Battery life estimates are notoriously hard to predict, which is why we regularly see computer makers promising up to 14 hours and delivering only 7. So I’m going to suggest you take this news with a grain of salt, but Notion Ink’s Rohan Shravan says the upcoming Adam Tablet can run for 15 hours or longer on a charge.

The tablet has a 24Whr battery and a low power NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It uses very little energy, even when displaying 3D graphics using OpenGL. And some models of the tablet will be available with a low power Pixel Qi transflective display, which should reduce power consumption even further when you use the device with the backlight turned off.

Of course, the kind of battery life you get will depend on what you use the tablet for. Looping high definition videos with the screen set at full brightness will likely run down the battery a lot faster than surfing the web over WiFi, or listening to music with the screen shut off. Shravan says he may eventually offer an interactive chart that will let you select the activities you’re likely to run on the Adam tablet and give a prediction for how long the battery will last.

In the same blog post, Shravan also says he believes the Adm tablet has some of the best speakers around, and he points out that the USB ports will allow you to do things such as watch video from a USB flash drive without copying it first, as well as plugging in a mouse and keyboard.

I’m still trying to withhold final judgment until the Adam actually starts shipping, but if this Android tablet lives up to half its promise, it might be one of the most exciting things to hit the tablet space since… well, ever.

Update: Shravan has clarified that it’s certainly possible to run down the battery in as little as 6 hours.

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9 replies on “Notion Ink Adam tablet: 15 hours of battery life?”

  1. This thing is almost certainly going to flop, unfortunately. Brad, I don’t understand your excitement for this device. We all know that, by the time it comes out, the device will be nothing to write home about — let alone write with excitement.

    Also, my memory might be jaded but wasn’t this company claiming 40-hour battery life not too long ago? Or have we all forgotten?

    1. 40 hours was something mentioned back when all they had was a slapped together proof of concept prototype and was not the final device. The emphases at the time was the possibility of getting e-ink like battery run times with the Pixel Qi screen.

      Many design changes later and the numbers are of course different. But they have made other improvements though to compensate, like user replaceable battery… How many tablets you know give you that option?

      It’s also the first that will apparently come out with the Pixel Qi screen option. Among other things that make it so that it’s not a certainty that it will flop.

      For now it remains to be seen how the final product will be received by the public but there is potential there and that’s why it continues to draw a buzz…

  2. you read to deep…adam tablet will be much better than most….they have taken their time to set up contracts for aps and so on ….the device is more superior to apples ipad….which every mug has bought…IDIOTS….android covers pretty much all phone and smart phone aps…so why not trust the fact they have a great knowledge in what they will achieve…the best tablet on the market …….

  3. Yes, battery life is one of the most serious problem of portable devices. As for Android tablet, generally, 5h battery life is the normal situation. I got some one just like this condition. Reference for the model: https://bit.ly/ax717N
    Well, anyway, 15h is fantastic, but it should be in normal work condition.

  4. I’m pretty sure Adam will fulfill all whats been promised so far
    and they’ve been updating the blog showing all the testing results and prooves
    so i wouldn’t even worry a single bit
    as long as a tablet device is what you’re going for next, choose Adam and you’ll not be sorry

  5. I do not share your enthusiasm.

    I believe that this is IS the most exciting Android slate that’s in the current conversation. It is even the first (and now only 1 of 2) Android devices that I’ve every found myself wanting to buy. However, I’d never exchange my J3500 for this. If given the choice between being given this as a complement to my J3500 or receiving a second J3500, I’d opt for a second J3500. I’d even rather have the HP business slate, and if somebody gave me that device I’d probably just give it away. Moreover, in an age of planned obsolescence or “managed product life cycles”, you’re really having a relationship with a company rather than buying a product from one. First and foremost, I don’t want Android in my life and I don’t need it (we need a world where Google is smaller and weaker, not bigger and stronger). Second, I have serious doubts about Notion Ink. There have been few things that they’ve done to win my confidence. I’ve helped a lot of people form companies, and I know how to see. More importantly, just like any young hardware company, they face an uncertain future. That said, I wish Notion Ink all the luck in the world. Let’s be clear. I have nothing bad to say about them to anybody, I just know that I’m not up for their voluntary early adopter program. They appear to be in a great position, and I hope that they can convert that into longterm financial success in the marketplace. Despite all of the noise, there doesn’t seem to be a single Android slate that you see all over town that makes other people think they need one too. Perhaps the Adam can be that device.

    1. So you don’t like Google and therefore don’t like Android, but you’re perfectly okay with and even enthusiastic about Microsoft?

      1. Yeah — Google is one of the few companies that have been able to compete successfully with Microsoft, which hasn’t exactly had the best track record regarding ethics business practices in the last couple of decades. (I guess Apple is getting there too.)

        I’m not happy with Google’s flirting with the telcos over their opposition to net neutralility, but in general a strong Google has been a good thing for Web innovation.

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