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CNET tablet battery life results

Your tablet might pack a fancy stylus or super-sharp resolution, but can it go a day without a charger? CNET Labs takes up the challenge to find out.

TABLETS2013.jpg
Battery life is an important, yet often overlooked feature. Xiomara Blanco/CNET

Editor's note: This list is updated regularly.

Battery life testing is one of the last evaluations we subject tablets to at CNET Labs, but by no means is it the least valued. How long you can use your tablet is nearly as important as what it is you do while using it.

Our CNET labs testing standards ensure that all tablets, regardless of size, color, or operating system, are tested as close to equally as possible. Details on how we test tablets are included below the testing results chart. We've also thrown in each tablet's maximum luminosity, resolution, and pixel density for good measure.

Expect this list to be updated frequently as new tablets are tested. To see what tablets are coming down the pike, check out the upcoming tablets blog.

Tablets in the process of being tested say "IP" and results with keyboard docks appear in parenthesis.
Model Video battery life (in hours) Maximum brightness (in cd/m2) Resolution Pixel density (ppi) Screen size (in inches)
Acer Iconia A1-830 8.5 362 1,024x768 162 8
Amazon Kindle Fire HD (2013) 9.3 421 1,280x800 216 7
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 9.8 430 1,920x1,200 323 7
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 IP 472 2,560x1,600 339 8.9
Apple iPad (fourth generation) 13.1 N/A 2,048x1,536 263 9.7
Apple iPad Air 13.2 421 2,048x1,536 264 9.7
Apple iPad Mini 12.1 N/A 1,024x768 162 7.9
Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime 9.6 (15.3 with keyboard) 570 1,280x800 149 10.1
Asus Fone Pad 7.3 242 1,280x800 216 7
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 9.7 353 1,024x600 169 7
Asus Memo Pad 8 8.9 N/A 1,280x800 189 8
Asus Memo Pad FHD 10 8.3 287 1,920x1,200 226 10
Asus Transformer Pad TF103C 8 N/A 1,280x800 167 10
Asus Transformer Pad TF300 (Balance mode) 8.7 (13 with keyboard) 331 1,280x800 149 10.1
Asus Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 (Balance mode) 8.5 (13.9 with keyboard) 422 1,920x1,200 224 10.1
Barnes & Noble Nook HD 7.3 455 1,440x900 243 7
Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ 9.5 496 1,920x1,280 256 9
Dell Venue 7 7.7 342 1,280x800 217 7
Dell Venue 8 7.9 356 1,280x800 189 8
Dell XPS 10 9.6/15.7 with dock 335 1,366x768 155 10.1
EVGA Tegra Note 7 IP 423 1,280x800 216 7
Google Nexus 7 (2013) 11.5 570 1,920x1,200 323 7
Google Nexus 10 8.4 368 2,560x1,600 301 10
Kobo Arc 10 HD 9.5 371 2,560x1,600 301 10
Lenovo A10 8.4 292 1,280 x 800 167 10
Lenovo A8 8.2 300 1,280 x 800 209 8
Lenovo IdeaTab A1000 4.6 369 1,280x800 216 7
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 12.6 232 1,366x768 135 11.6
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 14.2 438 1,280x1,080 209 8
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 12.4 435 1,280x1,080 167 10
LG G Pad 8.3 6.4 289 1,920x1,200 273 8.3
LG G Pad 8.3 (Google Play edition) 7 289 1,920x1,200 273 8.3
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 6.9 n/a 1,920x1,080 208 10.6
Microsoft Surface 2 11.6 315 1,920x1,080 208 10.6
Nokia Lumia 2520 IP 676 1,920x1,080 218 10.1
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 8.5 458 1,280x800 182 8.3
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) 6 326 2,5601x1,600 298 10.1
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 11 368 2,560x1,600 247 12.2
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 10 395 1,280x800 189 8
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 8.3 421 1,280x800 149 10.1
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 9 337 1,280x800 189 8
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 8.5 361 2,5601x1,600 359 8.4
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 9 375 2,5601x1,600 298 10.1
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 12.1 N/A 2,5601x1,600 359 8.4
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 13.4 N/A 2,5601x1,600 288 10.5
Sony Xperia Tablet Z2 13 N/A 1,920x1,200 224 10.1
Toshiba Excite 7 7 340 1,024x600 170 7
Toshiba Excite Pro 7.9 301 2,560x1,600 302 10
Toshiba Excite Pure 6.3 284 1,280x800 151 10
Toshiba Excite Write 8.8 335 2,560x1,600 302 10

How we test tablets

In the CNET Labs, we currently run two different tests to evaluate the performance of non-Windows tablets.

Battery life
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 (cd/M2) or as close to that number as possible.

For the iPad, we run the iPad version of "Toy Story 3." On Android tablets, we run a 720p version of "Toy Story 3." The reason we chose 720p for Android was that not every tablet can run 1080p video just yet, and we wanted to make sure we tested Android tablets under the same methodology.

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

*The Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet reflects continually streaming video through a wireless connection. The router was approximately five feet away with a full signal. We used the Netflix application to stream "Amadeus" and when the movie ended it was manually repeated, due to a lack of repeat video function available.

Contrast ratio and brightness
We also tested the maximum brightness, default brightness, and contrast ratio for each tablet. We conducted these tests using the Minolta CA-210 display color analyzer. With each screen at full luminosity, we placed the sensor in the middle of the screen. We used a completely white screen to test the brightness and a completely black screen to test the black level. We then divided the maximum brightness by the maximum black level to get the contrast ratio.