MyiPadIsWarmToTheTouchGate: Consumer Reports Sounds Off on Hot iPad Issue

And, like clockwork, Consumer Reports has arrived to weigh in on reports that Apple’s new iPad generates an unusually large amount of heat.

The product evaluation agency’s take: It does, but not enough for anyone to worry about.

Earlier today, CR ran a battery of tests on the new iPad and found that while the new iPad runs up to 13 degrees hotter than its predecessor, at times hitting temperatures as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit (running the graphics-intensive Infinity Blade game), it never gets hot enough to harm the device itself. In fact, it runs cooler than some laptops.

“During our tests, I held the new iPad in my hands,” said Consumer Reports researcher Donna Tapellini. “When it was at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period.”

Apple, of course, has already dismissed complaints that the new iPad throws off more heat than its predecessors, telling AllThingsD that the device runs well “within our thermal specifications.”