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Third generation of iPad, featuring 4G capabilities, released on March 16, 2012. Model number A1430. Repairs require heat and careful prying.

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Held back of iPad to face, dangerous?

4g off, wifi on, smart cover on. Actually trying to listen to speaker closely and noticed warmth from the iPad. To get a better feel for the warmth, put cheek on back of iPad.

Got a small headache afterwards, which isn't worrisome by itself. I didn't think anything of it until I realized there's a lot of magnets, etc in there (iPad+smartcover).

Any reason to worry? Ughhhh.

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Should not be any different than a 4G LTE cell phone.

While I won't hold it that close, your headache was most likely caused by something else (sound not RF).

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Thanks Dan. Thoughts on the magnets though? I suppose that's one difference vs a phone...

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The magnetic flux of the magnets used to hold the cover are not high enough to effect you. Besides it's the oscillation of the flux that would effect you not the steady state (unlike a MRI machine)

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In 2011, IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) has classified mobile phone radiation on the IARC scale into Group 2B - possibly carcinogenic. Here is what WHO is really saying "A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use." from here

Radio frequency exposure limits for mobile phone users are given in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) Health Canada’s guidelines place a limit of 1.6 W/kg for the head and torso and 4.0 W/kg for the limbs. US SAR limits are the same as Canadian SAR limits. Here is a list of 20 phones and their SAR level. Remember these are in watts per KG .

Now for your iPad, check the info on page 4 on this document You can clearly see that the highest amount of SAR is at the 2400–2483.5 Mhz range with an SAR of only 0.99 W/Kg. For more research into this you should check on here. Looks to me like you are pretty safe using your iPad without an aluminum hat. Hope this helps, good luck.

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It actually can cause harm if safety guidelines are not followed.

The iPad may become excessively warm during use.(Especially iPad 3 or 4 with screen brightness turned way up) Skin contact to the warm area for extended period of time may cause low-temperature burns, it's kind like boiling a frog with warm water, when you actually find out that you are burned, the damage is already done.

So do as the user's manual said, avoid touching warm areas of the iPad.

It has nothing to do with the RF, though. Cellular or Wi-Fi/Bluetooth RF signals do not cause any harm, any claims for harm are BS.

iPads pass all FCC regulations and there are extra measures to prevent excessive RF absorption. All iPads have proximity sensors inside the cellular antenna so when you touch the antenna window, they automatically reduce transmit power. This is the reason why Apple can make the antenna a hand-holding area with your hand literally all over it and still passes all RF regulations.

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Tom - The slight amount of heat coming off of the iPad is not a risk. It would be no different than a heating blanket. Remember your core temp is 98.6 F. We're talking about somewhere around 68 degrees here (which is what my iPad 2 was when I was playing a movie. Your bodes senses for cold and heat would tell you in plenty of time if you were getting to hot. Besides I don't know of many people holding an iPad against their face to use it. Remember the OP was talking about the risks of RF and magnetic flux.

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Dan, iPad 2 is not that hot most of the times, expect maybe when charging.

iPad 3/4 or iPad mini 2 is a different story. During normal use, if you put it on a blanket or holding it where the circuit board is inside, and you turn the brightness up, run some intensive apps, it can get warm to the point that it feels pretty hot and it will start to throttle down the power. You may notice brightness stepping down, Wi-Fi or cellular disconnects, CPU slow down and finally to the point where the system alerts you that it's overheating.(Very unlikely if you are just using it, usually it only happens if you left it in the car under sunlight)

Low-temperature burns do happen, usually with laptops, but sometimes also with tablets or even smartphones. This week in China a women got burned a little by an iPhone 5s.

The skin on your face is more sensitive than that on your hand so phones put on the faces are more dangerous than tablets in your hands. Anyway it is possible so apple put safety guidelines in the user manual.

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Tom, it was what I had at the time. Even so, your nervous system will tell you its too hot to the touch. The woman must have been charging her phone at the time (my iPhone gets quite warm too). I guess the phone call was more important than the discomfort she must have felt. But, were digressing here. The point of the OP was RF and magnetic flux worries causing cancer. While a slight burn is not a fun time it's not something that will kill you. Hopefully some common sense on the correct use of the device will kick in. McDonnell's got sued my a woman who spilled her coffee because it was hot! There is a point here we go to far. Aren't we the most intelligent creature on this planet?

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Yes I agree. I was just surprised that people actually get burned, seems that stupidity is much more common than I anticipated.

And I totally agree that RF causing cancer is totally BS.

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I think the radiation of the Ipad and afcourse WIFI caused the headache.

WIFI is a danger to mankind and will cause canser in the longterm. At this moment the WHO, World health orhganisation placed has microwafe radiation in 2011 on 2B carcinogenic.

Work with cables

Best regards, Mirza

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I think your pushing it here. Both WiFi or cellar RF signals have been studied and no adverse effects have been found for short term exposure to cause a headache. Yes, there has been some concern on long term exposure causing cancer so far nothing solid has been published. The WHO research study which I think you are calling out here was back in 2003 WHO Study Others in the same time point started other research studies so far nothing has been published supporting a cause and effect.

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snooosj, you are absolutely right about the "microwafe radiation ", that is why your microwave at home is shielded. Run a radiation detector along your microwave and see what it shows you when it is running. Now complete the same experiment with the door open and you will see a definite increase. Therefore, do not run your microwave with the door open.

Your information about the WHO report is false and misleading. 2B is not defined as carcinogenic but possibly carcinogenic at maximum values.

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W b will be eternally grateful.
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