The magazine found that the heat tended to be most concentrated on the lower left-hand corner of the tablet.
In its first look at Apple’s newest iPad released on Friday, Consumer Reports said that the tablet was “shaping up to be the best tablet we’ve ever tested, whether from Apple or any other manufacturer.” The short review went on to say that the display, graphics power and camera were all worthwhile upgrades to the tablet. “Apple has taken an excellent product and improved it significantly, if not dramatically.”
As users tried out the updated tablet over the weekend, several reports began to crop up that Apple’s hot new product was running a fever. Users have reported that the new iPad is noticeably warm to the touch after it’s been used for a while, unlike its predecessors. Others have noted that the heat seems to be concentrated in a “warm corner,” to the left of the home button. In some cases, users said it was so hot that it was uncomfortable to hold.
Consumer Reports reviewer Donna Tapellini said that in tests even when the tablet was “at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable” when held for a short period of time. Tapellini said that the iPad seems to be a bit hotter when it’s plugged in.
Before the magazine’s results came out, Apple had responded to other reports about the iPad’s heat issue. The Verge reports:
Reports that the new iPad generates more heat than the iPad 2 have been growing since it launched last Friday, but Apple believes its new device is operating normally. We just talked to Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller, who said that "the new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications. If customers have any concerns they should contact AppleCare." While many Apple product launches are followed by reports of potential issues, Apple doesn't usually see fit to respond publicly to them unless there's a major public outcry (like with the iPhone 4's widely-reported antenna issue). Those of us who have spent time with the new iPad haven't noticed any serious heat issues — it's occasionally a little warmer, but not in any notable way. Apple is clearly standing by the new iPad for now, but we'll be watching to see if the company identifies this as a more serious issue.
Apple has sold more than 3 million iPads during the weekend, the company announced Monday. Bloomberg reports:
Apple Inc. said it sold more than 3 million iPads during the debut weekend for the latest model of the market-leading tablet computer.
The tally is a record for opening weekend iPad sales, Cupertino, California-based Apple said in a statement. AT&T Inc. said earlier today that it had also set a single-day record for iPad sales when it was made available on March 16.
The iPad, first introduced in 2010, is Apple’s second- biggest source of revenue, behind the iPhone. The new version features a high-definition screen and a faster processor. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has said he thinks purchases of tablet computers such as the iPad will eventually surpass those of personal computers.
Apple sold a record 15.4 million iPads in the fiscal first quarter, which ended Dec. 31. The new device initially went on sale in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, the U.K., U.S. Virgin Islands and Hong Kong. On March 23, it goes on sale in 24 additional countries.
The iPad sales figure is Apple’s second major announcement today. The world’s most valuable company said earlier it will use some of its $97.6 billion in cash and investments to institute a dividend and begin buying back $10 billion worth of shares.
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