Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
Summary: An iPad owner claims their touch-screen tablet overheats and turns off when left in the sunlight, is suing Apple.
Most gadget owners know that leaving any piece of electronic equipment in the direct sunlight isn't a great idea. Now an iPad owner, who claims their touch-screen tablet overheats and turns off when left in the sunlight, is suing Apple.
Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the complaint was filed Friday in federal court in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit is seeking class-action status and asks for unspecified damages because the device "overheats so quickly under common weather conditions." The suit says Apple's iPad "does not live up to the reasonable consumer's expectations created by Apple.
It's not the first time we've heard the iPad overheating complaint. PC Magazine editor Zach Honig said on Twitter that he took his iPad out in the sun on a warm day in New York City, and 10 minutes later, it shut down with the message: "iPad needs to cool down before you can use it." Honig said he stuck his iPad in the fridge and it was back to normal a few minutes later.
For more on this story, read Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight on CNET News.
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Talkback
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
Isn't one of the selling points of the iPad the fact that it's form factor makes it a perfect match for people on the move.
Are you telling me that people can be on the move, just not outside.
I can't go out and sit on my hammock, are read an ebook, like I do a regular book? This should be a law suit.
I'ts false advertising if they say you can't use it outside. And yes, if it sits on a table in the sun for an hour. I agree that is abusive. But 10 minutes? That is crap product, or false advertising, or both.
Agreed.
I think suing is overkill. But the device should be more tolerant of the heat
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
I am merely pointing out that direct sunlight will likely cause a lot of devices to overheat, it is a pretty simple concept. Suing Apple because something in the sun got to hot is overkill. Try it with a laptop or any other mobile device, the are all likely to overheat a bit. These lawsuits are just getting a little crazy, next someone will sue god for getting a sunburn. Where does it end?
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
I'm surprised it does that quickly.
I do not own one but all my other devices (phone, notebook, nook, etc) can go for a long time in the sun.
Why sue?
Apple is *not* going to fix this. The only fix would negate it's greatest asset - small size. They would have to enlarge the case to install cooling fans, and that would also shorten battery life.
Keep it in the shade. Don't pour your Coke on it.
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
Good point.... After all, I can leave my paper book in the sun and it doesn't overheat. I can pick it up hours later and it's still readable, and I don't have to stick it in the fridge to make it work. I guess you pay for what you get......
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
Apple wants it both ways. Just like the iPhone, which works if you hold it JUST right in one hand and a dead chicken in the other. Apple deserves to be sued over the phone and iPad for fradulent and deceptive advertising.
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
"and a dead chicken in the other."
Does fried chicken count?
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
Are you nuts?? My car stereo works just fine even when the interior temp is over 120 degrees!! So does the DVD player in fact! Not to mention my cell phone (an older 'smart' phone) and other electronics.
Also, I use a laptop in direct sunlight (not easy to do but I have a screen shield so I can see better) for HOURS sometimes on days where the temps are in the 80's and have not had it fail me yet (well, once, but that was because I forgot to plug the power cord in... silly me) nor do my JBL EON speakers (I am a mobile DJ - doing lots of weddings at the beach in Santa Barbara) which get VERY hot. My OLD ones did (had a seperate AMP, these speakers have a built in AMP) but not these.
The only issue I have with direct sunlight is me getting burnt to a crisp if I don't put on sunscreen... :(
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
Actually I'm good, thanks for asking. The point everyone seems to be missing is if the ambient temperature is outside of the specified operating range you are more likely to have issues. That is all I am saying, not trying to really be a pain, I just hate seeing everyone jump and run to court because they didn't follow the directions. As far as the sunscreen thing goes, I am right there with you!! LOL!!
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
"My car stereo works just fine even when the interior temp is over 120 degrees!"
Car electronics has to be hardened just to deal with extremes of heat, cold, and vibration.
The components in a car stereo can be spaced farther apart, since the case doesn't need to be small enough to put in your pocket.
That helps quite a lot. As electronics shrink heat becomes more and more of a problem.
GE invented synthetic diamond tech YEARS ago... the idea was to build all the electronics on a synthetic diamond substrate that would easily conduct the heat away and allow for smaller die sizes.
Unfortunately DeBeers didn't like that idea. And the tech got shelved.
Maybe somebody else will pick it up again using carbon nanorods instead.
The equipment you list...
A lot of portable equipment is coated with a heat reflecting finish, but I can see that as being problematic with an iPad.
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight
The Apple Tax is already through the roof!!!
Seems to me the user didn't read the environmental
Operating temperature: 32? to 95? F (0? to 35? C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4? to 113? F (-20? to 45? C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/
Running hot and cold
Nonoperating temperature: -4 to 113 F (-20 to 45 C)
Wow! That leaves out most of the non-air-conditioned Southwest US during about six months of the year, as far as the operating temperature. And if the top nonoperating temperature is only 113 F, then it should never be left in a closed car that is in full sunlight.
I really can't imagine why anyone at Apple thought those were reasonable high temperature specifications.
In addition, the low temperatures would appear to be unreasonable for the Northeast US during the winter. You wouldn't be sitting in a park trying to read a book, but you might be trying to follow a map while walking down a sidewalk.
Hmmm, let me think, oh could it be that the chips...
As I pointed out below, when CD's were big, there was a warning that said to avoid direct sunlight, and not to leave them in a closed car, as they can and would warp and crack.
The user has been notified of the tolerance, and when the device shuts down so it doesn't become a brick suddenly the user is pissed. Well guess what if it didn't shut down, they would be much more angry over buying a device that didn't shut down when it got to hot.
On average my Desktop CPU will run at 42C under load, but the iPad unlike my desktop does not have a cooling fan, (actually my desktop has 6 fans in it), which means it cannot expel the heat like a laptop or a desktop, which is why the device is built out of low power chips that don't generate a huge amount of heat, this makes the device low powered so that it can be light weight, and have long battery life.
Oh and by the way I live in MN, We get 90 F+ temps with high humidity in the summer, and -35 F + wind chill in the winter, and most people have common sense enough not to leave a device outside and turned on in those conditions. I wouldn't leave my laptop in my car on sunny day or in the middle of cold February, or any electronic device for that matter.
Not running hot and cold
I'm sure you didn't really mean to say that the computer chips would melt. The melting point of silicon is 1414?C. You meant to say that the ordinary working temperatures of silicon chip devices is very similar to what the specifications are for the iPad. It isn't that the chips will melt, but they may do some unexpected things if subjected to certain extremes of temperature. Many things can do that, not just electronics.
I am sure that many people are sensible about their expensive electronics, and do not leave them in places that are unsuitable, such as a car that is sitting in either very cold or very warm weather.
However, that is not the scenario which is presented in this article. A person is not leaving and iPad anywhere. They are carrying their iPad during the normal course of doing something outside. So let's say that you are in Minnesota during the winter, and it is -35 F outside. You go out to your car and get in. You have your iPad with you. By simply taking your iPad out to your car, you are endangering it by subjecting it to a temperature beyond the nonoperating temperature range. Is it reasonable for a device to be advertised as going everywhere with you, and yet have limitations that would apply to nearly everyone at some point in time, when they are doing what they normally do?
Perhaps, rather than just having specifications about temperature ranges, it might be better to have warning labels about what kind of temperatures you can even be carrying this device into. Our bodies seem to be much more able to deal with these extremes of temperatures than the poor little iPad.
RE: Apple sued over iPad overheating in sunlight