Some iPhone 15 Pros are still overheating – but Apple store employees reportedly say it’s ‘expected behavior’
Despite iOS updates the iPhone 15 Pro may face lingering thermal issues
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
There have been several reports of the iPhone 15 Pro running warmer than expected.Apple addressed the issue back in Septemberlast year, stating a possible cause was due to third-party apps, and a supposed fix was released in iOS 17.1.However, despite several iOS updates with up-to-date phones running 17.3 and17.4 on the way,some users are still reportingiPhone 15 ProandPro Maxheat issues.According toNotebookcheck, the warmer iPhone 15 Pro issues have been internally referred to byAppletechnicians as “expected behavior,” though Apple has not confirmed this.
Some users are also reporting the phone warming up when the device isn’t performing any demanding tasks. Reddit userMeghrathodreported that after taking his iPhone to the Apple store he was told unless he received a temperature warning, the phone was fine to use and passed all diagnostics. Other Reddit users argued, though, that light gaming and simply using the camera shouldn’t cause the phone to get uncomfortably warm.Others inthe threadconfirmed that their iPhone 15 Pros and Pro Max models were still excessively hot. One user said they thought they had received a bad unit, so they swapped it out, but the same thing happened with the replacement. Some claim to have fixed the issue with a complete erase and then restore which could point to a simple software issue rather than a flaw in the iPhone 15 Pro’s design.One user,richard1864, contradicted the group saying that using 5G and gaming causing a phone to heat up is normal behavior because 5G cellular data is power intensive, many games are demanding on both CPU and GPU and all Android and iOS phones do this. However according to many in the thread, the iPhone 15 Pro does appear to run slightly warmer than previous models.Some suspect the shift to a titanium frame, while more durable, could exacerbate the problem as titanium is less conductive and less able to dissipate heat than the steel and aluminum found on previous iPhone models.
Graphene is the coolest
Apple is actively working on graphene thermal system of iPhone 16 Series to solve the heating problem existing before. And the battery of Pro series would change to metal shell, for the same reason.November 16, 2023
Apple could be trying to address this in theiPhone 16 series, as a user on X (formerly Twitter)@KosutamiSanclaims that Apple is working on a graphene thermal system for the iPhone 16 to solve the alleged heating problem. Graphene could work as the material effectively diffuses heat, and is stronger than steel, however, it is more expensive and difficult to produce.With the year-on-year performance increases of phones, cooling could become a key focus for future smartphones. Overheating might become a more common issue with manufacturers needing to think up new ways to maintain device temperatures, especially when under heavy loads. Our phones may be fast approaching the limits of what current cooling technology can handle.We may see more phones with active cooling like the fans in theRedmagic 9 Proor larger vapor cooling chambers like in theSamsung Galaxy S24 UltraandOnePlus 12.
You may also like
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
James Ide was a writer for TechRadar specializing in phones and tablets, having previously worked at The Daily Mirror since 2016, covering news and reviews.
James loves messing with the latest tech, especially phones due to their incredibly rapid pace of development.
When not surrounded by various devices and/or tinkering with gadgets while putting them through their paces, James has a love of handheld consoles.
He is almost the textbook definition of a geek, who loves sci-fi, comics, games and of course, all things tech. If you think you have a story for him or just want to challenge him at Smash Bros, get in touch.
Latest Google Pixel update includes surprise launch of Android 15’s best battery feature
Samsung reveals its next-gen Bixby AI – a Galaxy brain to rival ChatGPT and Gemini
Steps to take when your phone number is publicly listed online
