Some Users are Reporting That the iPhone 15 is Getting Too Hot
A number of reports of the new iPhone 15 models overheating have emerged according to several publications that are either citing anecdotes online or have conducted independent testing.
Since the iPhone 15 models went on sale last Friday, September 22, numerous reports of overheating have popped up. 9to5Mac reports the issues affected all four versions of the phone — the 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. The Wall Street Journal has also reported on the issue, but it is focusing on the iPhone 15 Pro specifically.
While there are some who are reporting the issue as “widespread,” that description is not necessarily entirely fair, as the claims are centralized on X (formerly Twitter) and there are just as many, if not more, stories of no overheating issues as there are reports of a problem.
Apple does have a support page that addresses times when an iPhone might get too hot or too cold. On that list, Apple points to both initial setup and restore from backup as being times when the device can feel warmer. As many users were just getting their phones this weekend, either could have triggered the spikes.
Beyond that possibility though, some reports claim that recording 4K video leads to overheating. However, during PetaPixel’s review, which was shot entirely on iPhone, it never had an issue with overheating during video recording. Additionally, while PetaPixel did see a warning that the phone was getting too hot at one point during photo use, that warning quickly disappeared and at no point would the temp of the phone be described as too hot to handle.
116-degrees, which 9to5Mac reports the phone reached via an infrared camera, is quite hot and is getting close to the 125-degree threshold where holding it for a couple of minutes can actually cause a burn. While it doesn’t appear to be getting there, for some the temperature it is reaching is far hotter than is comfortable.
Android Authority reports that across all flagship devices in the same category as the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone can get the hottest.
“My survey indicates that the iPhone 15 Pro series overheating issues are unrelated to [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company]’s advanced 3nm node,” analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a Medium post.
“The primary cause is more likely the compromises made in the thermal system design to achieve a lighter weight, such as the reduced heat dissipation area and the use of a titanium frame, which negatively impacts thermal efficiency. It’s expected that Apple will address this through software updates, but improvements may be limited unless Apple lowers processor performance.”
The Wall Street Journal echoed similar thoughts that the phone’s design may be at fault. Apple has not publicly commented on the issue.
