Some first-time users of Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have complained that their bodies get too hot when in use or charging, which could be a setback for the new products. The complaints have spread across Apple's online forums and social media networks, including Reddit and X. Customers say the back or sides of the phone feel hot to the touch while playing games, making phone calls, or FaceTime video chats. For some users, this problem is more prominent when the device is charging.
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Ian Zelbo, a writer for technology media 9to5Mac, tweeted, “My iPhone 15 Pro Max was too hot to touch during fast charging.”
According to him, the heating problem is worst when his iPhone is fast-charging from 25% to 60%. When the battery level exceeds 70%, the temperature of the phone drops significantly. It's still hot, but not hot to hold in your hand.
Some users complained that the iPhone 15 Pro Max was so hot that it shut down when making calls, and then turned it back on after a few minutes. Apple devices occasionally shut down automatically when they overheat or are exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time. In addition, the temperature of iPhone 15 reaches as high as 46.7 degrees Celsius during gaming.
Apple technical support staff have also been fielding calls about the issue. They refer customers to an old article about iPhone overheating. The article states that overheating may occur when using intensive applications, charging, or when setting up a new device for the first time.
iPhones account for about half of Apple's revenue, and new models are scrutinized for any potential flaws. Sometimes a problem pops up and Apple has to fix it with a software update or other fix, but usually the problem goes away on its own. Apple also has rigorous testing procedures designed to catch any flaws before iPhones go into mass production.
This time, there are many opinions about the heat problem of the iPhone 15 series. Some people say it is still a problem with Apple's internal design, while others say it is due to the 3nm process.
However, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the overheating problem of the iPhone 15 Pro series has nothing to do with TSMC's 3nm process. It is likely that in order to make the weight lighter, compromises were made on the heat dissipation system design. The new machine has a smaller heat dissipation area, and the use of titanium alloy affects the heat dissipation effect.
Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will correct this problem through software updates, but unless the processor performance is reduced, the improvement may be limited. If Apple does not properly solve this problem, it may be detrimental to the shipments of the iPhone 15 Pro series product cycle.
It's not uncommon for devices to heat up, especially considering the superprocessors that power modern devices. The question this time is whether the high temperature problem will persist and whether it will exceed the acceptance range of consumers.