I tested a pair of new iPad 2s--a white 32GB model with AT&T 3G; and a black 16GB model with Verizon 3G. For comparison, I also tested with an original 16GB iPad 3G. (While our test models have different capacities, it's worth noting that the iPad uses flash storage--thus, the amount of storage capacity doesn't affect our battery life tests.) Like its predecessor, the iPad 2 boasts battery life of up to 10 hours. Or to be specific, says that's 10 hours of surfing the Web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. The 3G-equipped models promise nine hours of Web surfing over a data network.

To test the battery life of each device, I played a movie I bought on the iTunes Store, repeating it until the battery finally gave out. I cranked the screen brightness all the way up, connected to a local Wi-Fi network, and set the volume low.

The good news: even with its increased processor power, faster graphics, and smaller capacity, the iPad 2 actually outlasted the original iPad by a little less than three percent. (Note that the iPad 3G used by our Lab is nearly a year old, so it's possible that its battery life has degraded over the past 11 months.)

I also found that recharging the iPad 2 took much less time than the original iPad--although I didn't precisely gauge how long it took to recharge. The excruciatingly long time it takes to recharge the original iPad had been one of my biggest complaints with Apple's tablet, so I'm happy to see that the new models charge faster.