Consumer Reports says new iPad heat nothing to worry about

In its latest tablet ratings, Consumer Reports acknowledges that higher temperatures in the new iPad, which tops the list, aren’t anything to be alarmed about.

“Responding to consumer comments on the new device, and to coverage from other reviewers, we also carried out further tests that confirmed the new iPad is warmer in its hottest spots than the iPad 2,” CR wrote. “But we didn’t find those temperatures to be cause for concern.”

Among the features highlighted in the CR rankings, the new iPad’s Retina display set a “new benchmark in excellence” due to its superior clarity of detail and color accuracy.

In fact, the iPad stands alone with “excellent” overall marks for display quality, pushing all other previously high-ranking tablets down on the list.

“As a result of the standout performance of the new iPad’s screen, we have recalibrated our standard of excellence for tablet screens,” wrote Donna L. Tapellini of CR. “... A number of current models, including the iPad 2 (which remains on sale and is a fine performer), that received excellent scores under the past standard will now be adjusted to receive very good scores overall.”

Its performance -- from the 5-megapixel camera to the 4G connectivity to the battery life -- got best-in-show marks, with CR saying it “was superb in virtually every other way as well.”

Other tablets with good ratings include Toshiba’s 10.1-inch Excite 10LE, Pantech’s 8-inch Element, Sony Tablet P and Galaxy Tab 7.7.

In response to complaints about iPad’s battery not charging during graphics-intense games, CR said it would conduct further testing, but the problem seemed to be limited to playing with full screen brightness.

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