While we didn’t spot anything to complain about in our iPhone 15 Pro review or iPhone 15 Pro Max review, there are widespread reports that these devices run unusually hot a lot of the time – a problem that Apple has now admitted.
In a statement shared with MacRumorsApple says there are “a few conditions” that could cause the handsets to run hotter than they should: increased background activity during the first few days after installation, an unspecified bug in iOS 17 that is “affecting some users,” and certain third-party apps that “overload the system”.
The third-party apps specifically mentioned by Apple are Instagram, Uber and Asphalt 9: Legends, although there may be others. The good news is that this can all be fixed with a software update, which is now in the pipeline.
The Pro models of the iPhone 15 have the faster A17 Pro chip, but according to AppleNeither this nor the titanium materials used around the handsets contribute to the overheating. In other words, it is a software problem rather than a hardware problem that we are dealing with here.
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Apple says it is working with third-party app developers to ensure their apps behave, while the iOS bug will be fixed in iOS 17.1. That update is now in beta, so we don’t have to wait too long for it.
Previous reports from experts had suggested that Apple might have to throttle the A17 Pro’s performance to limit instances of overheating, but that won’t be the case, Apple says. The company also says that the overheating does not pose a safety risk and will not affect the phone performance in the long run.
It is difficult to estimate how many people have experienced this overheating problem: it certainly does not apply to everyone, but it is clear that some users certainly see it (or rather feel it when they put their fingers on the back of their iPhone).
Early users of the iPhone 15 have also reported a number of other issues. An installation error that affected those upgrading from another iPhone was quickly resolved, while the titanium frames on the Pro and Pro Max models became discolored due to fingerprints – something Apple says is only temporary.