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When it comes to buying a new tablet PC the options available can be daunting. We all have our own unique preferences and requirements and each of us use mobile devices for specific reasons. Some of us use tablets for business, some use them for school or a number of other different reasons.

For many people tablet PC battery life is not a major concern, whereas for others it’s a critical factor that can determine whether or not you invest your hard earned money on a particular mobile device. For example, if you travel a lot then it’s quite likely that you don’t want to be recharging your battery multiple times throughout the day. On average, tablet PC batteries typically last from 6 to 12 hours, in some rare cases they can be less or more. Today we’re going to discuss which ones make the grade and last the longest and which ones tend to have less juice.

Keep in mind, there are of course several ways to reduce battery usage but that’s not what this article and research is about. The tablets listed here today are based on battery life straight out of the box, factory sealed, without any special tweaking, apps, or methods to “reduce the juice” so to say.

Difference Between Lithium Ion & Lithium Polymer Batteries

There are various different types of batteries used by tablets but the most common ones are lithium-ion (Li-Ion) and lithium-ion polymer (Li-Po). Both types of batteries have fairly similar charging capabilities but the main thing that sets them apart is that lithium-ion polymer batteries tend to have a more compact and slim design. Li-Po batteries are more diverse in the sense that they can be molded or shaped in several different ways unlike standard Li-Ion batteries. This makes it more convenient for manufacturers and gives them more freedom when it comes to designing mobile devices such as tablets in this case.

Li-Ion batteries have been around longer than Li-Po batteries and at first it was costly for manufacturers to equip their portable devices with a more compact battery. However, even though Li-Po batteries are still a little more expensive, over the years the cost has dropped drastically. It has come to a point where the difference in cost is so insignificant that it’s not really an issue for both device owners and manufacturers.

What Is mAh?

Typically the higher the mAh a device battery has the longer it will last. Please note that mAh alone is not necessarily what gauges how long a tablet will run before needing to be recharged. Allow me to explain. The term mAh is an acronym for milliampere-hour which is a sub-unit of ampere-hour or Ah. It is used to describe how much current or electrical charge a tablet computer has.

If a tablet has a battery that is 5000 mAh and uses 500 mA per hour then mathematically speaking the battery should last 10 hours before it is completely depleted. It’s not always that simple to calculate however because there are many factors involved that can alter the amount of amps or watts that are being used at any given time. For example, even if Wi-Fi is turned on and not necessarily being used this will in fact still consume energy. Another example is the more time you spend watching videos the quicker your battery will be used. Those are just 2 of several different examples regarding what can effect battery consumption. I suppose the main point I’m trying to make is that watts per hour being used can vary from one minute or hour to the next and the rate is not fixed or permanent.

Who would have thought there would be so much involved when it comes to a topic like this? And to think, I barely even scratched the surface when it comes to how batteries and recharging works, but at least you now have a basic understanding and general idea.

Top 5 Tablet PCs With Best Battery Life

So, now that you’ve been educated a bit on a few terms and explanations what are some of the tablets on the market that are reported to have the best battery life? Since that’s likely the main reason you’re still reading this in the first place let’s get right to it.

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
    Battery Life: 12 hours
  • HTC Flyer
    Battery Life: 12 hours
  • Apple iPad and Apple iPad 2
    Battery Life: 10 hours
  • BlackBerry PlayBook
    Battery Life: 10 hours
  • ASUS Eee Pad Transformer
    Battery Life: 9.5 hours or 14 to 15 hours with additional keyboard dock

Top 5 Tablet PCs With Worst Battery Life

  • Acer Iconia Tab A100
    Battery Life: 5 hours
  • Acer Iconia Tab W500
    Battery Life: 6 hours
  • ViewSonic ViewPad
    Battery Life: 6 hours
  • Toshiba Thrive
    Battery Life: 6.5 hours
  • Fusion Garage Grid10
    Battery Life: 7 hours

Conclusion

So there you have it, a short compiled list of some of the best and worst tablet computers on the market when it comes to battery life. I hope you found this article to be helpful and that you are leaving with more information than what you had before arriving today. Keep in mind, the list above is certainly subject to change especially with new tablet PC models constantly arriving on the market, but as always we’ll keep you informed, up-to-date and in the loop so be sure to check back often!

We’re always here to help and perhaps the above information can be used, even if just a little, as a tablet computer buyers guide.

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