New iPad overheating?

I exchanged my iPad 3 in for an iPad 2, but based on everything reported over the past couple of days (covered in the summary above) I wanted to see if I got unlucky the first time and I bought another iPad 3. I can now try them out side-by-side and see if this model is in any way different from my previous iPad 3, and make up a decision if I can make the sacrifices necessary to upgrade to the better screen of the new iPad or keep the iPad 2. Updates to follow.

Several responders to this discussion have mentioned recycling the battery. But I have read in Wikipedia and other places that it's better *not* to recycle an Li-ion battery, and that it's best not to let an Li-ion battery discharge too deeply. Perhaps someone here has tried it both ways and has some definite experience with this issue...

I was seeing the iPad 3rd Generation getting hot when playing games like Real Racing 2 HD for an hour. 5 days in and dropping my brightness to about 80% I'm seeing the iPad get slightly warm at bottom left corner but no where as close to how I was over the first couple of days of use.

Notes...

1. I never discharged my battery and did a full cycle

2. Since dropping the brightness to 80% and testing games I'm not experiencing major heat problems

3. I never had it get too hot to handle in the first few days, it was hot but still comfortable to hold

I returned my ipad 3 yesterday, I take to the apple store with real racing 2 hd running (I let run for one hour), when the first apple store employee touch it took it to some other workers and ask them to touch it, he said to them this is too hot and they all agree, then he took me to the apple genius bar, when the genius guy touch it he said WOW is hot, but he immediately change his mind and said is hot but not that hot and this is normal.

I told him if wow hot is normal I want my money back, they apologize and give me a refund.

End of story

If I remember correctly, the new iPad screens were produced by 3 different vendors. I wonder if the screens from one specific vendor run much warmer then those from the other 2 vendors. ???

I keep my brightness down around the 25-30% range, and have not noticed the heat that was generated when I was first setting up my new iPad. I have to agree with others that have said anything above 50% is almost too bright. Moving it up to 75% and above hurts my eyes.

After my trip to the genius bar and picking up all the new ipads that they had running at 100% brightness on display, I think I can safely say that all new ipads can get warm, and may get noticeably warm in the hot corner at high brightness and using a graphics intensive application. I don’t think that there is any new ipad that can be run at high brightness and pushing the graphics chip that does not get warm to the touch in that corner. Hot means you won’t hold it for an extended period, warm means you can hold it but you notice how warm it is. There are definitely ipads that get hot, but apparently not many and they will be exchanged without any problems.

Mi first ipad iv had for allmost 3 years and this one ipad 2 sence jan i gave my first one to my little girl and even in the hands of a 12 year old it is still going steong i will buy the ipad 3 in the fall all will be good by than i bet.

To all the people saying "shut down multitask apps" this is a common misconception. The apps in the multitasking tray aren't running in the background. It's just an easy way to switch between apps, they don't keep running.

Barjazid wrote:

To all the people saying "shut down multitask apps" this is a common misconception. The apps in the multitasking tray aren't running in the background. It's just an easy way to switch between apps, they don't keep running.

Some do indeed keep running in the background. Pandora, for example keeps on streaming music even if you switch to another app, which I do daily.

Just another data point.

Sitting out on the deck - 24C; trying to keep it out of the direct sun, as I was reading on iBooks. Had brightness up max, and have a back protective cover. After about 10 minutes, the device said something to the effect that it had to shut down due to over-heaating. Feeling warm/hot is one thing (and something I can put up with), but earning a shutdown so easily is another thing.

The Answer... Lower your brightness.

Although...

I still think that the iPad should not need the brightness turned down, to prevent overheating issues. Apple should have tested these new iPads, to be used at full power & brightness, and prevent these heating problems. My iPad 2 was always at 100% brightness, and loved it that way. Never had heating issues. Yes, this has a bigger battery, new chip, and graphical improvments, etc...

Apple should have picked up these temperatures in testing, and should have gave it a, No Go. And, should have tweaked & troubleshooted the device more, figuring that people will complain if too hot. Not sure if Apple just wanted to rush the new iPad out, or possibly after testing, FoxCon (or, whoever makes these iPads) made a small mistake that caused millions to overheat from max brightness.

Has anyone tryed to turn your brightness down, yet still have the overheating issues?

I love Apple, but this is what they get for rushing there product on the market so they are first, before properly testing the New ipad! I returned mine to Walmart yesterday because the heat was just to much! The manager at Walmart said there whole lot they recieved from Apple has been returend by customers for heat issues! This is only going to get worse for Apple, I hope they deal with this soon. Good-Luck everyone.

This new ipad is running really warm(HOT) to the point i couldnt hold the ipad after 30-40 minutes of web browsing,I'm shocked with apple,they have been the best for all these years,i love apple products,but i dont wanna have an ipad that overheats.I bought one and exchanged it because of this heat issue but i had the same problem with the second one,so i returned it.I loved the screen in the new ipad,but i wouldnt like to have this iHeater on my hands all the time.Please apple,do something for us,anyone can make a mistake,we are just humans,the right thing is to know that we made that mistake and do something about it.

They bascially improved the iPad in every way - better screen, camera, bigger battery - in a the span of a year. I imagine these issues are the by-product of that accelerated cycle. I can see how ambient tempature could take a back seat on the priority list, although I would have rather waited for them to get it right.

The biggest dissapointment is that the new iPad makes you aware of itself where the iPad 2 was an effortless device. With the iPad 2 you didn't care how much RAM it had, what was running in the background, how bright the screen was or if the battery was getting drained too quickly - it embodied the Apple "it just works" philosphy. The new iPad is a muscle car - it's sexy and they dropped a turbo in it, but you'll probably have a Hanes manual in the trunk at all times. In that respect it's much more Android than Cupertino.

I'm sorry, but to everyone who's saying that turning brightness down fixes issue - what's the point of having this "gorgeous" screen if you can't see it.

I've tried everything - charging (which takes double the time of iPad2), and running battery down to 0, not restoring from icloud backup, turning off services, etc. It's still uncomfortably warm, and the fact that's it's only warm on one side makes it even more evident.

Will be taking it back to verizon where I bought it, and biting the $70 restocking fee 😟