Although Apple’s latest iPad was rather coyly named “the new iPad,” it received some rave reviews for the new Retina display. However, the new screen clarity is driven by a higher number of pixels per inch, taking up 2.5 times the power of the iPad 2 and all this extra power is making the tablet warm —or uncomfortably hot, according to some users.
The hype leading up to the launch started in early March, as Apple’s Buzz score began to rise from 24 on March 8. iPad’s Buzz score followed a similar pattern, rising from a Buzz score of 23 starting on March 6, to peak at 46 a few days after release (March 16). It then tumbled back to 32 by March 23 when the “HeatGate” concern gained momentum.
iPad’s peak at a Buzz score of 46 on March 19 broke its record for its all-time highest score. Although the iPad score dipped during the third week of March, its Buzz score rose once again to hit 40 before cooling off at the end of March. Apple’s score remained on an incline to reach a Buzz score of 45 on March 22 before declining and eventually matching iPad’s Buzz score of 40 near the end of the month.
When the iPad 2 was released last year, March 2011, iPad’s Buzz score averaged throughout the launch at a score of 30; Apple’s Buzz score ranged between 25 and 38. During the launch of the original iPad back in January 2010, Apple’s Buzz was highest at 41 but averaged around a score of 35.
Apple, Inc. and iPad were measured using YouGov BrandIndex’s Buzz score, which asks respondents: “If you’ve heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?”
