Ask /r/Ubuntu: I'm considering new a laptop, but should I even worry about battery life? Is it improved for modern laptops?

Has the battery life on "new" laptops (anything you may buy online right now) been improved in the last couple years on Linux, and more specifically, Linux?

Part of me wonders if I should assume battery life will be horrible on any laptop and shop accordingly, but I'm asking this because I want to be proved wrong.

Are there laptops/laptop specs that work well for Linux (and specifically Ubuntu) when it comes to battery life?