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So lets end this iPad 'heatgate' discussion once and for all

H

hasanahmad

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 20, 2009
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http://www.macworld.com/article/116...eat_levels_comparable_to_android_tablets.html

So much for “heatgate.” We’ve all seen the reports this week indicating that the new iPad runs hotter than its predecessor, the iPad 2. But does the new iPad run hotter than other tablets?

To answer that question, we took our trusty thermometer in hand and ran a series of tests that pitted Apple’s latest tablet against the iPad 2 and two popular Android tablets—the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime and the LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Our results are likely to be reassuring to any potential iPad purchasers. Though the new iPad did run hotter than the iPad 2, the difference wasn’t great. And in repeated lab tests of the new iPad, we could not replicate the disturbingly high temperatures that some sources have reported. More important, the new iPad was not dramatically warmer than either the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE, even though its battery has a substantially higher milliampere-per-hour (mAh) rating than theirs do (11666mAh for the new iPad, versus 7000mAh for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 6930mAh for the Transformer Prime).

Though our tests do not definitively address the question of whether the hotter temperatures pose a risk to the iPad’s longevity, they do suggest that any heightened sense of alarm on the part of users and prospective users is unwarranted. Many mobile devices get toasty—and often much hotter than the top temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit that we recorded on the new iPad. For instance, a quick in-office test of a three-year-old aluminum MacBook laptop running basic office tasks registered 108 degrees Fahrenheit; and an on-lap Toshiba Portege R700, after running for about 30 minutes, clocked in at 112 degrees.

How we tested
Using a Raytek Raynger ST-Handheld Infrared Thermometer, we took multiple temperature readings on both the front face and the back of each tablet, measuring the temperature at the tablet’s center, at the charging port, and on the back. We took a set of baseline readings (not reproduced in the chart below) when the tablet was turned off; another set of readings when the tablet had been on but idle for 5 to 10 minutes; and a third set when the tablet had been on for 1 hour while continuously playing Vector Unit’s graphics processor-intensive Riptide GP game. We kept Wi-Fi on throughout the testing, and the room’s ambient temperature was comfortable and controlled. We conducted the series of tests first with each unit plugged in and charging, and then with each unit running solely on battery power.

The test results were consistent with our casual experiences while using these tablets: The Raytek thermometer revealed that each tablet has its own particular hot point, and that in some instances a tablet’s front can be just as warm as its back. In addition, we noted that temperatures tended to run higher when tablets were plugged in than when they were running on battery power.

New iPad vs. old
When turned off but charging, the new iPad registered a temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit on the back center of the tablet. The temperature at that same spot rose to 86 degrees after the device had been on for 5 to 10 minutes but idle; the maximum-heat spot on the back registered at 92 degrees under these conditions. After playing Riptide GP for 1 hour, the tablet had a maximum temperature reading on its back of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (94 degrees at the back center). Though Consumer Reports and other outlets reportedly recorded temperatures as high as 116 degrees, we were unable to push the new iPad’s temperature beyond the century mark.
Click to expand...

tablet20heat20chart-11339474.jpg
 
Unbelievable that someone took the time to gauge the heat between different models of tablets, its a tablet with a much larger battery of course its going to run hotter. I really don't understand why people even made a issue out of it.
 
MacWorld, an ideal unbiased source?

That said, extended periods of time playing Batman (UE3), and Osmos, yes it gets warm, no it's not uncomfortable, no it hasn't crashed.

It's going to get warmer than iPad 2, it's simple physics. It's battery has 70% more capacity with the same run-time. That probably equates to near +70% power dissipation. It's going to be warmer, you can't write off the laws of physics.

Not sure why it's a big deal.
 
It was never really a discussion, but rather link bait for a supposed consumer magazine.
 
They don't mention what the screen brightness was set at during these tests. 50% vs 100% makes a huge difference in temps. Have you felt one on display at a store? They are toasty warm.
 
It appears that if complaining about non-problems, pseudo-issues, and -gates were disallowed, MacRumors... would be one page long.:eek:

But, then, it wouldn't be the MacRumors we have all come to love.:rolleyes::D

(For the record, I DO love the stuff I can learn here, and the silliness, too.):)
 
This is better than the article comparing heat in the iPad 3 to a laptop. Much more apples to apples comparison vs other tablets.

Nice find.
 
Batavian said:
This is better than the article comparing heat in the iPad 3 to a laptop. Much more apples to apples comparison vs other tablets.

Nice find.
Click to expand...

The "iPad isn't as hot as a laptop" argument drives me nuts. Whenever someone complains about the file system, flash, desktop apps or makes any negative comparison to a laptop then it's "This isn't a laptop dummy, so don't try to compare them". But when someone complains about heat then it's "Laptops are much hotter dummy, so compare it to that".

Anyway, I don't find the heat to be nearly as annoying as the people who can't admit that there is some warmth without instantly going on the defense as if iPad owners are trolling their own purchases. Yes, there's some heat but No, it's not worth downgrading over.
 
The iPad runs hotter than iPad 2. How much heat is acceptable to you is a personal issue.

About the charging speed. I wonder how long it takes MacBook Air/Pro to charge versus iPad 3. That's my question.
 
If its too warm there are only two options:

Stop being a *****.

Or

Put a cover on it.

This myth is likely perpetuated by anti-Apple folks. I used to be one. :D
 
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