Apple has identified the causes of an overheating problem with its latest iPhone series, including a software bug and using certain apps.
The tech company said it would issue an update to fix the bug in its iOS 17 software and was working with developers whose apps had overloaded its handsets. Apple took action after users of its iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max products had complained that they had become too hot during use, reaching temperatures of more than 43C (110F) in some cases.
“We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected,” said Apple in a statement.
The company said on Saturday that it was working on an update to the iOS17 system that powers the iPhone 15 lineup to prevent the devices from becoming uncomfortably hot and was working with apps that were running in ways “causing them to overload the system”.
Apple added that there might also be issues during initial use of the phone. “The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity,” the company said.
Instagram, owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, modified its app last week to prevent it from heating up the device on the latest iPhone operating system.
Uber and other apps such as the video game Asphalt 9 were still in the process of introducing their updates, Apple said. It did not give a timeline for when its own software fix would be issued but said there were no safety issues with the iPhone 15 in the meantime, nor would it affect the phone’s long-term performance.
The company said the software update would not affect the phone’s performance.
Last week the iPhone maker’s community forum carried customer complaints about an overheating problem with the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.
“I’ve had the new iPhone 15 Pro and it’s so hot, it’s too hot to hold,” wrote one user. Another wrote: “My skin hurts! What is going on with iPhone 15 Pro Max?”
Ben Wood, the chief analyst at CCS Insight, said: “It is interesting to see that Apple has responded to the concerns around the iPhone 15 Pro devices getting hot. There was always an option to tweak the software to mitigate thermal issues and this appears to be the approach it has taken.”
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Experts speculated that the iPhone 15 Pro, powered by a powerful new Taiwan-made chip, was overheating because its titanium-made wrap might be less effective at dissipating heat than the stainless steel case used by its forebears.
However, Apple said in its statement that the heating issues were not related to the titanium case. The company added that the problem was not related to a shift from its proprietary Lightning charging cable to a USB-C port that allowed it to comply with EU regulations.
The iPhone 15 went on sale on 22 September. In the UK, it costs from £799 for the basic model ($799 in the US) to £999 for the Pro ($999 in the US) and £1,199 for the larger Pro Max ($1,199 in the US).
