Consumer Reports' first heat tests of the new iPad assessed running a highly-demanding, graphic-intensive video game at room temperature. Testers found the new iPad gets about 12 degrees hotter than the iPad 2, sparking lots of coverage, including Jay Leno on the Tonight Show.
""An Apple spokesman said customers have nothing to worry about. Aaaaaahhhhhhh!" Leno joked.
Consumer Reports says there's no danger of anything like that happening. But to test the iPad and other tablets further, Consumer Reports put them in a special chamber with the temperature at 90 degrees to simulate a hot, summer day. The screen was set to full brightness and testers ran Infinity Blade Two, a highly-demanding action game.
The new iPad again ran hotter than the iPad 2 and reached 122 degrees in the hottest spot. Two other tablets with fast processors, from Asus and Samsung, reached similar temperatures of 117 and 121 degrees.
But Consumer Reports says there's no risk posed.
"The way you use a tablet, it's unlikely that your skin will be exposed to the hot spot for long. And in most uses the tablet just won't get that hot," said Consumer Reports' Paul Reynolds.
Consumer Reports also discovered an issue with how the new iPad battery recharges.
If you're playing a highly demanding game with the iPad plugged in, the battery might not fully recharge, or could even continue to drain.
"It's mostly an inconvenience. You can lower the screen's brightness to about two-thirds and that should keep your battery going," Reynolds.
In fact, when results of Consumer Reports' standard tests for the new iPad and 10 other new tablets were in, the new iPad topped the ratings.
"The iPad is an excellent product. It has the best tablet screen we've ever seen, and great battery life overall. It also adds welcome features, like a five-megapixel camera and the option for a very fast 4G data connection," Reynolds said.
The new iPad starts at about $500, and depending on how you configure it, the cost can top more than $1,000.
All Consumer Reports Material Copyright 2008. Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Consumer Reports is a not for profit organization which accepts no advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site. For more information visit consumerreports.org.
