iPhone heat issue much ado about nothing
OK, folks, it's time to step back, take a deep breath, and relax.
(Credit:
Apple, Inc.)
There has been a lot of talk today about Apple supposedly admitting it has heat issues with the new iPhone 3GS. The simple fact is that is not true.
What Apple did do is update a previously published tech note advising customers of the safe operating temperatures of the iPhone. Now, why would Apple do this? Because it does it every time it releases a device like the iPhone 3GS. It's standard procedure for the company to continually update tech notes for all its products.
If you're not familiar with them, tech notes are a way for companies to offer advice, best practices, workarounds, and other tidbits of information for their customers. They are not a way to advise customers of disastrous heat issues that they may have with a device.
For whatever reason, some people picked up the tech note today and wrote that Apple had admitted to an overheating issue. Here's what the tech note actually says.
Apple recommends that you don't:
- Leave the device in a car on a hot day.
- Leave it in direct sunlight for extended amounts of time.
- Use certain applications in hot conditions or direct sunlight for long periods of time, such as GPS tracking in a car on a sunny day or listening to music while in direct sunlight.
I hardly see that as an admission that there are heat issues. Best practices for operating the iPhone, sure.
I've been through several incidents over my 15 years of covering Apple where warnings were issued about products. Whether it was a notebook battery or a power cord, we usually learned of the problem from Apple, and they were always quick to respond and to offer replacements.
It is true that Apple has been quiet about this so far. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because they have not been able to replicate the heat issues some users are reporting.
You will know when Apple acknowledges a serious problem like this. It won't come in the form of a tech note. It will come directly from a company representative.
Jim Dalrymple has followed Apple and the Mac industry for the last 15 years, first as part of MacCentral and then in various positions at Macworld. A guitar player for 20 years, Jim also writes about the professional audio market, examining the best ways to write and record songs on a Macintosh with Logic Pro and Pro Tools. Jim is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. 
Are there going to be a few (1%) defective iPhones? Yes, there are, just like there are defective TVs, defective laptops, defective cordless razors, etc. These may get hot doing normal things because they are defective.
But the broader belief that because a computer gets hot, it's defective is false. Look at the software.
Any fix apple would release through software would be to limit the ability of third party apps to even use 100% of the processing power.
As for not using a device after letting it sit in a hot car or direct sunlight...
Check the warnings for any electronic device you buy. Do not use in direct sunlight is usually one of the warnings.
Electronics have two sets of temperatures. The storage temperature range, and the narrower use temperature range. Desktop computers aren't supposed to even be used in environments over 90 degrees in most cases, nor are laptops. That an iPhone can work at temps greater than that is a testament to it's design, and to the fact that phones need to place calls even in bad weather. But one can't expect that you can use it at 100% power for long periods in very hot weather. That would be foolish...
I agree with you. All iPhones are defective. Even it's camera sucks"
Grow up
I agree with you. All iPhones are defective. Even it's camera sucks"
Obviously you know nothing of sarcasm. I think it's time for someone to take their ritalin. Let us know if you ever get a clue.
Also, what kind of camera do you honestly need on a phone? Are you using it for professional photography, or do you need hi-res pics of your friends sloppy drunk on facebook?
This issue may be only in few phones. Looks like mine is one of them.
Still really much ado about nothing.
Apple is really not "crap."
I agree. It's mostly certain posters that are "crap" by having absolutely nothing productive to say about anything.
i know its not best to send people into a panic about it, but they will let someones house burn down before they even acknowledge there is a problem. they sound like every other company that has had to have a mass recall and been afraid to admit it. They hope that they run damage control now and hope that people will stop talking about it or treat it like its a non-issue.
That is silly. The iPhone has a plastic shell. It might melt. It might even burn. It can't glow from the heat. The batteries among other parts would explode long before that.
PS. The one action everyone can do to reduce oil consumption is keep their tires inflated. It also helps to change your oil and spark plugs. (Spark plugs are less of a deal now than in the past). Also get rid of any excess weight you are lugging around in your car.
When a very small thing like tire inflation can have a very big effect on US oil consumption, it is stupid at best not to do it.
That's not from heat. It's just the normal effect of the plutonium core.
Care to cite these?
What a bunch of hooey! I don't need to be told about how Apple handles crisis management when it screwed up, especially by an Apple Apologist. This is pure whitewash by an Applehead."
Just flat out ignorant!!
whitewash
whitewash (hwìt´wòsh´, -wôsh´, wìt´-) noun
1. A mixture of lime and water, often with whiting, size, or glue added, that is used to whiten walls, fences, or other structures.
2. Concealment or palliation of flaws or failures.
I rest my case!
Chk1272. Get a grip and get educated:
whitewash
whitewash (hwìt´wòsh´, -wôsh´, wìt´-) noun
1. A mixture of lime and water, often with whiting, size, or glue added, that is used to whiten walls, fences, or other structures.
2. Concealment or palliation of flaws or failures.
I rest my case!"
If that is resting your case, then please don't ever try to be a lawyer, because you have yet to provide proof of anything. You just "whitewash" by providing conjecture and innuendo. Educate yourself.
My new 3GS does not get nearly as hot (so far).. watched 2 Diggnation shows back to back and it was even fairly cool to the touch. Maybe because I was inside in 73 degree air conditioning.
i mean., i'd never personally use and iProduct, since they're overpriced, underfeatured pieces of garbage, but that's just m opinion.
the fact is, as electronics get more powerful, their operating temperatures rise, this is not exclusive to the iPhony.
i <3 WinMo, HTC 4 Life!
I would like to know what EXACTLY constitutes "hot", and what should I watch for? I agree that some devices may be faulty, but CERTAINLY not ALL of them.
So, if one determines they have a faulty 3GS iPhone that heats up excessively, what should one do? How does one go about fixing the problem? Do we return the phone to the Apple store and get a new one. How easily is this done? Are they going to require it to be tested or spend time "in the shop"? If that's the case....um, NO! IMMEDIATE replacement should be the answer to this problem.
Under a pillow? Ok, try this...take your laptop, turn it on, start watching a video and then cram feathers into all of the vents. It should be fine, right? How dare my phone not work in the absence of air!"
OMG this was too funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Google or Bing or whatever you use and look for thermal issues on this model. There are plenty of photos of discolored cases caused by the problem, as well as thermal shutdown notices on the screen. There are even screen captures of the Apple notice suggesting end users should avoid using the cell phone radio or wifi for extended periods. Apple can try to bury the issue and probably will succeed, but there is plenty of proof out there if you just search for it.
For more fun, go look at the threads about screen quality- the demo models in the stores are NOT what people are getting in the production run and are running into poor quality screens with a yellowish tint to them. That's another story thread that keeps getting axed by Apple, but fans are starting up new ones nearly as fast as Apple can delete them.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9730116
Good luck with that conspiracy theory.<sarcasm>
Conspiracy? Nah, just SOP for Apple. You can make up your own mind why they delete negative threads like that. They certainly aren't going to say.
Your bias is showing..."
and their idiocy as well. I'll be glad when grade school starts back up.
So, you run with your iPhone tied to your head? I would love to see that.
Which part of "under direct sunlight" don't you understand?
So, you run with your iPhone tied to your head? I would love to see that."
The trolls would have to get out of their parent's basement before they could get direct sunlight, that rarely happens.
I'm one of those affected by this overheating issue and if by simply using my phone causes it to overheat then it's an obvious design flaw, despite what lies the ****-sniffing hippies at Apple spew. [CNET editors' note: Prohibited content deleted.]
You can't be serious, are you? So when navigating on a summer day you gotta stop every other hour to put the device into a refrigerator to let it cool down? LOL, I guess I better stay with my HTC smartphone...
You don't need to run anything. Leaving your iPhone (or any smart phone, or camera, or camcorder, or PDA) under direct sunlight for hours is not a good idea. That's just common sense.
Name a specific unit.
- by Maclover1 July 3, 2009 6:09 AM PDT
- I dont own a iPhone, but I remember some 6-7 years ago, leaving my BB phone in the center console of my car for a few hours on a hot day. When I came back it was vibrating like crazy and it was locked up. I pulled the battery and threw it in the glove box. 15min later is was fine.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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Showing 1 of 3 pages (117 Comments)The iPhone is no different. Direct heat or something running it at full speed will.....I dont know heat it up?