The weight of handheld gadgets like tablets and smartphones is one of their more important specs. Who wants to lug around a tablet that weighs more than a hardback copy of War and Peace? Reducing a product's weight by even a few ounces is important enough that Barnes and Noble got caught last year shaving 7.4 percent off the scale reading for its Nook e-reader. But even when a company is honest about a gadget's weight, getting a sense of how the tech will feel in your hands based on a mere number can be difficult. Is a 9-ounce e-reader lighter or heavier than most books? Does a 2-pound notebook weigh more or less than a school notebook?
To find out, we parked phones, tablets, and e-readers, along with some common handheld objects, on the PCWorld Labs scale. Our results may surprise you. Let's start with the iPhone 4S.
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