New iPad overheating a non

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Fears that the new iPad suffers from an overheating issue look to have been put to rest, thanks to an exhaustive investigation from our US sister site CNET.com, which concludes that while Apple’s new tablet does indeed get hotter than its predecessor, it’s not too hot.

Our buddies across the Atlantic broke out the infrared thermometer gun, testing both the original iPad and iPad 2‘s temperature at the four back corners of the casing, as well as the Apple logo in the centre.

Both tablets were examined after powering on, and having played the graphically demanding game Infinity Blade 2 for periods of 15 and 45 minutes. The tablets’ temperature after 15 and 45 minutes of Netflix movie streaming over Wi-Fi was also tested, and Netflix over 4G was tested for the new iPad.

All tests were conducted with both iPads’ screens cranked up to full brightness.

For the full breakdown with lots of numbers, check out CNET’s original post. But here’s the key info. The hottest temperature recorded was 36.7C, which is how hot the Apple logo on the new iPad became after 45 minutes of Infinity Blade 2.

Laptops were also measured to put that in perspective — a Dell Inspiron 14z laptop warmed up to a toasty 45C after 15 minutes of Portal 2 with Wi-Fi switched on and the brightness maxed out.

36C is higher than Apple’s listed operating temperature for the new iPad (0 to 35C), but as CNET points out, it’s not actually all that hot. It’s about the same as your blood temperature. Crucially, CNET states, “The higher temperature generated by the new iPad compared with the iPad 2 was noticeable to the touch but not uncomfortably so.”

The most likely culprit for the boost in temperature is the backlight, which packs more transistors due to its higher resolution, and requires more LEDs to generate the same levels of brightness as the iPad 2.

Bad news for anyone hoping to cook sausages on Apple’s new toy, but good news for the rest of us. Other sites (including CNET) will be continuing to test the new iPad’s heat output, and we’ll keep you updated.

Do you own a new iPad? What do you think of it? Or perhaps you’d rather drink a pint of water from the Thames than number yourself among the Apple faithful? Send me feedback by way of the comments, or our Facebook wall.

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