Apple's mobile OS X devices are sexy, innovative entertainment packages. When the success of the App Store surprised the world, Apple began pushing the platform as the most fun you can have with your clothes on, especially in the case of the new iPod touch, by showing ads on TV and on the web, in no uncertain terms, that it's got game. It's certainly the best mobile OS X gaming device, with the faster processor bringing smoother frame rates and quicker loading time. They overlooked an important detail, however -- can you actually play unplugged? In my experience, the device has some great potential, and developers have already forged some gems in the rough, but the iPod touch needs a serious battery in order to be a serious competitor to the incumbents, Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP).

I came to this conclusion after a series of tests I performed, beginning with checking the baseline. No sound, no Wi-Fi, minimum brightness, and minimum enjoyment.  How long does it last at the very most? 4 hours and 20 minutes of constant, solid gameplay is the most you can expect if you don't plan to be in the sunlight, hear the game, or be on the Internet.

 

When I turned sound on, one of the most important features of a gaming device, the battery life fortunately did not suffer very much, only diminishing it by 9 minutes from the baseline. The screen is still not going to cut it if you get any glare, and you're still not connected to the Internet.

 

So I started to wonder, how does it fare when bringing the screen brightness up to snuff? After all, the DS and the PSP have comparatively much brighter screens than the minimum brightness shown in the last two tests. When the brightness is turned up to the max, and sound is turned back off, the battery life is cut almost in half, to 2 hours 28 minutes. A far cry from the extended gameplay enjoyed by the dedicated gaming devices.

The iPod touch's Wi-Fi connection is one of its selling points. How much does it affect the battery life when it's on, allowing games to connect to the net and MobileMail to fetch email in the background? Surprisingly, not much; it lasted 4 hours and 4 minutes with the sound off, brightness at minimum, and Wi-Fi in the worst-case scenario -- at the outer edge of signal range, with Push on, and Fetch set to every 15 minutes.

And finally, the mother of all battery life tests, the ultimate worst-case scenario of full brightness, full sound, and Wi-Fi on and fetching every 15 minutes. This is the one likely to be preferred by people lured over from the DS or the PSP, as it is full functionality. It lasts 2 hours and 11 minutes from full charge to automatic shutdown.

Given the brutal tests I administered, I believe these to be fairly conclusive demonstrations that the iPod touch is all of the best one can expect from modern mobile gaming...as long as you keep it plugged in. At least it opens up the opportunity for extended battery add-ons to storm the market. I just hope they come up with one that looks good and works well. I'd buy that for a dollar. Until then, my kingdom for a wall charger!