Elsewhere, the middling battery life of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a stumble. Battery testing from our colleagues at Laptop Mag revolves around simulated web browsing at a constant brightness until the tablet powers down.

In this test, the Pro 4 only put up a mark of six hours and five minutes. While the Pro 4's specifications are more power hungry than a standard tablet, most premium tablets can still reach around nine hours of battery life. The Pro 4 features a 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824 display that is a notable upgrade from past Surface models, which featured 2160 x 1440 displays.

Apple's build quality is an upside on the Mini 4. The dimensions of 8 x 5.3 x 0.24 inches and weight of 0.66 pounds make the Apple's iPad Mini 4 one of the lightest tablets we've seen.

The Mini 4's rounded edges and weighty aluminum construction give it a durable feel. The tablet lasted for a lengthy nine hours and 23 minutes in Laptop's battery test, in which a tablet loops through webpages at a constant brightness until it powers down. Apple offers the tablet in 16GB, 64GB or 128GB configurations, and separate models include support for cellular data.

Weight of 0.58 pounds, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is light and thin enough to easily fit into a drawer or backpack. You can purchase the Samsung in 32GB or 64GB configurations, and micro-SD support provides storage flexibility. However, the tablet's battery life is a notable misstep in comparison with its competitors.

In Laptop's testing, a tablet scrolls through webpages at a constant brightness until the battery powers down. During this test, the S2 put up a subpar mark of 7 hours and 42 minutes. Most mainstream tablets average between 8 and 9 hours of battery life.