13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina bests 18 Windows 8 laptops and a Chromebook in a battery life test

By Mariella Moon March 11, 2013

For road warriors and outdoor adventurers, battery life is one of the most important laptop specs. Top-notch processors and huge storage capacities will do you no good if your laptop’s battery can’t keep up with your lifestyle. Which?, a U.K. organization that tests products and services, compared 18 Windows 8 laptops, a Samsung Series 3 Chromebook, and a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display to determine which among them stands out and lasts the longest when subjected to continuous use. Having lasted 6 hours and 30 minutes during the test, the Retina MacBook Pro ended up on top of the list.

Which? tests a laptop’s battery life by browsing the internet and playing movies right from its hard disk or SSD, only stopping when the laptop shuts down because it ran complete out of juice. The Acer Aspire TimelineUltra M5-581T ultrabook, which ran for almost six hours, performed the best out of all the Windows 8 laptops in the test – it also costs $900 less than the cheapest 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. The Samsung Series 3 Chromebook lasted a disappointing 3 hours and 44 minutes, but it’s worth noting – even though our testing methods are different – that K.T. Bradford barely made a dent on its battery indicator when she tested the device for DT. Series 3’s performance is also comparable to the average battery life of the Windows 8 laptops Which? tested, with the worst device of all lasting only for 2 hours and 5 minutes.

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Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…

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