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JagNL

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 11, 2011
42
0
Good morning everyone,

You've all probably heard of the consumer reports using thermal imaging to test the new iPad's heat levels and the iPad 3 getting pretty warm.

Well, I decided to do a quick video comparing the heat levels of the iPad 2 vs the new iPad 3 while playing games. I used an infrared heat thermometer to measure different spots on the back of the units, the new iPad got significantly hotter than the old iPad 2. Check out the video below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VCRPKDeMQ

-Jag :apple:
 
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So at the warmest spot it gets 1 degree hotter than our normal blood temperature.

But seriously, thanks for the video. It's cool that you spent some time making it. This just has to be one of the most overblown "issue" i see coming from the media.
 
So at the warmest spot it gets 1 degree hotter than our normal blood temperature.

That's right - I'm not sure how Consumer Reports got anything up to 116 F, highest I recorded was 102 F - still significantly warmer than the iPad 2.
 
That's right - I'm not sure how Consumer Reports got anything up to 116 F, highest I recorded was 102 F - still significantly warmer than the iPad 2.

It's CR. I heard when they made the big hub bub in the 80's about the Suzuki Samarai flipping over they were found to use false reports (Here's an article mentioning it: http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-a-black-eye-for-consumer-reports/))

They may not be paid by any manufacturers for results, but it sure makes news headlines when they find a problem with a popular product that gets them more people reading them. So don't think they don't have any reason to make up stuff or over exaggerate findings. Especially when it comes to a popular product that will get them headlines for finding something bad about it.

And as that article shows, they've already proven to be willing to fabricate (or encourage) results to make headlines before.
 
The problem here is that every time it's reported that the iPad 3 runs warmer, the media translates that to "it burns you". I don't understand why this has spun so out of control. Running warmer is one thing. Burning is another.

If I were Apple and this affected my sales, I would be suing the crap out of CR.
 
The problem here is that every time it's reported that the iPad 3 runs warmer, the media translates that to "it burns you". I don't understand why this has spun so out of control. Running warmer is one thing. Burning is another.

If I were Apple and this affected my sales, I would be suing the crap out of CR.

Nah, that would actually make things worse at this point. Wait to sue if they actually do damage you. Sueing now makes it look like they do have something to hide. Ignoring them with maybe one statement about it ("it runs up to specs") like Apple is doing is probably the much better tactic ("We have nothing to worry about.").
 
Whats the deal with the heat? One thing is your comparing an ipad3 that the battery is 70% bigger than the iPad 2, it would be different if they had the same battery but they don't. So there really is no comparison.
 
Whats the deal with the heat? One thing is your comparing an ipad3 that the battery is 70% bigger than the iPad 2, it would be different if they had the same battery but they don't. So there really is no comparison.

Don't get me wrong (I'm no expert), but I don't think a bigger battery necessarily equates to more heat....
 
I guess I just don't use many graphics processor intensive apps. Mine never even gets warm.

Do you play any games like Infinity Blade or Modern Combat 3? I've heard of the also getting hot when watching HD videos....
 
It's CR. I heard when they made the big hub bub in the 80's about the Suzuki Samarai flipping over they were found to use false reports (Here's an article mentioning it: http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-a-black-eye-for-consumer-reports/))

They may not be paid by any manufacturers for results, but it sure makes news headlines when they find a problem with a popular product that gets them more people reading them. So don't think they don't have any reason to make up stuff or over exaggerate findings. Especially when it comes to a popular product that will get them headlines for finding something bad about it.

And as that article shows, they've already proven to be willing to fabricate (or encourage) results to make headlines before.

Actually, it was a joint report between CR and Dateline NBC, and it was NBC that rigged the test vehicle improperly.

Going back the OP, why are people still making a big deal out of this?. The increase in temperature is not significant, nor is it anything to be concerned over.
 
It's the graphics processor getting warm. The spot where it gets warm is exactly where the graphics chip is located.
 
Actually, it was a joint report between CR and Dateline NBC, and it was NBC that rigged the test vehicle improperly.

Going back the OP, why are people still making a big deal out of this?. The increase in temperature is not significant, nor is it anything to be concerned over.

My video was really to prove out there was a marked difference between the two - but that even at the higher temperatures I don't consider the new iPad to get uncomfortably hot.
 
I noticed my iPad 3 gets pretty warm when stuffed in a fabric bag with brightness at 100% on a white full screen picture.

Other than that, it doesn't bother me at all.
 
Actually some run hotter then others. I have been returning due to yellow tint, but one of the ones I got was crazy hot just by turning on the brightness. You actually don't need to run anything. Simply turning up the brightness with the resolution makes it burning hot on the new iPad. Quite depressing actually. I was playing monopoly or just lux and it got burning hot. The iPad 2 runs cool running my old apps with brightness turned all the way up. So my conclusion is that the brightness and all the added lights for the resolution makes it burning hot.
 
All you have to do is pick up an iPad 2 and iPad 3 on display at a store and you'll notice right away how much warmer the 3rd gen runs. It's very noticeable.
 
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