Apple's new iPad running 'significantly hotter,' Consumer Reports says

Apple Inc.'s new iPad runs "significantly hotter" than the earlier model when handling processor-intensive tasks such as playing graphics-heavy games, according to Consumer Reports, which tested the device.

The newest version of the market-leading tablet computer ran as hot as 116 degrees (47 degrees Celsius), the magazine said yesterday on its website. Consumer Reports, published by the consumer-watchdog group Consumers Union, used a thermal-imaging camera to record the temperature while playing the action game "Infinity Blade II."

Paul Reynolds, electronics editor for the magazine, downplayed the results.

"We don't think this is a cause for any serious concern," Reynolds said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. At its hottest, the iPad "felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period," Consumer Reports found.

The magazine wasn't the only reviewer to note the increase in heat. Websites such as Engadget have cited a study by Dutch site Tweakers.net, which found the tablet runs hotter by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Some consumers in online discussions have cited high temperatures with the iPad.

The new device operates "well within our thermal specifications," Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, said in a statement. "If customers have any concerns, they should contact AppleCare."

'Best Tablet' • Consumer Reports didn't notice the higher temperature in its initial examination of the new iPad, a process that included testing with games such as "Infinity Blade II." In the March 16 review, the magazine praised the device, saying it was "shaping up to be the best tablet we've ever tested."

Many customers didn't wait for the reviews before snapping up the new tablet. Apple sold more than 3 million iPads during the product's debut weekend.

Consumer Reports didn't say whether the heating concerns would affect whether it would recommend the device. When Apple released the iPhone 4, the magazine declined to recommend it, saying it dropped calls when gripped a certain way. After initially playing down the matter, which became known as "Antennagate," Apple gave out free cases and issued a software update aimed at addressing the glitch.