We battery-tested top tablets from Apple, Samsung, and others in our lab: These were the winners

When looking to bargain a tablet, determination are a fewer factors to support successful mind, specified arsenic what you'll beryllium utilizing the tablet for (entertainment, drawing, work, etc.), your terms point, show size, operating system, and more. At ZDNET, we considered each of these factors erstwhile choosing the best tablets you tin buy, but we were capable to trial 1 important origin that tin genuinely marque oregon interruption your tablet experience: artillery life.

Also: The champion inexpensive tablets

We ran 9 tablets done the gauntlet in our lab in Kentucky, wherever we evaluated each tablet's artillery beingness nether antithetic settings. The tablets that stood retired supra the remainder for artillery beingness included the iPad Pro, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, the base-model iPad, and the Google Pixel Tablet. 

Tablets were tested with maximum measurement for audio and video, successful summation to maximum/minimum brightness. The pursuing tablets were tested: 

• OnePlus Pad 3 (see astatine Amazon)
• Google Pixel Tablet (see astatine Best Buy)
• Microsoft Surface Pro (see astatine Best Buy)
• Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra (see astatine Walmart)
• Apple iPad Pro (see astatine Amazon)
• Apple iPad (see astatine Best Buy)
• Apple iPad Air (see astatine Walmart)
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (see astatine Amazon)
• Amazon Fire Max 11 (see astatine Amazon)

How we tested tablets

In our Louisville-based lab, we tested each tablet utilizing a dedicated PC with an NI USB-6001 DAQ, 8 auxiliary inputs with adapters, and LabVIEW bundle coded in-house to analyse audio outputs arsenic voltage signals. We tested each tablet's artillery beingness a full of 12 times: 3 times with maximum brightness/audio, 3 times with minimum brightness/audio, 3 times with maximum brightness/audio connected Airplane Mode, and 3 times connected minimum brightness/audio connected Airplane Mode. 

We chose to measurement surface brightness during video playback arsenic the main parameter to trial since it is 1 of the astir impactful settings connected a instrumentality erstwhile it comes to however artillery beingness is affected. We besides tested with Networking/Bluetooth on/off to measurement the further drain connected artillery beingness that regular connection via these connections tin have. However, since the video utilized successful investigating was downloaded to the devices nether test, this had lone a tiny interaction connected results. Testing artillery drain during a watercourse with an active, in-use net transportation would beryllium a logical adjacent signifier successful aboriginal testing.

During our tests, the lone app moving connected each instrumentality was VLC media player. This was chosen owed to its availability connected each operating systems, comparative sanction designation with the wide public, and compatibility with the level of settings power the laboratory squad wanted to exert. Running successful the inheritance allowed the squad to corroborate standardized volume, brightness, and video repetition successful the app and the instrumentality settings. 

It's important to enactment that the video record each devices were tested with was downloaded to the instrumentality itself and not streamed from the net to guarantee that the trial isn't taxable to nonaccomplishment owed to interruption of net service. 

The results

As you tin spot from our information visualization (Figure 1), we recovered that the iPad Pro has the astir awesome artillery beingness astatine implicit 16 hours earlier having to beryllium charged, solidifying its fertile arsenic the champion tablet for powerfulness users oregon arsenic a laptop replacement. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra had the second-best artillery beingness astatine astir 11.5 hours, and the third-best was the Amazon Fire Max 11 astatine conscionable implicit 8 hours.

Also: The champion iPads you tin buy

Even though the iPad Pro stood retired supra the rest, the different 2 iPads we tested scored debased for artillery beingness connected maximum brightness, astatine 5:40 for the base-model iPad and 5:27 for the iPad Air. 

The tablet that stood retired the astir for our trial for minimum brightness (Figure 2), was the OnePlus Pad 3 astatine a astonishing 40 hours of artillery life. The OnePlus Pad 3 besides happens to person a ZDNET Editor's Choice Award, successful portion owed to its "exceptional battery." 

However, our tests mightiness disagree from your ain experience, depending connected however you usage your tablet and what applications are moving successful the background. But arsenic a wide baseline, our investigating provides an adept investigation of however agelong these tablets tin past and what usage cases they whitethorn champion beryllium suited for.