Apple’s New iPad is (Literally) Too Hot to Handle

We all know Apple's iPad is one of the hottest tablets in the market. But it seems like the new iPad (also known as the iPad 3, for clarity's sake) is literally several degrees hotter than its predecessor. Hot, as in, hot to the touch.

This issue was brought up to everyone's attention when Consumer Reports published a review which reported that the new iPad reached temperatures of 116 degrees Fahrenheit (that's 47 degrees in Celsius) after forty-five minutes of continuous gameplay. This is around 13 degrees F higher than what was recorded on the iPad 2 in similar conditions.

Consumer Reports is a group that reviews gadgets regularly and has a lot of sway in the market. A spokesperson from the firm encouraged caution on the part of consumers, but didn't say what their final decision was on whether or not they recommend the new iPad.

During our tests, I held the new iPad in my hands. When it was at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period. 

-- Donna Tapellini, Reviewer

Donna isn't the only one. Hundreds of comments about the "hotter" iPad has already flooded Apple's support page.

My new iPad … definitely got significantly warm, almost too warm to hold warm, when running on LTE. Not even doing a lot of downloads (just browsing Twitter) but having the LTE radio on seemed to cause it to get noticeably hot.

-- rawwave, User

Apple has since responded to these reports, saying that there is no heat issue with the new iPad and that it was within the firm's thermal specifications. Apple's website lists the normal operating temperature range for the device as between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 to 35 degrees Celsius. When it reaches higher temperatures, the device will automatically power down.

The new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications. If customers have any concerns they should contact AppleCare.

-- Trudy Muller, Apple spokesperson

Article by Hazel Chua
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