Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

Tablet battery life: CNET's top six

August 22, 2011

Battery life is one of the most important features to consider when shopping for a tablet. A short battery life could mean the difference between being truly mobile with your slim, sexy, device or carrying around various clunky juice boxes and power adapters, which isn't nearly as sexy.

Battery life is heavily tied to the brightness of the tablet's display and its wireless connection state. Under unusual conditions, we evaluate battery life by continually running a movie file on the tablet until its battery dies. We set each tablet to Airplane mode and adjust its respective brightnesses to 150 candelas per square meter, or as close to that number as possible.

For iPads, we run the iPad version of "Toy Story 3." On Android tablets, we run a 720p version of "Toy Story 3." We chose 720p for Android because not every tablet can run 1080p video just yet, and we wanted to make sure we tested all Android tablets--Honeycomb or otherwise--under the same methodology.

On the iPads, we ran the movie through the iPod app; for Android, we used the movie player app mVideoPlayer, as it provides a much-needed repeat video function that not all native Android movie players include.

Although the first-generation iPad has the longest battery life according to our tests, we've not included it in the official list so as to avoid "stacking the deck" with too much iPad product. Excluding it from the list gives us a chance to include an additional tablet and I'm sure Apple fanboys won't be too upset, as the iPad 2 is the second overall battery champ.

Check out the full list of battery life results for a more detailed look at all the tablets we've tested thus far. Be sure to bookmark that blog link, as it's updated with new test results frequently. Without further ado, here's the official battery life list in order, from longest-lasting to shortest.

Product name
Apple iPad 2 (32GB, Wi-Fi, black)
Play CNET Video

Apple iPad 2 (32GB, Wi-Fi, black)

CNET Editors' choice
T-Mobile G-Slate
Play CNET Video

T-Mobile G-Slate

Toshiba Thrive (32GB)
Play CNET Video

Toshiba Thrive (32GB)

Motorola Xoom
Play CNET Video

Motorola Xoom

Acer Iconia Tab A500 (16GB)
Play CNET Video

Acer Iconia Tab A500 (16GB)

ViewSonic G Tablet
Play CNET Video

ViewSonic G Tablet

Price $542.99 to $661.38 $241.99 $650.00 $327.90 $239.00 $279.88
CNET editors' rating
  • stars
      Overall score: ( stars)
Average user rating
Release date March 11, 2011 July 10, 2011 April 24, 2011 December 01, 2010
The Bottom Line The iPad 2 refines an already excellent product. Its easy-to-use interface, vast app catalog, and marathon battery life bolster Apple's claim to being the king of tablets.
 Thanks to its high-quality screen, streaming TV features, and 4G support (if you're willing to sign a contract), the T-Mobile G-Slate is one of the better Honeycomb tablets on the market today; however, its high no-contract price insures that it's not the best. The Toshiba Thrive is a bulky but aggressively priced Honeycomb tablet that earns its girth with full port support and a removable battery. Acer's Iconia Tab offers the features of the Motorola Xoom at iPad-beating prices but weighs in as the heftiest Android tablet yet. The ViewSonic G Tablet carves out a unique niche among Android tablets, breaking away from the smartphone to become a type of domestic dashboard. Unfortunately, many key benefits of the Android OS are lost along the way.
Features
RAM installed sizeInfo unavailable1 GB
1 GB
1 GB
1 GB
512 MB
OS providedApple iOS 5
Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
Android 3.2 (Honeycomb)
Android 3.1 (Honeycomb)
Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Android 2.2
Clock speed1 GHz
1 GHz
1 GHz
1 GHz
1 GHz
1 GHz
Weight21.2 oz
22.9 oz
1.6 lbs
1.6 lbs
1.5 lbs
1.55 lbs
Height9.5 in
9.56 in
10.7 in
9.8 in
7 in
6.8 in
Wireless connectivityIEEE 802.11n
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11a
IEEE 802.11g
Wi-Fi
IEEE 802.11n
Bluetooth 3.0 HS
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11a
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n
Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications
Buying choices

Prices from 0 CNET Certified stores

Prices from 0 CNET Certified stores

Prices from 0 CNET Certified stores

Prices from 0 CNET Certified stores

PC Connection Express
$239.00
In stock: No

Price from 1 CNET Certified store

Prices from 0 CNET Certified stores

26 comments

Join the conversation! Add your comment
FAIL. The Transformer with it's keyboard has 16 hours of battery life. I know you guys love to ignore the "Transformation" abilities of the Transformer, but that is why it's the most popular Android Tablet.
Posted by Ratnok (3777 comments )
Reply Link Flag
While the Transformer certainly stands out and gets a special notice for the extended battery life with the keyboard attached, when the keyboard is attached, it should be considered a laptop. You don't attach the keyboard to compare the size of the Transformer to other tablets, so why do it for battery life? The keyboard is a specifically tailored accessory and nothing more. These are tested as configured and without accessories, otherwise they'd test all of the smartphones' battery lives with their extended batteries. Comparing the Transformer to other tablet without the keyboard is comparing apples to apples, whereas with the keyboard it becomes apples to oranges.
Posted by WickedToby741 (1408 comments )
Link Flag
FAIL: To get those 16hrs of battery life you have to keep the tablet in it's dock. Is that as portable as any of the other tablets? Noooo.
Posted by jb0nd383721 (7 comments )
Link Flag
I hate how unnoticed the transformer is :( *sigh*
Posted by dinjin201 (483 comments )
Link Flag
They really only pay attention to Apple products so why would you think they know anything about Android Tablets?
Posted by ttoolan (8 comments )
Link Flag
Even without the keyboard, the Transformer trumps the Iconia Tab in battery life
Posted by gidgiddonihah (285 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I agree and I wonder why on the full list they have the Transformer near the bottom. This is insane because several other websites clearly have the Transformer near the top of the list of ALL tablets for battery life (and not even including the keyboard dock). If you did it would be clearly ahead of ALL tablets.
Posted by DavidT91 (8 comments )
Link Flag
What about the Galaxy Tab 10.1?
Posted by northcutt79 (1 comment )
Reply Link Flag
+1 My ASUS EEE transformer easily lasts 2 days and handles all my tasks easily. Great screen too...£340 in UK.
Posted by mS7c2M0a (1 comment )
Reply Link Flag
The dark horse for best tablet is the HTC Flyer. It is the best 7 inch tablet with over 12 hours of battery life. It is rock stable on the latest Gingerbread. And there is no dominant Apple product in that category. It also fits in my doctor's white coat pocket, which my iPad 2 does not.
Posted by docparkny (131 comments )
Reply Link Flag
"the T-Mobile G-Slate is one of the better Honeycomb tablets on the market today; however, its high no-contract price insures that it's not the best."

What?
Posted by james_welbes (831 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Not sure how the selection was determined but thx for the info!

Need to add the Galaxy Tab 10.1, ASUS Transformer, ASUS Transformer w/ Keyboard Dock, Lenovo K1, Lenovo P1
Posted by dkunzman1 (196 comments )
Link Flag
Without signing up for a very costly 2-year agreement for data coverage, the G-Slate retails for $700. This is far more costly than pretty much every competing tablet.
Posted by smeyer420 (4 comments )
Link Flag
Why are some of the tablet weights in ounces and others in pounds? 21.5 ounces = 1.55 pounds. Are you really trying to make Apple look better by unsuspecting consumers seeing pounds and thinking they are heavier than ounces?
Posted by nmilillo (20 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I have a question: Is the "Toy Story 3 for iPad" movie that you're running on the iPad the HD version from iTunes, or the standard-def version?
Posted by gwhiz2K (3220 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Also, more info is needed about the 720p version for Android... Is it also h.264?
Posted by gwhiz2K (3220 comments )
Link Flag
And also, dear CNET: Why is this comment (and this reply) showing up under "Social Insecurity"???
Posted by gwhiz2K (3220 comments )
Link Flag
The Thrive reviews gave the Toshiba tablet barely 6 hours of battery life, placing it pretty much in the worst performing in terms of battery life. If consumers wanted something that bulky and needed a removable battery with all of those ports, they would just get a laptop.
Posted by Flyguy29 (2667 comments )
Reply Link Flag
No-one has answered me, my reply's got lost somewhere on CNET, and all these posts show up in a CBS News "Social Insecurity" article (which doesn't have any comments). Nice Job CNET. #Codingfail.

Here's the rub: Since you don't say you're playing the HD version of the Toy Story 3 video, it's entirely possible you're using the regular iPad version, which is SD. So, you'd then be comparing an Android device pushing 921,600 pixels (1280x720 - HD) against one pushing 345,600 (720x480 - SD), or less than half. The comparison at that point would not really be fair. Until we know more about the video in question, these results are highly suspect...
Posted by gwhiz2K (3220 comments )
Reply Link Flag
I have come to expect useful comparisons from CNET and this one falls short. As nmilillo says, why tell me that product A weighs 16.8 ozs and product B weighs 1 lb 3 ozs. Come on! Don't make me do the math!
Why tell me that product X has WiFi and product Z has 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR! How are we going to compare those oranges & pineapples? (No need to involve Apple in this.)
CNET, please provide us with usable comparisons.
Posted by KpjCoffey (1 comment )
Reply Link Flag
CNET "reporters" don't write, they cut and paste.
Posted by wts (16 comments )
Link Flag
Rather than blaming CNET, perhaps we should stop and look at their source of specification info.
Posted by dikuno10 (9 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Why not place the battery information in table form? Why make people have to visit a second page, where the results is just pasted on to the page.When you people become such Apple fanboys? It is a closed system, where Apple tells you what you can do with your purchased product and you have to keep Apple's long arm into your wallet through software purchases at the apple app store and itunes. Apple where nothing is free and you never stop paying. Where it isn't broken you are just not holding it right. Dropped calls are us at the iphone store. Come out with a better product we will sue you, that is Apple. You must have taken the tablet poll inside the Apple store, because there are people who will not buy Apple products, just because their line of products cost more doesn'
t make them better. It just makes for higher profits and job cutting for Americans. While creating sweat shops in China and India.
Posted by jfalsken (17 comments )
Reply Link Flag
You are right! I have never seen such a rash of Apple articles in my life. Must have cost Apple a lot of money to install their computers on every CNet reporter's desk. But, it was worth it to them to get the free advertising. Come on, CNet, Your bias is showing. (A lot)
Posted by wgilbert5 (19 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Something is not correct with the comparison table. cnet why are you using pounds for some pads and ounces for other pads. Shame. Also you say "Acer's Iconia Tab ... but weighs in as the heftiest Android tablet yet.". If I look at your table the Iconia weighs less than the Thrive, Zoom, and G-Tab. What am I to believe?
Posted by ride4mud (1 comment )
Reply Link Flag
I have also come to expect useful comparisons from CNET and this one falls short! I work in the IT field and have used many of the tablets that you have covered above both in the field and at home. In the real world I find that the battery life of the IPAD2 and the ASUS Transformer are comparable with each other. However I have seen the Transformer last longer and take more punishment. The fact remains that if you so choose to utilize a keyboard with the tablet it makes more sense to have one which can be docked versus one that you have to tote an extra keyboard around for. The fact that ASUS engineering team took this in mind and made their tablet dockable with a keyboard and thus as a bonus added the ability to extend the battery life of the tablet further to 16 hours doesn't necessarily categorize the ASUS Transformer as a non tablet device. The IPAD2 has an external keyboard support as well, does this mean the IPAD2 has netbook capabilities as well? The point is, the ASUS battery life is an apples to apples comparison to the IPAD2 with or without the additional battery life afforded by a dockable keyboard. We are quite pleased with the Transformer.
Posted by Matrixcrayon (1 comment )
Reply Link Flag
 

Join the conversation

Add your comment

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Click here to review our Terms of Use.