Apple’s new iPad is hot — the company has sold more than 3 million units on the device’s debut weekend alone.
But some customers are complaining that the next-generation tablet computer is also too hot to handle, while others are moaning about faults in the device’s Wi-Fi connection.
US magazine Consumer Reports tested allegations that the device was significantly hotter than its predecessor and found that it reached a temperature of 46 degrees when playing video games, compared to 39.5 degrees for the iPad 2.
Since most people use the device while holding it in their hands or lap, the extra heat has made many uncomfortable, even though Apple says the device is operating well within its temperature limits. The extra heat is likely the result of the device’s quad-core process having to work hard to operate the high-resolution screen, which according to Apple has more than 4 million more pixels than its predecessor.
“This is not an unsafe device because of these temperatures,” Consumer Reports’ electronics editor Paul Reynolds told ABC News on Wednesday. “At most, you may have some discomfort. Depending on where you’re holding it, you may need to adjust your hands, but this is not going to be a safety hazard.”
PC Magazine noted that users of the iPad 2 complained of similar problems following the launch of that device last year, which Apple subsequently fixed with a software update.
