Consumer Reports Finds New iPad Gets as Hot as 116 Degrees When Playing Games

After reports that the new iPad was getting significantly hotter than previous generations, Consumer Reports tested the device using thermal imaging. Their engineers found that temperatures on the front and rear of the device reached as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit while playing Infinity Blade II.

We ran our test while the new iPad was propped on the iPad Smart Cover, plugged in, and after it had run Infinity Blade II uninterrupted for about 45 minutes. The device's 4G connection was not turned on, though its Wi-fi link was. The ambient room temperature was about 72 degrees. (Apple recommends not using the iPad in environments over 95 degrees.) We also ran the test with the new iPad unplugged. Then we compared the temperature of the new iPad to that of the iPad 2 using the same tests.

When unplugged, the back of the new iPad reached temperatures as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit. It was only when plugged in that it hit 116 degrees. The hottest areas weren't evenly distributed throughout the iPad's back, but were concentrated near one corner of the display as shown in the images taken from the rear of the device above.


They concluded that while the new iPad became as much as 13 degrees hotter than the iPad 2 "when it was at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period."

Apple has already issued a statement on the matter.

Read More [via Mikala]