Impressed with iPad Pro 9.7 battery life

[ardchoille50]

I have been using my iPad Pro 9.7 as a replacement for my Mac mini and, so far, it has met every challenge. This week I kept an eye on battery usage and am impressed. Apple states 10 hours of web surfing but I'm consistently getting more than that.

Since the last full battery charge:
Usage: 11 hr, 32 min
Standby: 58 hr, 19 min

I'm very happy with this device.

 

[Jessica08]

I have 24 days until I can play with mine. I'm getting the 12.9" so hopefully the battery is just as good.

 

[FeliApple]

The battery of iPads has always been exceptional, really good in my opinion, but iPad 3 or 4 had the best battery IIRC. My previous iPad 4 on its first iOS version (6) defeats my 9.7 iPad Pro on its first iOS version (9) by a couple of hours (16 to 14 with light usage). My three year old iPad 4 lasts the same as my new iPad Pro.
So, while the battery is indeed exceptional, reduced weight and size has a consequence on battery life.

 

[44267547]

I have been using my iPad Pro 9.7 as a replacement for my Mac mini and, so far, it has met every challenge. This week I kept an eye on battery usage and am impressed. Apple states 10 hours of web surfing but I'm consistently getting more than that.

Since the last full battery charge:
Usage: 11 hr, 32 min
Standby: 58 hr, 19 min

I'm very happy with this device.

View attachment 675501

Good choice with the Pro. I have my Air 2 and was planning on upgrading to the 9.7 Pro. But I might hold out until the March Keynote. Glad you're happy with it.

 

[LCPepper]

Be careful on relying on that screen.. Because if you never let if fully charge, then it never resets.

So I have been going for 43 hours 29 minutes of use, and then on rest, 207 hours and 29 minutes; which would be amazing haha, but it's not actually a true reflection of the actual battery life.

 

[ardchoille50]

Be careful on relying on that screen.. Because if you never let if fully charge, then it never resets.

So I have been going for 43 hours 29 minutes of use, and then on rest, 207 hours and 29 minutes; which would be amazing haha, but it's not actually a true reflection of the actual battery life.

View attachment 675522

Ah, I see what you mean.

 

[PrettyWings]

I have 24 days until I can play with mine. I'm getting the 12.9" so hopefully the battery is just as good.

I'm getting like 9 hours without changing anything. Very happy with the battery life. I've just ordered the USB-C charger so that I can charge it even faster. I will have it tomorrow.

 

[TheRealAlex]

I have been using my iPad Pro 9.7 as a replacement for my Mac mini and, so far, it has met every challenge. This week I kept an eye on battery usage and am impressed. Apple states 10 hours of web surfing but I'm consistently getting more than that.

Since the last full battery charge:
Usage: 11 hr, 32 min
Standby: 58 hr, 19 min

I'm very happy with this device.

View attachment 675501

#1. What was Your Brightness setting ?
#2. In all that Usegae time, you didn't play 1 Game or Watch 1 YouTube Video or Netflix.
#3. It looks like You never used any NOn-Apple Aps either.

 

[hatshepsut01]

Be careful on relying on that screen.. Because if you never let if fully charge, then it never resets.

So I have been going for 43 hours 29 minutes of use, and then on rest, 207 hours and 29 minutes; which would be amazing haha, but it's not actually a true reflection of the actual battery life.

View attachment 675522

First Catalan user that I've noticed on Macrumors! I got the 9.7 ipad pro on Black Friday and am excited to try it out as soon as I get back to the U.S. next week from my work trip (sadly, not in Spain). Could have used it on this trip--my Air's battery is struggling now.

 

[ardchoille50]

#2. In all that Usegae time, you didn't play 1 Game or Watch 1 YouTube Video or Netflix.

Ah, the inevitable.. a person who comes along trying to poke holes in my battery life claiming that I did this, or didn't do that, when he has no clue as to what I really do with my time.

I believe that games and videos waste resources and keep us from learning/doing something useful. The only exception would be for videos viewed as part of a class or lecture (I view them often but not daily).

I can't help but wonder if your battery life would improve if you spent your time learning more about iOS instead of playing games or watching videos (see the above paragraph).

 

[FeliApple]

Be careful on relying on that screen.. Because if you never let if fully charge, then it never resets.

So I have been going for 43 hours 29 minutes of use, and then on rest, 207 hours and 29 minutes; which would be amazing haha, but it's not actually a true reflection of the actual battery life.

View attachment 675522

That is when you plug it in and unplug it before it is full. If you charge it until it is full, then you do not plug it until it reaches 1%, it is reliable.

 

[ardchoille50]

That is when you plug it in and unplug it before it is full. If you charge it until it is full, then you do not plug it until it reaches 1%, it is reliable.

Yeah, I usually don't look at the battery usage until it reaches 100% and I unplug it, it just seems more reliable that way.

 

[Channan]

Be careful on relying on that screen.. Because if you never let if fully charge, then it never resets.

So I have been going for 43 hours 29 minutes of use, and then on rest, 207 hours and 29 minutes; which would be amazing haha, but it's not actually a true reflection of the actual battery life.

View attachment 675522

Not sure how you're able to do that. As soon as I plug a charger into an iOS device, the usage screen goes blank until it's fully charged again.

 

[Precursor]

I have 24 days until I can play with mine. I'm getting the 12.9" so hopefully the battery is just as good.

12.9 iPP battery is better than the 9.7

 

[rui no onna]

The battery of iPads has always been exceptional, really good in my opinion, but iPad 3 or 4 had the best battery IIRC. My previous iPad 4 on its first iOS version (6) defeats my 9.7 iPad Pro on its first iOS version (9) by a couple of hours (16 to 14 with light usage). My three year old iPad 4 lasts the same as my new iPad Pro.
So, while the battery is indeed exceptional, reduced weight and size has a consequence on battery life.

This exactly. If you haven't used an iPad before, it's easy to be impressed by battery life on the iPad Pro 9.7. They easily match or exceed Apple's 10-hr spec if you don't do a lot of gaming and brightness isn't on max. After the iPad 3 and 4 though, battery life just seems meh.

The first thing my mom told me when I upgraded her to an iPad Pro 9.7 was battery life (particularly standby mode) seems shorter compared to her iPad 3. She normally charges her iPad 3 once a week or less. Meanwhile, the Pro 9.7, she has to charge after 3-5 days.

Be careful on relying on that screen.. Because if you never let if fully charge, then it never resets.

So I have been going for 43 hours 29 minutes of use, and then on rest, 207 hours and 29 minutes; which would be amazing haha, but it's not actually a true reflection of the actual battery life.

View attachment 675522

True but it does tell you that the device has been plugged in since last full charge.

 

[ardchoille50]

This exactly. If you haven't used an iPad before, it's easy to be impressed by battery life on the iPad Pro 9.7. They easily match or exceed Apple's 10-hr spec if you don't do a lot of gaming and brightness isn't on max. After the iPad 3 and 4 though, battery life just seems meh.

The first thing my mom told me when I upgraded her to an iPad Pro 9.7 was battery life (particularly standby mode) seems shorter compared to her iPad 3. She normally charges her iPad 3 once a week or less. Meanwhile, the Pro 9.7, she has to charge after 3-5 days.

Ah, ok, so this is my first iPad Pro and I do keep brightness at 50% and auto brightness on. In standby mode my iPad Pro battery can last about 3 days if I don't use it much. It makes sense, Apple's 10 hour spec was likely done in a controlled lab anyway.

 

[Badagri]

Then of course the amount of web usage and how much ads etc hammers the battery? The amount of background app reresh.

 

[rui no onna]

Then of course the amount of web usage and how much ads etc hammers the battery? The amount of background app reresh.

The nice thing about iOS is you can select which apps are allowed to refresh in background or even use cellular data. I have both disabled for most apps except the ones where I deem it useful.

 

[Badagri]

Yeah, likewise but I bet most don't including those settings for waking up the screen on notifications as well as extra sounds going off that doesn't need to.

 

[ardchoille50]

Then of course the amount of web usage and how much ads etc hammers the battery? The amount of background app reresh.

I keep background app refresh off for all apps, but toggled on for the system. I see background app refresh as a waste of system resources, I can easily refresh an app when I launch it.. it only takes a second or two.

 

[rui no onna]

Yeah, likewise but I bet most don't including those settings for waking up the screen on notifications as well as extra sounds going off that doesn't need to.

Well, I have most notifications disabled, too. Only notifications I have enabled are phone calls, FaceTime and iMessage. All the rest - Facebook, emails, etc, are unimportant stuff I can just check at leisure.

 

[ALW1026]

Im curious what your setting are also. (if you haven't answered)
Whats your brightness level?
Are you just surfing sites reading articles?
Do you use Netflix or stream videos?
Are you on Wifi or cellular?
Im getting maybe 5 hrs. But most of my use is Netflix and my screen is on 100.

And I agree the battery life on my iPad Air2 was much better than the 9.7 IPP
I had both charged to 100
Screen on 100
all antennas off
Played Empire strikes back on repeat The iPad Air2 gave me over 2 hour battery life

 

[vasquez]

I have been using my iPad Pro 9.7 as a replacement for my Mac mini and, so far, it has met every challenge. This week I kept an eye on battery usage and am impressed. Apple states 10 hours of web surfing but I'm consistently getting more than that.

Since the last full battery charge:
Usage: 11 hr, 32 min
Standby: 58 hr, 19 min

I'm very happy with this device.

View attachment 675501

I had the same idea. My 2011 Mac mini died about a month ago. I went into best buy with the intent of replacing it, but I came across the 9.7 iPad Pro. Almost pulled the trigger but I couldn't decide between that and a new mini. I mostly surf the web and YouTube. The keyboard and pencil were pulling new towards the iPad.

 

[Badagri]

Im curious what your setting are also. (if you haven't answered)
Whats your brightness level?
Are you just surfing sites reading articles?
Do you use Netflix or stream videos?
Are you on Wifi or cellular?
Im getting maybe 5 hrs. But most of my use is Netflix and my screen is on 100.

And I agree the battery life on my iPad Air2 was much better than the 9.7 IPP
I had both charged to 100
Screen on 100
all antennas off
Played Empire strikes back on repeat The iPad Air2 gave me over 2 hour battery life

How does 100% screen brightness not hurt your eyes? I have to turn my Pro down to what appears to be 25 - 30% brightness and if I do not the backs of my eyes hurt. That and the fact I'm in quite dim lighting.

I usually get about 32 - 38 hours out of the 12.9 Pro with WiFi on, sometimes Bluetooth, lots of Youtube app, 20+ browser tabs as Safari is 85% usage and I think I have 6 or 7 apps set for background refresh as I require those.

 

[rui no onna]

Im curious what your setting are also. (if you haven't answered)
Whats your brightness level?
Are you just surfing sites reading articles?
Do you use Netflix or stream videos?
Are you on Wifi or cellular?
Im getting maybe 5 hrs. But most of my use is Netflix and my screen is on 100.

And I agree the battery life on my iPad Air2 was much better than the 9.7 IPP
I had both charged to 100
Screen on 100
all antennas off
Played Empire strikes back on repeat The iPad Air2 gave me over 2 hour battery life

Whats your brightness level?
* Typically 25-30% tops indoors, often even lower. At night, set to minimum and I even have "extra dimming" enabled on the ebook reader app (Marvin).

Are you just surfing sites reading articles?
* Web surfing, Excel, ebook/comic/PDF reading, video playback/streaming

Do you use Netflix or stream videos?
* Yep

Are you on Wifi or cellular?
* On an iPad, this makes practically no difference

Im getting maybe 5 hrs. But most of my use is Netflix and my screen is on 100.
* That 100% screen brightness is your culprit. Video playback on the iPad is typically hardware accelerated with dedicated video decoder so it should use very little power.