Apple CEO Tim Cook greets customers purchasing Apple’s recent iPhone 15 during a launch event on the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in Recent York City on Sept. 22, 2023.
Alexi Rosenfeld | Getty Images
(*15*)
Apple said on Saturday that it will issue a software update that may address customer complaints in regards to the latest iPhone 15 models, released just over a week ago, running hot.
Apple said that the brand new iPhone models were running hot due to a combination of bugs in iOS 17, bugs in apps, and a temporary set-up period.
An Apple spokesperson told CNBC:
“We have now identified a few conditions which could cause iPhone to run warmer than expected. The device may feel warmer in the course of the first few days after organising or restoring the device due to increased background activity. We have now also found a bug in iOS 17 that’s impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update. One other issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps which can be causing them to overload the system. We’re working with these app developers on fixes which can be within the technique of rolling out.”
After Apple released the brand new iPhone 15 models earlier this month, user complaints on Apple’s forums, Reddit, and social media suggest that every one 4 models can get hotter than expected during use. CNBC’s review of the brand new iPhone Pros also noted the iPhone 15 Pro Max got hot.
“I just got the iPhone 15 Pro today and it is so hot i am unable to even hold it for very long!” wrote one commenter on Apple’s forums.
Apple’s recent high-end models, the $999 iPhone 15 Pro and $1,199 iPhone 15 Pro Max have a redesigned titanium enclosure with an aluminum frame to make them easier to repair. The issue with the brand new models overheating was not related to the titanium chassis design, Apple said.
As an alternative, Apple points to bugs with specific apps and a bug in iOS that will be fixed with software updates. Apple said that a forthcoming iOS 17 update to address the issue won’t reduce the performance of the devices.
Apple’s website says that users may notice phones feeling warmer after they’re arrange from a backup, after they’re wirelessly charging, using graphics-heavy apps or games, or streaming high-quality video. Apple says that it’s normal for devices to be warm after they’re being heavily used, and if iPhones don’t display a temperature warning, they’re protected to use.
Still long lines
People wait in line to enter an Apple Store in Recent York, because the iPhone 15 is introduced, September 22, 2023.
Scott Mlyn | CNBC
(*15*)
To this point, the brand new iPhones appear to be selling well, with ship times for the devices sometimes stretching out for weeks, and long lines appearing in front of Apple stores on launch day.
“Interestingly, lead times for the 15 Pro Max, 15 Plus and 15 are tracking more elevated relative to their predecessors (e.g., iPhone 14 Series), and the 15 Pro Max is boasting the very best lead time we’ve seen historically across all SKUs since we’ve been tracking lead time data,” JPMorgan analysts wrote in a note last week.
But one notable Apple supply chain analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, said last week in a blog post that the iPhone 15’s heat problem could hurt sales.
Apple has faced high-profile launch issues up to now but they have not seriously impacted the corporate’s long-term outlook.
The iPhone 4, launched in 2010, had a design flaw that may lead to calls being dropped. Apple offered free cases to ameliorate the issue. In 2012, shortly after the launch of the iPhone 5, Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized for Apple Maps being buggy and unreliable. The iPhone 6 released in 2014 was criticized for bending under pressure.