How significant is the new iPad's heat issue?

I've heard a fair bit about problems with the new iPad "overheating". However the details seem a bit shaky.

Is the increase in heat noticeable? Is it only when playing games and watching videos, or is it just from using it for extended time?

Also, does the problem only affect some iPads, or is it a general problem (I think some components are made by different manufacturers, eg the screen)? So if you buy a new iPad, is there a chance you'll get one that heats more than it should?

Solution 1:

Not at all. I have noticed that it is warmer when sitting for long periods (i.e. reading in iBooks, playing Hero Academy) but it is not a big deal and not even unpleasant except when the day is hot. If you look at this on a relative scale that I've just made up:

10 - 2007 MacBook Pro 17" playing World of Warcraft
9 - Hell
8 - Dave's Insanity Sauce
7 - Chili con carne
6 - cup of coffee
5 - iPhone 4 in Personal Hotspot mode
4 - cup of coffee when you remember to drink the last bit
3 - New iPad
2 - Old iPad
1 - Fonzie

You get some more perspective.

Solution 2:

As usual Gruber nails the issue to the wall here:

The short answer is COMPLETE NON ISSUE.

Comparing Temperatures ★

Sam Byford, writing for The Verge, “Tests Show New iPad Runs Up to 18 Percent Hotter Than iPad 2”:

Dutch website Tweakers.net has taken an infrared camera to the new iPad and revealed that it runs at up to 33.6 degrees Celsius (92.5 Fahrenheit) when running the GLBenchmark — that’s an 18.7 percent increase on the iPad 2, which reached 28.3 degrees Celsius (82.9 Fahrenheit).

As Alex Dedalus points out on Twitter, to say this is a crap headline is give crap headlines a bad name. Celsius and Fahrenheit are relative temperature scales, not absolute, so you can’t do percentage-based comparisons. Think about it: 33.6 / 28.3 gives you an “18.7 percent” increase, but if you do the math with the same temperatures in Fahrenheit, you get 92.5 / 82.9 = “11.6 percent” increase. If you really want to do a percentage based comparison, you need to convert to an absolute temperature scale like Kelvin, which shows you that it’s actually a 1.8 percent increase in temperature (306.75 / 301.45). This is middle school science.

That doesn’t make for a good Verge headline though, and neither would “5.3 degrees” (Celsius), so I suggest going with Fahrenheit — “Tests Show New iPad Runs Up to 10 Degrees Hotter Than iPad 2” — to maximize the sensational impact while still being technically true.

Solution 3:

This is a complete non-issue. Yes, the new iPad gets a little warm in a back corner, but it's not uncomfortable and it's nothing compared to how hot my MacBook gets. It's noticeable, nothing more. Granted, iOS devices, including iPads, can overheat, but that's based on the environment they're in and not how hot they're operating.

Solution 4:

It's on the borderline.

Various reports have been published already. While most blogs say the temperatures are normal - if not - to be expected due to the powerful graphics of the A5X, I like to take a more critical standpoint.

Apple's recommendation for battery temperatures

Your iPad is designed to work in conditions ranging from 32° to 95° F. That’s 0° to 35° C for the metrically inclined. But keeping your iPad as near room temperature as possible (72° F or 22° C) is ideal. (link)

Apple says that "Heat will degrade your battery’s performance the most."

Taking this into perspective, the temperatures can be considered slightly harmful to your batteries on the long run. But this is only when you constantly keep your iPad performing at a maximum level (games, Wi-Fi, GPS, Push...).

Macrumors reported that they managed to achieve maximum temperatures of 133°F which is not good for the battery.

Apples gives advice in this documentation on how to optimize your settings for best battery performance.

Solution 5:

I did indeed notice my Verizon LTE iPad getting warm in the "bottom left". (well, bottom left if it's oriented with the home button at the bottom) However, it's not any worse than any other Apple product I've ever owned. My Late 2009 iMac was a lot worse, and that was bearable to touch. This is not quite as severe. I don't think it's an issue.

However, MacRumors says that the new iPad is reported to hit 116 degrees Fahrenheit. That sounds problematic to me.

Assuming that the reports are true, it's the GPU. If that's the case, it depends on your use case. I'm not planning on springing for Infinity Blade II, but if you are, it might be an issue.

Edit:

Cnet did some tests and they say it's not yet a problem.