Apple's new iPad: Wi-Fi, LTE, charge time complaints surface
(CBS News) Apple's new iPad has been out for a week now and customer complaints are already stacking up.
Everything from the temperature to losing Wi-Fi connectivity is included in the list of woes from new iPad owners. Other issues include data plans drainage due to video streaming and longer charging times.
Hot or not?
The complaint that's gotten the most attention has been the Consumer Reports heat test, resulting in a 116 degree temperature. We reported yesterdaythat our sister site CNET ran their own heat tests yielding different results.
Apple's iPad hotter, but "heatgate" is overblown
CNET: New iPad's heat a non-issue
On average, the new iPad was running about five-degrees hotter than the iPad 2. The warmest temperature reading they recorded was 93 degrees, at the Apple logo, after running the video game Infinity Blade II at full brightness for 45 minutes.
Is there a solution for weak Wi-Fi?
Customers on Apple forums are alleging that the reception on the new iPad is poor. Some even charge that the original iPad and iPad 2 get better signals than the third-generation tablet. Others claim that the connection doesn't hold for more than a few minutes.
One of the fixes we've seen circulate comes from the site OS X Daily. The site suggests resetting the Wi-Fi connection by forgetting your current Wi-Fi connection then re-joining the network, as if for the first time.
Fortunately for customers, this is something Apple may be able to fix. When a similar issue occurred with the first iPad in 2010, Apple resolved the issue with a software update.
What about the battery charging issues?
Reports that the iPad battery takes longer to charge or continues to charge even after reaching the 100 percent mark have begun to surface.
"The new iPad's charger is the same as the charger for the iPad 2. I've noticed that the new iPad won't charge - or charges very, very slowly - if it is being used while plugged in," said Information Week blogger Eric Zeman.
Meanwhile, Ars Technica reports that the battery keeps charging even after the display shows 100 percent - citing a report by Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, creator of DisplayMate. The conclusion being that the battery may last longer than originally thought.
LTE a blessing and a curse
The Wall Street Journal reported several cases of customers burning through their data plans while streaming videos on the new iPad. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be something that Apple can fix. The price for data plans lies in the hands of service providers, like Verizon or AT&T.
While the issues are stacking up, it's only been a week since the new iPad has been available. Hopefully, Apple is listening and will release fixes for the issues that they can resolve.
