If you’re one of the millions who picked up a new third-generation iPad this past weekend, you’re no doubt aware that the new tablet is one of the hottest gadgets out there. And we mean that quite literally — the new iPad runs several degrees hotter than the iPad 2.
In an experiment, Tweakers.net ran benchmarking software to stress the processors on both an iPad 2 and a new 4G iPad while both were under a thermal imaging camera. Results were pretty clear: The old iPad 2 ran at an average temperature of 28.3°C (82.9°F), while the new iPad ran at a significantly hotter 33.6°C (92.5°F).
The higher operating temperature is likely due to the supercharged new graphics processor present in the new iPad: More power means more heat. That heat is unlikely to negatively impact your device’s performance, though if your new iPad does become too hot to safely operate, it does contain an internal safety switch that will power the unit down.
This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca
