Apple says patches won't affect performance and that titanium frame isn't to blame.

Apple says patches won’t affect performance and that titanium frame isn’t to blame.

Andrew Cunningham - 10/2/2023, 10:05 AM

Some owners of the new iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have reported over the last week and a half that they’ve noticed their phones running a bit warmer than older iPhones. We observed that the phones could run hot while working on our review, “sometimes to the point that they were uncomfortable to hold without a case,” and other reviewers and users have noticed the issue as well.

The problem is real and serious enough to have merited an official response from Apple over the weekend, shared with MacRumors and other outlets. Apple says the main culprit at first is “increased background activity” that occurs as users set up their new phones for the first time (which I’ve also noticed in other iPhones and iPads and is pretty typical).

But Apple also says it has identified “a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users” and that specific apps like Uber, Instagram, and the game Asphalt 9: Legends are all “overload[ing] the system” and causing heat problems. The company is working with those apps’ developers on fixes that will be distributed via the App Store.

Two things Apple specifically says aren’t to blame: the A17 Pro chip itself and the phone’s titanium frame. Some have hypothesized that one or both of these all-new elements (and possibly the A17’s new 3 nm manufacturing process) were responsible for the heat problems. But Apple seems to think it can counter the most severe issues via software, and the company says the fixes won’t affect the performance of the A17 Pro.

Heat issues or no, Apple’s supply of the new phones is still catching up to demand. Order an iPhone 15 Pro today, and you won’t receive it until late October. For the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it depends on the color and capacity you want, but most versions aren’t being delivered before mid-November.

  • merikus@lemmy.world
    17·
    9 months ago

    I still really want to understand what those apps are doing in the background to cause this in the first place.

  • Zeppo@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    121·
    9 months ago

    Hmm, sounds like it’s iOS 17 and not specifically the iPhone 15. It might be a good idea to wait to upgrade.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      9 months ago

      Yeah, since beta 1 people have been reporting some of these overheating issues with apps that have not been updated for the new OS. Meta slept on this for like 2 quarters.

      Also, the hardware seems really unlikely if the pro and non pro logic boards are heating up (different chip, different enclosure material), as well as old iPhones and iPads running 17.

      Looks like no one in the press decided to take a day to see if this was reproducible on other phones.

  • WindyRebel@lemmy.world
    4·
    9 months ago

    I read about the heat issues and thought it was baloney until my phone randomly started to heat up big time the other day while just browsing the web to read articles and use Voyager (my lemmy app). I ended up locking the screen and putting it down to cool down. It hasn’t happened since, but I do hope they figure it out because that was crazy weird!

      • Nogami@lemmy.world
        123·
        9 months ago

        You mean that some youtuber who makes money off of views and clicks may not have done an entirely accurate portrayal of real world use?

        I’m shocked. /s

        I’ll trust CR’s testing methodology over “bend it with your fingers”.

        • downpunxx@kbin.social
          37·
          9 months ago

          you’re goign after zach? lol, the most legit human being, much less youtuber in the history of ever?

          • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.worldEnglish
            41·
            9 months ago

            True, Zach is one of the better YouTubers, and he does make a good point.

            If you got the Max Pro 15, and not the 15 Pro, or 15 Plus, you may want to proceed with caution if when you try as hard as you can to break it like a glow stick.

            I bought the regular pro so can continue to do this without worry.

            • Nogami@lemmy.world
              21·
              9 months ago

              Think you missed the sarcasm.

              But if you’re not trying to break it it’s likely not going to be an issue. He may have also just been unlucky with a defect. Oh well. AppleCare+ here.

        • Polar@lemmy.ca
          27·
          9 months ago

          Firstly, he’s done it with every iPhone and none of them failed before.

          Lastly, consumer reports has been proven to be fraud lol.

          But whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better about your purchase.

          • Clegko@lemmy.world
            51·
            9 months ago
            1. So? He also bent a fucking iPad Pro after applying needless force to it. No one else had a fuckin problem.
            2. Citation needed?
            • Polar@lemmy.ca
              24·
              9 months ago

              If every previous phone didn’t bend using the same test, but the current one did, there’s an issue with the current phone.

              Enjoy being an Apple apologist, though.

              • Clegko@lemmy.world
                32·
                9 months ago

                I’m gonna listen to people who scientifically test devices, not some dickhead who is widely known to hate Apple.

                • Polar@lemmy.ca
                  15·
                  9 months ago

                  You mean the consumer reports that had 1 point of contact on the old iPhone, and 2 points on the new one, meaning less stress on the back?

                  Very scientific…

      • Polar@lemmy.ca
        16·
        9 months ago

        They tested the previous iPhone with a different machine, different position, and single point of contact.

        Why link a fraud company?