20 Hours of Battery Life for iPad 3 Hardly Seems Credible

The next iPad, allegedly due to be unveiled early next year, will boast a lithium-polymer battery pack that will reportedly provide twice the battery life of the current-generation iPad.

The battery capacity for the high-end version of Apple's iPad 3 will be extended to 14,000mAH, from 6,500mAH used currently in the iPad 2, industry sources are telling Digitimes.

In other words, the battery life in the next iPad will double up and then some. However, there are a few key technical aspects to highlight in order to draw a clear picture of just how much autonomy the next Apple tablet will offer.

For instance, the iPad 3 will reportedly feature dual-LED light bars designed to strengthen the brightness of the display panel. This particular piece of hardware will draw a considerable amount of energy from the battery cells.

Then there’s the wireless connectivity. Both WiFi and 3G cause wireless devices to suck extra juice from their battery when activated. This will further dampen the autonomy of the tablet.

Finally, it is reasonable to assume that the rumored quad-core A6 SoC (system on a chip) will use more power than the current-generation (dual-core) A5 chip.

But the extent to which this new battery pack is said to be enhanced is still mind boggling.

Could the iPad 3 really be on pace to offer 20 hours of autonomy? Hard to believe, but Apple will have the final say in this.

According to Digitimes, the battery suppliers for the iPad 3, Simplo Technology and Dynapack, refused to comment on its contract with Apple. But the report does seem to confirm that the Cupertino company is a client of the two.

The next-gen iPad will reportedly come out in two versions, one boasting higher specs than the other.

For example, one model will feature an 8 megapixel camera, whereas the other will offer only 5 megapixels of image shooting power, according to the same Taiwanese publication.