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‘New’ iPad 2 with 32nm A5 can add as much as 2 hours of battery life in normal usage

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Anand Tech has been busy this evening, not only showing Apple’s iPhone 4S vs. the Galaxy S3 benchmarks, but also with a small detail in the new iPad 2 that many have overlooked.

“The new iPad 2,” you might ask? Yes. When Apple released the new iPad with A5X processor and Retina display, it also released the “iPad 2,4.” It is mostly the same as the iPad 2, which Apple has sold for over a year. However, Apple traded a 45nm A5 processor for a new 32nm A5 in the iPad 2,4. It is the most efficient processor Apple makes, and it is likely to be the same 32nm die size as the upcoming iPhone’s processor. (The 1080P Apple TV also employs a 32nm A5 processor, but it is limited to single core.)

Anand got the iPad 2,4 from a Best Buy and noted most Apple Stores still sold the older 45nm version. For battery life, the new iPad 2,4 saw anywhere from 1.6 hours of additional time in Web browsing to almost three extra hours in some graphics and 3D video intensive tests. Those are significant gains.

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As you can see below, the processor is much smaller in the new iPad 2,4. It will be interesting to see if Apple updates its iPad 2 specs in the coming weeks and months to reflect the new battery life reality on its iPad 2s.

Much more at Anandtech

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

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