It looks like word of the iPhone 15 Pro series’ unfortunate overheating issues has finally reached the ears of Tim Cook and Co., prompting Apple to acknowledge the existence of the issue with a formal statement. The company also mentioned that it will be sending out a software update that will (hopefully) address the overheating problem, which has so far plagued a considerable number of users. As per Apple’s statement:
“We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected. The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity. We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update. Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system. We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out.“
According to Apple, it would seem that a bug with the recent iOS 17 update has been causing users’ 15 Pro and Pro Max units to go haywire. The company stressed that a number of third-party apps were part of the problem, and it will be corresponding with the respective studios and developers to provide fixes for the overheating issue. The possibility that apps are to blame for the heating issue does cause some concern, given Apple’s big push for the iPhone 15 Pro to double as a dedicated gaming device, with games such as Resident Evil Village and Resident Evil 4 Remake set to launch for the 15 Pro models.
This problem has resulted in iPhone owners experiencing some less-than-ideal overheating when performing basic tasks such as camera usage, social media and gaming apps, with temperatures reaching as high as 38 degrees celsius and above. Other users have likewise reported fast battery drain on their devices, putting the blame on the iPhone 15 Pro’s power-hungry A17 Bionic Pro chip, and a non-existent active cooling system within the phone.
Meanwhile, other iPhone owners have theorized that the new titanium finish on the 15 Pro models has caused poor heat dissipation, compared to the stainless steel and aluminium-equipped models from previous generations. Apple did refute this however, claiming that the overheating issue is purely software-based. At the moment, it seems that only the 15 Pro models are affected by this issue, as the regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus variants come with last year’s A16 Bionic chip, which itself has had little complaints.
Our own quick test using a thermal scanner on our iPhone 15 Pro Max shows that the handset reached a high of 39 degrees celsius, which is pretty hot even for most phones. While most phones will generate heat from extended usage via gaming, data and GPS use, or maxed-out display brightness, most won’t reach alarmingly-high temperatures such as the ones reported by 15 Pro users.
Other phone manufacturers have resorted to installing cooling systems on their devices in order to combat overheating issues, especially during gaming. One example is ASUS’ ROG phone line, which features a “rapid-cycle vapor chamber design,” which the company claims improves heat dissipation efficiency by up to 168%. There’s even an optional attachment that clips on the ROG phone’s rear panel, and acts as an external cooling fan.
It’s expected that the overheating fix might be included in the iOS 17.1 update (which is still in beta at this moment), and is scheduled to be released sometime this October.
