2024 iPad Pro battery life is jaw-dropping: Apple's runtime claim is way off in the best way

Excuse me, but over 16 hours?!
By Kimberly Gedeon  on 
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13-inch iPad Air against purple background
The new 13-inch iPad Air and iPad Pro models have incredible battery life. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Apple claimed that the new 2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro models have a battery runtime of up to 10 hours, whether you're surfing the web via Wi-Fi or enjoying video playback.

A list of battery-life expectations for the 13-inch iPad Pro and the 13-inch iPad Air.
The 13-inch iPad Pro's battery life on the left and the 13-inch iPad Air's battery life on the right. Credit: Mashable / Apple

So when we ran our TikTok rundown test on both 13-inch models in our possession — the iPad Pro and the iPad Air — we weren't expecting the tablets to last more than a typical work or school day.

13-inch iPad Pro
The "Space Black" 13-inch iPad Pro on the new Magic Keyboard. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

As it turns out, both tablets last much longer than Apple's battery-life claims — especially the 13-inch iPad Pro — which had our jaws dropping to the floor.

2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air battery-life results

Mashable battery life chart for iPad Pro and iPad Air
Mashable's battery life chart for iPad Pro and iPad Air Credit: Mashable composite; Apple

Curious about how long the iPad Air lasts on a single charge, we ran a TikTok video continuously on a loop at 50-percent brightness until the tablet died.

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13-inch iPad Air
13-inch iPad Air Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

To my surprise, the 13-inch iPad Air, now packed with the M2 chip, lasted three hours longer than expected, for an impressive battery runtime of 13 hours and 10 minutes. Now, if you think that's commendable, wait until you find out the results we got on the new 13-inch iPad Pro, which skipped a generation and features an M4 chip.

As mentioned, Apple claimed that we'd only get up to 10 hours on this bad boy. As it turns out, the 13-inch iPad Pro lasted 16 hours and 24 minutes.

Keep in mind that our battery rundown test doesn't account for any idle time, a common occurrence in the average person's usage profile, so the iPad Pro and iPad Air may last even longer on a charge for most users.

The 13-inch iPad Pro
The 13-inch iPad Pro Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

As such, if you want long-lasting iPad that truly delivers all-day battery life, the iPad Pro will definitely keep a need for wall outlets at bay.

The iPad Pro starts at $999 and the iPad Air starts at $599; they'll both start shipping on May 15.

Topics iPad

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Kimberly Gedeon
East Coast Tech Editor

Kimberly Gedeon is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.


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