Users are reporting the hottest new iPhone of the year is literally hot to the touch…will airlines start banning the iPhone 15 due to concerns over fire risk?
Will Airlines Begin Banning iPhone 15 Due To Overheating Concerns?
Numerous reports are out in which iPhone 15 users complain that the device heats up to such a degree that it becomes untouchable when charging or during heavy use like playing a game or speaking on FaceTime. We’ve seen many complaints like this:
“It gets so hot that I’m afraid to touch it and it hurts my leg in my pocket.”
“It got to the point where I couldn’t hold the phone anymore.”
Jeeez my iPhone 15 Pro Max is almost too hot to touch while fast charging rn…
— Ian Zelbo (@ianzelbo) September 25, 2023
Thus far, Apple has not publicly commented on these device-specific complaints, instead directing customers to its general page on overheating iPhones. That’s not only a problem for consumers but may be a problem for airlines too.
We’ve seen a number of cases in which mobile phones have caught fire. In fact, airlines now carry special bags and protective gloves that flight attendants can use to handle and dispose of a phone that catches fire onboard. Look around on your next flight and you will see that if there are USB ports or plugs, people will be charging their phones. If it is the very act of charging that is a key temperature trigger, it would not surprise me if someone got injured…and then for airlines to (over)react out of an abundance of caution.
Hopefully, Apple will not have to throttle performance in order to keep the device temperature lower, but the bevy of complaints is disturbing.
CONCLUSION
It is true that many electronic devices, not just the iPhone 15, tend to warm up when heavily used, but my older iPhone does not. There appears to be something different about the iPhone 15 that goes beyond anecdotal reports. While Apple remains silent on this, if it is true that it continues to heat to a degree it becomes untouchable, I have to wonder whether airlines may resort to banning it over safety concerns.
Do you have the new iPhone 15? Have you experienced an overheating problem?
image: Apple
Mobile phones are outrageous , in so many ways . I was hospitalized and in rehab after being rear-ended by a mobile phone-playing daft dolt .
Didn’t airlines ban a Samsung model a couple of years ago for just that?
My cousin had a Samsung note (2016?) That phone exploded while charging. I don’t know if there are others before that model that had issues.
Don’t quote me but I think you’re talking about the Samsung Galaxy 8.
It was Samsung Note 7
What a bunch of BS!! I got the new iPhone 15 Pro Max on the launch day (get the new one every year so can give the old on to wife and the each kid gets the “newest” older in the house) and I am a heavy user to the point the battery gets into the red zone by end of the day. Absolutely no issues. Zero problems in getting hot after using it for a full week. I love when one guy has a problem and it turns into a huge deal.
I love when one guy doesn’t have a problem and it’s no longer a huge deal.
From macrumors.com which is the best place to read Apple News:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/iphone-15-pro-overheating-concerns-highlighted-in-two-more-reports.2405278/
“The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern said her iPhone 15 Pro Max did heat up while charging and performing processor-intensive tasks, such as gaming, but she said her iPhone 14 Pro Max reached similar temperatures in the same test. During typical everyday usage, Stern said the temperature of both devices was in a normal range. Many customers on social media have also said their iPhone 15 Pro is not experiencing any overheating, and the lack of hard data makes it unclear if there is a widespread problem.”
You will see the majority says “no issues at all”.
I think the issue is not that a majority are having this problem, but that some are . Even if it is 5%, that is a very big problem.
If you read the real sources, it is the powerful chip that gets very hot when people use it at its capacity. I said I am a heavy user of iPhone but I do use it for basic things like Zoom, emails, web, photos, etc… Now, gamers are probably the ones having issues as they use the phone for something that really uses the chip. Apple can easily limit the usage of the chip with a software update and normal users like me will not even notice it. Simple fix that I doubt 99% of the users will even know about it.
I have the iphone 15 pro max and there has Not been any issues of heating up or overheating. Its BS.. someone is getting paid for tbis false information. Perhaps our beaugiful Samsumg colleagues. Because they know how bad ass the phone is. Why you think they moved tbe launch of the s24 to January? People do t believe the BS. APE.WOULDVE SAID.SOMETHING ALREADY…
From what I read there are tens of thousands of testimonials online to them over heating. Many getting temp readings of up to 112 degrees. That’s a bit more than one guy.
Amazon sells these fire-resistant bags for lithium batteries. Not sure if that helps.
It was note note 7
The Samsung phone that was banned was because of the case physically interfering with the battery at the corners. I wouldn’t think heat from the iPhone’s CPU is cause for similar concern and as you mentioned, if it does get to be a safety concern, I’m sure Apple would rather roll out an update that throttles the CPU rather than take on the PR nightmare of having it banned on airlines.
I have a new iPhone 15 Pro … and ZERO problems … what ARE these people doing with their phones???
I don’t know – but this is making headlines in major publications. Surely it is not all just made up. I mean those WMDs are buried somewhere.
Great at parties.
They might be usi g them as vibrators…
I have the iPhone 15 Pro and had the overheating issue within the first hour of use. Phone was charging while data was being restored from the cloud. Phone got extremely hot and got message that charging was being paused till the phone returned to normal temperatures. This was indoors with AC and no direct exposure to sunlight. I think it is only an issue with the Pro models using the new Titanium band. Titanium is not as good at dissipating heat. Previous phones that were banned actually caught fire due to design flaw. I don’t think we’ll see that happen to the iPhone 15.
Same. For day 1 iPhone 15 pro. No issue whatsoever. Do think Apple should address it but from what I’ve read: I think it’s the iOS 17 because other people on older models are complaining about overheating too.
Some of the iPhone 15 “overheating” rumors are also from anti Apple clubs or YouTubers/influencers that don’t even have their hands on an iPhone so that they can get clicks. To say banning iPhone 15 pro just because of overheating while running cpu intensive task is such an overstretch.
I like iPhones but the stylish design notoriously hinders battery life and cooling. They’re pretty and thin out-of-the-box but nobody who doesn’t want them cracked will carry them around that way so into a protective case they go undermining the style and exacerbating cooling and battery issues. The heat can’t vent as well and the case may interfere with radio communications drawing more current and therefore battery and heat.
In the old days, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, mobile phones were designed to be sturdy without a case with rubber grips and a (gasp!) user replaceable battery. Instead of having to walk around with your phone plugged into a charger, you’d carry a spare battery and swap it out. Ask gramps.
I sure miss my Nokia 3310.
Multi color cover plates and batteries were available at Walmart.
IIRC, the only game available was “snake”.
This discussion improperly conflates two quite different issues. A device becoming uncomfortably hot during use does not imply a battery problem that might lead to runaway heating and explosion.
A hot CPU and a hot battery are both problematic. It isn’t clear (yet) what the problem may be.
They already announced it’s an iOS 17 issue and a fix is incoming.
That’s interesting…and somewhat validates this story.
Details here:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/09/30/apple-responds-to-iphone-15-pro-overheating/
@Matthew: all the article says is that 3 apps are causing heavy use of the chip and they are working with the developers to understand what is going on. The phone itself does not seem to be the problem. My iPhone 15 Pro Max runs cooler than my previous one.
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/09/30/apple-iphone-15-pro-overheating-details/
I think (I’m not sure), that this may have more to do with how the iPhones that followed the iPhone 11 dissipate the heat generated by the internal processors. My iPhone 12 gets ridiculously hot every now and again and I know people with the 13 and 14 that have had similar experiences. In short, I’m not sure this is an ‘issue’ that’s just related to the iPhone 15 .
Apple has identified the problem…..
https://www.macworld.com/article/2088105/iphone-15-pro-overheating-ios-17-bug-app-updates.html
Yes, my iPhone 15 overheats and I’ve taken it back. The new replacement phone is not overheating so much. YET.
Ridiculous headline just for click bait. Overheating issues is not the same as phones catching on fire.
When this happened to the Samsung devices (both Galaxy and Note) it devastated their reputation for YEARS. If Apple doesn’t find an over the air fix, this could be very damaging to them at the worst time.
Apple has indicated they will push out a software fix. They also claimed they are asking the developers of some popular apps — such as the Instagram one— pushing out their own fixes to try to tone down the heat production problem.
I have to wonder if Apple is getting sloppy in not properly considering these issues even well before they are in position to ship out new devices.
It’s not the phone it’s the iOS 17 software causing the problem. My 14 Pro Max got extremely hot after I downloaded the iOS 17 BETA. As the BETA got closer to the official release the problem started to go away. This is why said they would release an update to deal with the problem.
Funny people are saying “my iPhone don’t do that”. Last I recall, best buy has several stores across the country and not one reported a note 7 exploding and they always were on the charger.
Apple needs to say something now or ban them.
I have no problem with my iPhone 15 pro.
It is perfect and one of the best design – light and slim,
I have used iPhone for the past 8 years. Not a single issue.
I guess it depends on the users.
I love IPhone for its simplicity.
Today i returned the IPhone 15. It’s the peace of sh!t. It was very hot and charge goes down to 30% after 4 hour usages. The camera don’t have a stability when you moving it. IPhone is sh!t for insta users.
I got the iPhone 15 pro and while transferring data and setting up the new phone, it was hot! Not warm, really hot to burn skin. With a fuel around it, fire is entirely possible.
This was predominantly when the apps were all getting updated in the background.
I even considered posting about it since i got my phone on launch day and was actually considering returning the device. But after that initial setup for a week now, it’s pretty much smooth sailing.