Apple to retool new iPad to fix overheating, says report

Published Jul 9 2012, 15:48 BST  |  By Andrew Laughlin

Apple is reportedly preparing to retool the new iPad for relaunch later in the year, as it looks to offer a device that is slimmer and does not overheat.

The US firm is said to be working on fitting the "new new iPad" with a different battery and LCD backlighting system, to create a tablet that runs cooler and is about the same thickness and weight as the iPad 2.

According to industry website Digitimes, the new model will launch before the Christmas shopping season, potentially coming alongside the 'iPad Mini', Apple's rumoured new iPad model said to feature a 7.85-inch screen.

Relaying several Chinese news reports, Digitimes reported last Friday (July 6) that Apple is exploring various ways to reduce the new iPad's internal temperature.

This includes technology for improving the battery performance and a single LED backlight rather than the two used in the current new iPad.

Digitimes's sources indicate that the luminosity and clarity of the iPad's Retina display should not be affected by the change.

Already being dubbed the "iPad 3.5", the new model is expected to use Sharp's IGZO touchscreen rather than the current Samsung-produced display.

"Sources are speculating that the revisions will be a selling point when the model comes out around the holiday season," said Digitimes.

Reports have suggested that the rumoured iPad Mini will also come with an IGZO display.

Should the Digitimes report prove correct, it would mark a change in hardware strategy for Apple, as the firm tends to just release annual updates for its products.

However, Apple has been criticised for the excessive heat generated by the new iPad, which has racked up millions of sales since its launch in March.

Users have also been less than positive about the thicker casing for the product.

Apple is still the clear leader in the tablet market, with an estimated 60% share of sales, but it is facing increasing competition from tech industry rivals.

Amazon has built a solid market share in America with its Kindle Fire device, but it is the arrival of Google's Nexus 7 Android tablet in the US and Europe this month and Microsoft's Windows 8 Surface range later in the year which could prove the greater threats to the iPad.

This has led to speculation that Apple will break with tradition and broaden its tablet line to include a new version with a screen smaller than the current iPad's 9.7 inches.