OT: Anyone got any clues re iPad battery when used outdoors?

pax-eterna

My iPad Pro and iPad mini, when inside give me anywhere between 9-11 hours of use. However when outdoors and with BTle they drain in about 3...

Can anyone help out with advice or tips on this please? Been happening for a couple of years, finally thought I'd ask. Google search just comes up with a whole lot of battery theories and generic info but nothing specific.

jsmonzani

Most probably your screen brightness is maxed out and drains battery logically 😊

Tarekith

Yes, definitely screen brightness. Maybe heat too, but I'm guessing that's less so.

espiegel123

@Tarekith said:
Yes, definitely screen brightness. Maybe heat too, but I'm guessing that's less so.

Heat can be a big factor...especially if in the sunlight as direct sun has a lot of energy and can overheat the unit even if the ambient temperature doesn't seem terrible hot.

wim

Turn off wiFi too. It might make a tiny difference if the radio isn't always looking for connections. Screen brightness would be a far bigger factor though.

Tarekith

@espiegel123 said:

@Tarekith said:
Yes, definitely screen brightness. Maybe heat too, but I'm guessing that's less so.

Heat can be a big factor...especially if in the sunlight as direct sun has a lot of energy and can overheat the unit even if the ambient temperature doesn't seem terrible hot.

I use my iPad outside almost daily, and definitely have experienced the iPad reducing screen brightness considerably after getting too warm in the sun.

pax-eterna

oky doky, thanks folks I'll have a look at those next time I'm outside.

espiegel123

@pax-eterna said:
oky doky, thanks folks I'll have a look at those next time I'm outside.

Also, if the devices are cellular capable, turn cellular off.

Polyphonix

Do not forget to turn off GPS if capable. Although it must be said that the screen consumes by far the most power of all components. Accordingly, low brightness is simply the best way to save battery.

Tarekith

I always thought it was funny that I can watch 8 hours of video on my iPad no problem, but reading a book for a couple hours kills the battery faster than anything.

wim

@Tarekith said:
I always thought it was funny that I can watch 8 hours of video on my iPad no problem, but reading a book for a couple hours kills the battery faster than anything.

If your background is white then the majority of the screen pixels are full-on all the time. Changing to a dark background with light type will probably help.

R_2

@wim said:

@Tarekith said:
I always thought it was funny that I can watch 8 hours of video on my iPad no problem, but reading a book for a couple hours kills the battery faster than anything.

If your background is white then the majority of the screen pixels are full-on all the time. Changing to a dark background with light type will probably help.

Isn’t that only the case for OLED screens?

wim

@R_2 said:

@wim said:

@Tarekith said:
I always thought it was funny that I can watch 8 hours of video on my iPad no problem, but reading a book for a couple hours kills the battery faster than anything.

If your background is white then the majority of the screen pixels are full-on all the time. Changing to a dark background with light type will probably help.

Isn’t that only the case for OLED screens?

I'm not a technical expert, but common sense tells me white (light) vs. black (absence of light) = higher power consumption.

NeuM

And keep your iPads and iPhones out of the heat and aware from moisture. Excessive heat can cause batteries to swell up or explode. Keep them in the shade if you go out in the sun.

R_2

@wim said:

@R_2 said:

@wim said:

@Tarekith said:
I always thought it was funny that I can watch 8 hours of video on my iPad no problem, but reading a book for a couple hours kills the battery faster than anything.

If your background is white then the majority of the screen pixels are full-on all the time. Changing to a dark background with light type will probably help.

Isn’t that only the case for OLED screens?

I'm not a technical expert, but common sense tells me white (light) vs. black (absence of light) = higher power consumption.

I’ve considered activating dark-mode on my iPad to save battery live, but from what I understand lcd pixels produce the same light regardless of the color.
https://www.ifixit.com/News/16952/does-dark-mode-really-save-battery-on-your-phone

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Tarekith

@wim said:

@Tarekith said:
I always thought it was funny that I can watch 8 hours of video on my iPad no problem, but reading a book for a couple hours kills the battery faster than anything.

If your background is white then the majority of the screen pixels are full-on all the time. Changing to a dark background with light type will probably help.

I understand the technical reasons, I just thought it was interesting that screen brightness is much more important than computational power when it comes to battery life. Watching an Atmos certified 4K movie, no problem watch the whole trilogy. Reading more than the first few chapters of war and peace, be close to an outlet.

pax-eterna

Thanks for all the replies...I'm thinking I agree with the brightness thing (only reason that makes sense)...but being outside usually means having to turn it up otherwise you cannot see the screen. Might see if I can find some sort of hood, or just take the power supply haha!