Apple's newly released iPad is proving to be one of the hottest items of the year, literally.

Since the iPad's release, Apple's comment boards have become electrified with reports about the gadget overheating. One user said that the new  iPad burned her thighs, leaving them red for 15 minutes.  Another said  his "new iPad 32 GB Wi-Fi had been getting hot enough to go into shutdown mode when using the NetFlix App after 30 minutes."

Consumer Reports weighed in, running a series of tests comparing Apple's new iPad to the iPad 2. It  found that it ran roughly 12 degrees hotter than its predecessor when gaming for 45 minutes, reaching a top temperature of 116 degrees Fahrenheit.

Paul Reynolds, electronics editor at Consumer Reports, told ABC News, "We don't consider these temperatures to be a real concern. … These are not the temperatures that are going to cause a burn, even for a fairly sustained period we think, it's not likely.

"This is not an unsafe device because of these temperatures," he added. "At most, you may have some discomfort. Depending on where you're holding it, you may need to adjust your hands, but this is not going to be a safety hazard."

An Apple spokesperson told ABC News:

"The new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications. If customers have any concerns, they should contact AppleCare."

ABC News has noticed warmer temperatures on the new iPad in the bottom corner when LTE is on and when playing processor-intensive games. We haven't found it to be uncomfortable to use in our last four days of testing. Read our full review of the new iPad  here.