Feelin’ Hot, Hot, Hot: The New iPad Heats Up … Itself
What would an Apple product launch be without some serious scandal attached to it? No, it’s not antenna-gate again, but Apple’s new iPad apparently has a heat problem. If you like your iPad warm to the touch, read on …
The new iPad’s A5X CPU apparently has been heating things up inside its svelte aluminum shell. Extensive stress tests and benchmarking by Consumer Reports shows the new iPad can get as warm as 116 degrees Fahrenheit internally, making it a little too warm to the touch for some users. Apple’s official position is that the new iPad is operating under normal operational ranges, but as a techie-guy I can tell you 116 degrees is cool enough for a desktop CPU, but raises some eyebrows in the mobile department.
What’s more, the CPU and retina display combination is so power-hungry that during heavy usage with a graphically intense video game (Infinity Blade 2), the iPad refused to charge; instead, it actually drained power continually. This kind of product quality doesn’t sound indicative of an Apple product. And predictably, Apple has stood by its creation, directing worried users to contact Apple Care if they believe they have a defective device.
So what’s an iPad shopper to do? Quite frankly, just hold off. As is the case with most early adopters, there often are a few unpredictable kinks that can be worked out only once these devices are in the wild. The good news is, unlike the original iPad, the new iPad doesn’t shut down when it reaches these peak temperatures. So if you really just can’t wait, at the very least you can be assured your device will be reliable.
Does this say anything about mobility in the future? Despite my prognostication that Apple’s larger A5x CPU holds much potential, these issues show there’s plenty of room to improve and grow. Considering the new iPad is sort-of a transitional device, it’s likely the mythical iPhone 5 (or new iPhone?) will be much more telling regarding the future of mobility.