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Apple's new iPad continues to win plaudits, with the device topping Consumer Reports' tablet rating, thanks to its crisp performance and impressive high-resolution display.

Shrugging off recent concerns about the iPad's heat generation, Consumer Reports described the tablet as "new benchmark in excellence, providing the best rendering of detail and colour accuracy we've ever seen on a tablet display."

The influential research firm lauded the "remarkable fidelity" of the new iPad's display, which helped the gadget achieve Consumer Reports' highest ever score for colour accuracy on a tablet.

"Colors are more saturated than on the iPad 2, making deeper shades more vibrant," it explained, in a statement. "And the new iPad's screen lacks the slight bluish hue of the iPad 2's screen, and has a warmer and more natural 'colour temperature' that becomes apparent when comparing white backgrounds displayed on the new and old iPads."

Apple extended its retina display technology from the iPhone to the iPad with the launch of the new tablet. Retina display gives the new iPad four times the number of pixels of an iPad 2. Apple also increased the colour saturation on the next-generation iPad by 44 per cent.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant has enjoyed stellar demand for the latest iPad, selling more than 3 million of the devices during the first weekend of sales.

Consumer Reports also addressed the new iPad's heat generation in its report. "Responding to consumer comments on the new device, and to coverage from other reviewers, we also carried out further tests that confirmed the new iPad is warmer in its hottest spots than the iPad 2," it said. "But we didn't find those temperatures to be cause for concern."

The research firm also highlighted the new iPad's 5-megapixel camera, fast 4G connectivity and battery life as positives. Like its predecessor, the new iPad offers up to 10 hours of battery life.

Other tablets rated in Consumer Reports included Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7, the Sony (SNE) Tablet P, the Toshiba Excite 10LE and the Pantech Element.

Another research report on the new, third-generation iPad, found that the tablet is proving more popular than its predecessor. User satisfaction with the new iPad is even higher than the iPad 2, according to ChangeWave Research, which surveyed 200 new owners between March 22 and 28. Some 82 per cent of new iPad owners say they are very satisfied with the device, compared to 74 per cent of iPad owners in a Feb. 2012 survey.

ChangeWave Research also surveyed new iPad owners about their favorite features on Apple's latest tablet. The device's high-resolution "retina" display was cited by 75 per cent of respondents as their favorite feature, way ahead of battery life, 4G LTE capability, and the device's faster A5X processor.

Shares of Apple, which has recently been hitting new all-time highs, rose $11.86, or 1.98 per cent, to $611.41 shortly after market open on Monday.

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