New iPad Is Hot — the Real Kind of Hot (APPL)

Some complaints from buyers of the new iPad from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) led Consumer Reports magazine to run a heat test on the brand new device. Customers had been complaining that the iPad gets too hot while playing games or downloading files. The new iPad uses a higher speed processor than the iPad 2 and its Retina display will also consume more power, both of which will increase the heat discharge.

Consumer Reports said the new iPad runs 13 degrees hotter than the iPad 2, with a maximum temperature of 116 degrees while plugged in and playing the game Infinity Blade II. The magazine noted that “too hot” is a subjective judgment: “When it was at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period.” Hmm — how brief?

The Consumer Reports story is available here.