute that you tried to look cool. 19 hours on my iPad Mini w/ Retina on full brightness and I'm on 60% thank you very much.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 12:43 PM 3

33. hboy857

Posts: 367; Member since: Jun 03, 2013

Did you even read Finalflash comment? nexus 7 (2013) is way brighter than ipad mini. At 100% brightness ipad mini retina produce 370.86 nit and where nexus 7 produce 583.32 nit, more than 200 nit brighter than ipad min retina and incase you don't know brighter display consume more power so yeah at 100% brightness nexus 7 gonna ran out of fuel more quickly than ipad mini. if you really own both nexus 7 and ipad mini and have minimum tech knowledge you should know that. At 65% nexus 7 produce same kind of brightness that ipad mini produce at 100%. So yeah put nexus 7 at 60-70% and ipad mini at 100%, then do your real life test and see who wins.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 1:51 PM 1

38. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Did you even read my comment? Clearly I stated real life results show my iPad Mini lasts longer. There's no point in arguing with you if you're not willing to accept facts.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:23 PM 0

45. hboy857

Posts: 367; Member since: Jun 03, 2013

Ha ha ha. Facts s/he says. If you consider all facts in real life nexus 7 wins.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:42 PM 0

48. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

If you say so. No one likes a butthurt fanboy. Just saying.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 3:20 PM 0

30. XperiaFanZone

Posts: 2280; Member since: Sep 21, 2012

It depends on how people use them. On a test done by someone else, the Mini outlasted the N7 by 5 hours (video streaming):http://www.gizmag.com/nexus-7-vs-ipad-mini-retina/29941/

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 12:53 PM 0

34. Finalflash

Posts: 4063; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

Note their mention of the brightness at 75% for both tablets. That puts the Nexus 7 at (according to Anand's numbers) 437 nits approximately, making it brighter than the max 100% of the iPad mini with retina. So it will last a lot longer than the Nexus 7 because the Nexus 7 at the iPad Mini 100% would be about 63% of its own brightness. If they were measured at those levels, I doubt that big a disparity would exist and it may even put the iPad less than the N7 because brightness costs more battery non-linearly the higher you put it.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:00 PM 1

35. XperiaFanZone

Posts: 2280; Member since: Sep 21, 2012

But the N7 may or may not last longer. You'll need both of these tablets to make sure. Comment 23 says the Mini outlasts the N7, but never mentioned brightness, so it is possible that the Mini will still last longer.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:12 PM 0

41. Finalflash

Posts: 4063; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

But that is why we have standardized tests to make sure everything is competing fairly. Technically I could say my nexus 7 hasn't needed a charge since I bought it in June because I just turn it on to check the time and turn it right back off. Regardless, I would rather go with an experienced tester and in this case, the reason I refuted the data is because it does not match with what more credible sources say.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:33 PM 1

49. XperiaFanZone

Posts: 2280; Member since: Sep 21, 2012

The way the test is done is not reflected on the real approach.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 3:48 PM 1

40. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Or you know, maybe because Android always has things running in the background as opposed to iOS 7?

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:25 PM 1

44. Finalflash

Posts: 4063; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

Doesn't matter, what you have running in the background is up to you. You know full well what processes are running and you can check them and stop them if you want to. Past this point it is just straight up fanboyish to mention stupid talking points like that without any real data to back up your words. Also, having the ability to run things in the background isn't a downside either. iOS has 0 backgrounding ability and even with that they barely compete with a 5-6 month old Nexus 7 in utility and features.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 2:39 PM 1

47. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Check what phone I sport and the past phones I've used in the past and come back and say I'm a fanboy again. Like I said, Android always has services running in the background, which contributes to the battery drain. Why are you getting mad at the fact that I said my iPad Mini lasts longer than any tablet I've used/owned in the past? Seems to me you can't accept criticism well, especially if it isn't in favor of Android.

posted on Feb 12, 2014, 3:19 PM 1

37. Sauce unregistered

Angry hater is angry. Lul lul lulzy lulz!