Battery

The iPad mini ships with the smaller 5-watt adapter after all

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 1, 2012

Compared to the phased-out 10W adapter, Apple's new 12W power brick enables faster charging times for iPhones, iPads and iPods. Specifically, the two extra watts of power shave up to 45 minutes off the iPad charge time. What's really interesting is that in an article 9to5Mac ran a week ago it claimed "Apple also told us that the iPad mini would come with a 12W adapter as well".

This doesn't seem to be true, if a report by MacRumors is anything to go by. The publication relays a note from its reader who was able to purchase an iPad mini from his local Walmart yesterday and confirmed that it came with the smaller 5-watt adapter.

It doesn't appear to be an isolated incident. Additionally, iPhoneinCanada shortly following the iPad mini keynote observed that Apple's own shopping app depicted the 5-watt adapter as part of the iPad mini package contents...

Apple’s new 12W power brick charges iPads up to 45 minutes faster

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 1, 2012

Apple's new 12W power brick enables faster charging of your iPads, iPods and iPhones. Apple stopped short of divulging specifics when asked to quantify the “fast, efficient charging” claim on its online store. "We don’t have an exact percentage of how much faster it would charge but you should see an increase in speed", the company told 9to5Mac.

Enter Mike Flaminio of Insanely Great Mac, who took it upon himself to figure out non-scientifically the exact difference. An interesting video he posted claims the new power brick is able to charge an iPad between 30 and 45 minutes faster compared to the old (now phased out) 10W adapter. Yes, two extra watts of power make a difference. Check out his clip right below...

The iPad mini includes a juiced up adapter for faster charge times, Apple confirms

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 24, 2012

Today, a pair of Apple-branded Lightning-enabled accessories has cropped up on the online Apple store (unofficial ones for half the price are already here). With them came a new iPad charger that now provides twelve watts of power instead of ten watts of power for the previous-generation adapter.

The 12W USB adapter (a $19 value) also replaces the older unit, now removed from the store. It essentially allows users to charge their iPads, iPods and iPhones a bit faster than with the previous adapter...

The iPad mini doesn’t have a widescreen display?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

A pair of OEM leaks thought to depict the same display appear to strongly suggests that, despite the skinnier side bezels and a smaller form-factor, the iPad mini might still incorporate the display which has an aspect ratio of 4:3, just like prior iPads and iPhones (except for the iPhone 5, of course).

This means videos played on the smaller iPad will continue to be letterboxed, at least until an iPad mini with a taller display arrives (you heard that here first!). I guess Apple had to save something for future iterations. Also leaked today: another image of a battery said to belong to the iPad mini, with the label rating it at 16.7Whr and 3.72V...

Claimed photos of iPad mini battery surface

Cody Lee ∙ October 14, 2012

It seems like the long-rumored iPad mini might actually become a real thing this month. Multiple well-sourced reports are claiming that Apple is planning to unveil the tablet at an event on October 23.

With that in mind, we expect to see speculation and part leaks really ramp up over the next few weeks as we await Apple's announcement. In fact, today we've got photos of a purported iPad mini battery...

The iExpander puts your iPhone on steroids

Cody Lee ∙ October 13, 2012

Do you ever wish your iPhone had better battery life, or expandable storage? How about a brighter flash, so it could take better pictures in low-light situations? Well let me introduce you to the iExpander.

The iExpander is a case for your iPhone that, believe or not, does all of these things. It has a built-in battery, a micro SD card slot, and an enhanced flash. Like the title says, it's like steroids for your iPhone...

Poll: Has your battery life improved with iOS 6?

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 25, 2012

After installing iOS 6, I've noticed a significant improvement with battery life on my iPhone 4S. Usually, I'm not someone who really likes to talk about battery life, as I'm always near a charger during the day.

I'm certainly not one of those that tends to either complain or rave over battery life. To me, it is what it is.

But I've noticed such an improvement with battery life on my iPhone 4S after installing iOS 6, that I just had to talk about it. It's way better, like, by a big margin. So the question stands to be asked, how is your battery life on iOS 6? Has it improved?

Poll: How is your iPhone battery on iOS 6?

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 25, 2012

It's a fairly simple question isn't it? But if you remember the furor that surrounded the release of iOS 5 and the subsequent battery-gate shenanigans, you'll know only too well what software can do to a phone's battery.

Back in the ill-tempered days of iOS 5, we covered the situation extensively and even offered a spot of advice that seemed to help a great many people. Today though, we want to know how iOS 6 is treating you all, and whether Apple may finally have gotten the iPhone's battery to last like it did pre-iOS 5.

So, let's begin...

Everpurse: a handbag with a built-in iPhone charger

Cody Lee ∙ September 15, 2012

There's tons of accessories on the market today that will bail you out in the event your iPhone dies while you're on the go. There's battery powered cases, chargers and more.

But we're willing to bet that you've never seen an accessory like the Everpurse. The handbag attempts to combine tech with fashion, with a built-in iPhone 5 charger...

iPhone 5 features better battery life than iPhone 4S, even with LTE

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 12, 2012

Some impressive battery life statistics coming out of the iPhone 5 keynote right now. Battery life hasn't decreased with the addition of LTE, as some might image. In fact, it hasn't even stayed the same. No, Apple has exceeded the battery life levels present in the non-LTE enabled iPhone 4S.

With the iPhone 5, there's 8 hours of browsing or talk on either LTE or 3G, and 10 hours on WiFi browsing.

More images of next-gen iPhone battery surface

Cody Lee ∙ September 4, 2012

Now that Apple has made the new iPhone event official, we expect the rumor mill to pick up even more steam. Which is kind of hard to believe, considering it's already been out of control for months.

Today, a new image of an iPhone 5 battery surfaced on the web. Now, we've already seen a handful of photos of the purported battery, but this one is sitting perfectly in the handset's rear shell...

Claimed photo of next-gen iPhone battery surfaces

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

The new iPhone, which is expected to be unveiled next month, is rumored to include a long list of enhancements. A larger screen, LTE-compatibility, and a faster processor are all on the menu for possible features.

But amidst all of these new components, the question of battery life arises. The iPhone 4S is frequently criticized for its poor battery, so wouldn't adding all of these things make it worse? Not necessarily...