Apple CEO Tim Cook greets customers who will purchase Apple’s new iPhone 15 during a launch event at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store in New York City on September 22, 2023.
Alex Rosenfeld | Getty Images
Apple Saturday that it will issue a software update that would address user complaints about the latest iPhone 15 models, released just over a week ago, running hot.
Apple said the new iPhone models were running hot due to a combination of bugs in iOS 17, bugs in apps, and temporary setup time.
An Apple spokesperson told CNBC:
“We have identified several conditions that could cause an iPhone to run warmer than expected. The device may feel warmer in the first few days after setting up or restoring the device due to increased background activity. We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is affecting some users and will be addressed in a software update. out.”
After Apple released the new iPhone 15 models earlier this month, user complaints on Apple forums, Reddit, and social media suggest that the four models could be hotter than expected during practice. CNBC’s review of the new iPhone Pros also noted that the iPhone 15 Pro Max was hot.
“I got the iPhone 15 Pro today and it’s so hot I can’t even hold it for long!” wrote one commenter on the Apple forums.
Apple’s new 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 problem with the new models was not overheating related to the design of the titanium chassis, Apple said.
Instead, Apple identifies bugs with specific apps and bugs in iOS that can be fixed with software updates. Apple said that the upcoming iOS 17 update to address the issue will not reduce the performance of the devices.
Apple’s website says users may notice phones feel warmer when booting from standby, when charging wirelessly, using apps or playing graphics-intensive games. , or streaming high quality video. Apple says it’s normal for devices to warm up during heavy use, and if iPhones don’t display a temperature warning, they’re safe to use.
Still long lines
People wait to enter an Apple Store in New York, as the iPhone 15 is introduced, September 22, 2023.
Scott Mlyn | CNBC
So far, the new iPhones seem 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 higher compared to their predecessors (e.g., iPhone 14 Series), and the 15 Pro Max boasts the longest lead time we’ve seen historically across any SKU since. we have been monitoring lead time data,” JPMorgan analysts wrote in a note last week.
But one prominent 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 had launch issues in the past but they haven’t had a major impact on the company’s long-term outlook.
The iPhone 4, launched in 2010, had a design flaw that could cause calls to be dropped. Apple offered free cases to alleviate the problem. 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.
