ipad battery running down while not in use

That is odd, I'd say take it in to the Genius Bar and have them take a look at the iPod. Since you just recently got it, you'll probably end up with a replacement.

 

Do you have brightness set all the way to max? Wifi, 3G, etc?

Brightness will be the biggest killer, I keep mine under 50% at max which I find to be more than sufficient.

 

Brightness will not effect an iPad in sleep mode. However, I believe it can still use Wifi/3g while asleep, as mine still get emails and such. So if you have one or the other turnedon, and have a weak signal you could have similar result. Still seems awful extreme, though.

 

Ah sorry, I misread that it was in sleep.

Yeah that's bizarre, I would take it back.

 

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Mine does the same if I leave it on 3G overnight. It happens even if I have both WiFi and 3G on at the sametime. This appears to happen because both radios are active even if am connected to a strong wifi signal.

Never happens if I turn off 3G overnight and just leave the wifi radio on.

 

When you lock the iPad screen, wifi shuts off as well. Wifi doesn't remain connected when the iPad's screen is sleeping.

 

But it somehow still receives push email?

 

Or push notifications?

 

Take it in and have it looked at - I have mine in sleep when I'm inbetween classes passing in and out of reception (I have 3G off as we get a very raw deal here in NZ), but I can manage two days with one charge. There is something very wrong with your iPad - wouldn't surprise me if there is a bad controller in the battery that is giving false readings.

 

Which has nothing to do with wifi disconnecting when the screen locks, push notifications wake the connection back up.

Connect to an IM program and lock the screen, you will see that it loses the wifi connection and falls back to 3G.

It's a bigger problem if you've jailbroken and are using Backgrounder, as background IM/IRC clients disconnect if you lock the screen, then reconnect on 3G (only to then disconnect/reconnect on wifi when you wake the screen back up.)

Off and on and off and on, lots of fun.