After the debacle with the iPhone (News - Alert) 4, which Consumer Reports declined to recommend because the phone dropped calls when held a certain way, Apple is again facing scrutiny from regarding the amount of heat generated by the new iPad.

Some analysts have reported that the new iPad runs at least 10 degrees hotter than its predecessor, the iPad 2, particularly in the area around the processor. Consumer Reports found that the iPad ran at 116 degrees Fahrenheit, some 13 degrees hotter than iPad 2. However, Consumer Reports concluded that while the iPad was hotter, it was “not especially uncomfortable.”

“During our tests, I held the new iPad in my hands,” Consumer Reports' Donna Tapellini said in a statement. “When it was at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period.”

This isn’t the first time that users have complained about the heat generated by Apple (News - Alert) products. Consumers have long complained that Apple’s laptops produce too much heat. In fact, some users have reportedly cooked eggs on their laptops. However, customers are reporting that the new iPad does have a built-in mechanism that shuts down the device if it is operated in direct sunlight for too long, which suggests that Apple has built in a fail-safe for the device if it begins to run too hot.

A statement from Trudy Muller, a spokesperson for Apple, said that the new iPad was “well within our thermal specifications. If customers have any concerns they should contact AppleCare.”

Last Friday, Consumer Reports released a first look at the new iPad, saying that the new iPad was “shaping up to be the best tablet we’ve ever tested, whether from Apple or any other manufacturer. Apple has taken an excellent product and improved it significantly, if not dramatically.” However, consumer complaints about the heat prompted the testers to take a second look at the product.