Apple’s Latest M4 iPad Pro Models Have Worse Battery Life Than The M1 mini-LED Version In Early Runtime Tests, Despite Switching To OLED Technology

The latest 11-inch and 13-inch M4 iPad Pro models are equipped with Tandem OLED technology, making them the first consumer products to be equipped with such panels. The obvious benefits include higher brightness and richer colors, and perhaps the biggest perk of using an OLED apart from the battery life improvements is the longer lifespan of the displays. However, users may not appreciate that the addition of Tandem OLED actually results in worse battery life compared to the M1 version with mini-LED, at least according to the latest tests.

Whether it is maximum brightness or just 250 nits, the M4 iPad Pro models cannot surpass the M1 mini-LED version’s endurance

A series of tests were performed by YouTuber Dave2D, who received review units of the 11-inch and 13-inch M4 iPad Pro. One of the first changes that he talked about was the display, and while we have always heard that transitioning from mini-LED to OLED would result in better battery life, that was not the case here. Keep in mind that the runtime differences between Apple’s latest tablets and previous-generation ones are pretty negligible, but it is still something to point out, given the number of notable upgrades that arrived with the newest slates.

When streaming Netflix at a brightness of 250 nits, the 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro with the mini-LED comes out ahead, lasting for 9 hours and 33 minutes, with the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro coming in at a close second with a runtime of 9 hours and 29 minutes. The bigger 13-inch tablet had a battery life of 9 hours and 11 minutes, which is to be expected since the panel is larger and consumes more juice. In the maximum brightness test, we are looking at a repeat of the earlier results, with the M1 version coming out on top, followed by the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro.

However, in the Genshin Impact loop test running at maximum brightness, the smaller M4 iPad Pro gains the lead against the M1 variant, lasting for 4 hours and 25 minutes, followed by the 13-inch version with an endurance of 4 hours and 12 minutes. In all three tests, the 2018 iPad Pro came in dead last, which was not surprising to see, given that it relies on the less power-efficient IPS panel. The latest results show that while the M4 iPad Pro models suffer in battery consumption when video streaming, it makes up for it when running games.

Then again, the battery life difference between each slate is so paltry that the majority of buyers, or current M1 iPad Pro owners, will likely not witness the variations. However, there is no denying that the Tandem OLED technology will definitely upgrade the media consumption experience for users. You can check out the entire video review above and let us know in the comments on what you think.

News Source: Dave2D