Tag: 2026 target runtime

  • Office Laptops 2026: The Battery Life Standard Today

    Office Laptops 2026: The Battery Life Standard Today

    Key Takeaway

    – Schenker Connect 15 (E26) has the shortest battery life among 2025 office laptops, lasting only 6.6 hours.
    – The office laptop average is 13 hours; top performers like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 7 reach 18 hours.
    – Battery size alone does not explain poor runtime—competitors with similar or smaller batteries last longer.
    – Current office laptops should aim for at least 10 hours in the Wi-Fi test to be competitive.
    – Schenker needs to optimize idle power consumption to improve runtime from its efficient processor and standard battery.


    Battery life verdict on the Schenker Connect 15

    The Schenker Connect 15 (our review) lasts around 6.6 hours without power in our Wi-Fi test. Is that still acceptable? After all, there are now ARM-based models that can run for 24 hours without needing a power outlet. And newer x86 devices are working hard to catch up. But what does the target battery life for business laptops look like in 2026?

    How we test and compare runtimes

    To find out, we compare the battery life of the 10 most recently tested office notebooks. To find out, we compare the battery life of the 10 most recently tested office notebooks. We use our Wi-Fi test as the baseline. In this test, the display brightness is reduced to 150 nits, and a script makes the browser load various changing websites, sometimes including video content.

    The Schenker is the worst performer

    The comparison shows: the Schenker Connect 15 (E26) has the shortest battery life of all office laptops tested this year in the Wi-Fi test. The average in the office class, measured across all devices and not just the last 10, is close to 13 hours. Our Connect 15 only manages about half of that and is therefore a clear runtime loser among current office laptops.

    Top performers in the office class

    Among the last 10 devices, however, there was none that lasted 24 hours in the test. The top performer is the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 7 with 18 hours. The Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 5 (15.8 hours), the Asus ExpertBook Ultra (16.1 hours), and the HP EliteBook 6 G1q 14 (15.9 hours) also perform very well. Only the EliteBook 6 uses an ARM processor, while the other two also achieve strong runtimes with Intel or AMD CPUs.

    Battery capacity is not the only factor

    However, the bar chart comparison and its labels below also show that battery size alone cannot explain the Connect 15’s result. Its battery capacity is 55 Wh. That is below average, and five competitors have a similar battery size. The HP 255 offers only 41 Wh, yet lasts almost 2 hours longer than the Connect.

    What should buisness laptops aim for in 2026?

    Looking at the last 10 office devices we tested this year, a pattern emerges: current office laptops should reach at least 10 hours in our Wi-Fi test. That would still place a laptop below the overall average. In particular, the Schenker Connect 15 is not well positioned here despite its standard battery. Schenker should optimize the idle power consumption that we criticized in the review, because in theory more runtime should be achievable from the battery and the efficient processor.

    Sources