The New iPad – First Impressions (Part 2) – Things Heat Up (Literally)

So I’ve had my New iPad for a couple of days and have spent some time playing games, surfing the Internet, comparing my favorite apps, and discovering new features. First the good news: In almost every respect the New iPad is noticeably superior to my old iPad 1. Pages on the Internet appear significantly clearer, they load much faster using the same Wi-Fi connection, and HD games are far superior. The new speech to text editor is a welcome addition and does a good job of recognizing my voice.

Now for the bad news: Portions of the back side of the New iPad get noticeably warm/hot to the touch after just a short amount of usage, especially the left side of the device. At first, I thought that perhaps I had received a defective unit, however the blogosphere is alive with comments echoing my findings. The conversations vary widely including: “the new Retina screen requires significantly more power and this causes more heat,” “I’ll use a case,” and “This thing is an oven!” and the lucky few who “haven’t noticed it” on their units. Some even feel that this may start another scandal for the iPad similar to the antenna issue that plagued the launch of iPhone 4. Regardless of the explanation, I found it to be quite annoying. Couldn’t the engineers that have defined today’s state of design, resolved this issue? Or does it represent a problem that only affects units that contain parts from specific vendors? This could explain the range of owner comments online, as Apple uses a variety of vendors to supply the numerous components. Having to play a constant game of hot potato could be a deal breaker for some prospective purchasers (or a benefit for those subjected to harsh winter weather).

The New iPad contains a 5 megapixel camera which is a nice plus, but its low light performance is rather dismal, which begs the question – why didn’t Apple include a flash, like they did on the iPhone?

Is the New iPad still the top contender in the field? Undoubtedly. But, if you’re annoyed by hot laptops or the feeling of keeping a heating pad on your lap, you may want to consider purchasing an iPad 2 for the time being.

Stay tuned for Part 3, as the verdict is still out on whether I will keep or return this unit. If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to check out Part 1 – New iPad – First Impressions.