According to a test conducted by CNET, the new third-generation iPad’s battery life does not seem to falter from the iPad 2 despite the addition of a much more power-hogging display. It even bests the Asus Transformer Prime, which is one of the best Android tablets in terms of battery longevity.
CNET tests all tablet battery life by looping a local movie file with the screen brightness set to approximately 150 candelas per square meter (just slightly below the 50 percent mark on the iPad) until the device dies. By these standards, the new iPad ran for 12.8 hours. That’s well above the 10 hours Apple promises, but a tad lower than the 14.2 hours the iPad 2 got running iOS 5.1. Interestingly, an iPad 2 running iOS 4.3 only got 11.9 hours of battery life, a testament to the optimization Apple does on the software side.
Under the same test, the Asus Transformer Prime ran for 9.6 hours before shutting down. With the optional keyboard dock attached with another built-in battery, it runs for 15.3 hours. That’s better than any tablet on the market, though it has somewhat of an unfair advantage. Overall, the third-generation iPad reigns in tablet battery life, second only to the iPad 2.
It’s important to note that even though each of these tablets have varying battery life statistics, they all have outstanding battery life and real-world use will prove it. They should easily be able to get you through a typical day of usage if not more. Also, if you are worried that upgrading from the iPad 2 to the new iPad will result in a small drop in battery life, just remember that the new iPad has far more pixels to power so lowering the brightness a bit should even things out.
[via CNET]