Apple May Treat Overheated iPhones Like Waterlogged iPhones: You’re SOL
11:28 pm, July 2nd, 2009, Jonathan Zschau
As the issue of overheating iPhones heats up, Apple might be preparing to point the finger at iPhone owners who fail to keep their iPhones within acceptable temperatures.
Apple recently updated its knowledge base advising iPhone owners how to keep their devices within acceptable operating temperatures.
For many, this was not the answer they were hoping for because Apple’s solution to an apparent defect appears to be to place the burden on the user to ensure their iPhone’s temperature remains within an acceptable range.
What’s troubling about Apple’s position is that it sets the stage for Apple to adjust its iPhone service policy based on the argument that damage caused by overheating the iPhone is the fault of the iPhone’s owner — not Apple.
Remember how Apple resolved the problem with the iPhone’s oversensitive moisture sensor, which some claimed was activated by sweat?
That’s right, if you bought an iPhone with a defective moisture sensor that subsequently gets tripped by sweat or humidity you have to pay Apple $199 for a replacement under the theory that Apple cannot confirm that your iPhone was not exposed to water.
Sound familiar?
Now that Apple has begun to warn iPhone owners of the potential risk of operating iPhones at high temperatures, Apple might begin treating overheated iPhones the same way as iPhones that appear to have been exposed to water.
After all, the iPhone does warn you if its temperature gets too high. Will you be penalized for not taking measures to cool it down? Apple could be embarking on a slippery slope.
Over the course of the last week complaints have surfaced about Apple’s new iPhone 3GS’s propensity to overheat. Although there is little doubt that some sort of defect is afoot, most reports have done little more than repeat the same story: iPhones overheating and, in some cases, turning brown.
Some have speculated that the defect is related to the iPhone 3GS’s new high capacity battery or its 600 MHz processor. Some have blamed the iPhone 3GS’s GPS unit. Others have pointed the finger at the iPhone 3.0 Software — citing the fact that their older iPhone 2G’s and 3G’s had been showing signs of overheating after updating to 3.0.
On June 25, 2009 Apple issued a warning on its support knowledge base indicating that users should take measures to ensure that their iPhones remain (between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F).
What happens if Apple decides to adjust its service policy on iPhones that have been exposed to high temperatures? Suddenly iPhone owners might be forced to pay a premium if their iPhone was used in Southern California or left in a car on a hot summer day. After all, Apple has put iPhone owners on notice.
The jury is still out as to whether this reported issue poses a widespread threat to iPhone owners. Apple, as it appears, certainly feels the same way because they have yet to issue a formal admission to the existence of any manufacturing or design defect. Rather, Apple seems to be hoping that the problem goes away.
Perhaps you can help us gauge how pervasive this problem is?
Is it the new 3GS hardware, a design defect, or manufacturing defect? Does it have something to do with the 3.0 software itself? Or, perhaps, it is a combination of both?
Are the phones overheating completely on their own or under specific circumstances (i.e. running large Apps, iPhone insulated under pillow or blanket, iPhone left in the sun or a hot car)?
If you believe your iPhone has been displaying symptoms of overheating, please contact us with your story in the comments below.
Please explain your iPhone’s symptoms, tell us what model it is and what version of the iPhone OS it is running. What Apps are you using?
Take photos if possible (especially if your iPhone’s body has been affected by high temperatures). We look forward to hearing from you.
Posted by Jonathan Zschau in Apple, Hardware, Opinions, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S | Comment on this article
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[...] http://cultofmac.com/apple-may-treat-overheate-iphones-like-waterlogged-iphones-youre-sol/12543 [...]
OnlyAppleStories.com (applestories) 's status on Friday, 03-Jul-09 06:30:10 UTC - Identi.ca, on July 2nd, 2009 at 11:30 pm
[...] http://cultofmac.com/apple-may-treat-overheate-iphones-like-waterlogged-iphones-youre-sol/12543 [...]
OnlyAppleStories.com (applestories) 's status on Friday, 03-Jul-09 06:45:08 UTC - Identi.ca, on July 2nd, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Jeez, this article is crap! Would you like to ask another friggin’ question?
The story itself is based on NOTHING, but somehow you manged to write 674 about that nothing,
Camillo Miller, on July 3rd, 2009 at 12:01 am
Scathing but unfounded. As you say: “The jury is still out as to whether this reported issue poses a widespread threat to iPhone owners.”
For starters, how hot have phones gotten? IR thermometers are all over the place, but there’s no temperature measurement offered. Just “it got hot.” An appropriate response is not “OMG that’s horrible!” but “How hot is it?”
If you want to accuse based on loose allegations, go ahead, but I’ve used the hell out of a 3G (and 1st getn) from the start, as have many friends, and I know many people who got 3GS’s on the first day too– I have heard nothing but squeals of delight. Nothing about “oversensitive moisture sensors” either– I just don’t believe it.
So, respectfully, STFU until you can offer any real information– you’re throwing around lots of allegations with no facts whatsoever.
Jeff, on July 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 am
Do you think Apple will sue customers with overheated phones? I am very afraid, because in this economy, I don’t quite have the means to defend myself against a lawsuit.
Please, any advice will be appreciated.
Paolo, on July 3rd, 2009 at 2:34 am
Apple can’t be responsible for what some idiots do with their iPhones. We have dozens of 3GS iPhones in our company and NONE of them are over heating. A couple of idiot whiners the all the bloggers go nutso. Get a grip!
Paul, on July 3rd, 2009 at 3:18 am
According to thhis, I should be happy with how events unfolded yesterday. My black 32gig 3GS has been getting hotter than normal for the past few days, then yesterday it just quit. It wouldn’t turn on. Nothing. Went to the Apple storewhere 4 people inspected it for water damage (there was none) before they replaced it free of charge… The unit was still hot after waiting in the store for 1 1/2 hours, so I have to guess it was a faulty battery. Glad to have a new cool operating 3GS, maybe I’m over the heating hump now.
Carl, on July 3rd, 2009 at 7:41 am
If users are using software from the iTunes app store and the phone over heats from that usage than Apple is responsible.
Jeremy, on July 3rd, 2009 at 7:42 am
That day, I was syncing my iPhone 3g with my mac. I left it there n after I checked on it, the batt had depleted n it was not charging. The batt was green at first but became red eve though it was plugged in! The worse thi g wad the iPhone got really hot but the overhearing screen did not come up though. I unplugged it from my com n plugged it into the wall charger n it would not charge so I let it cool down first before plugging it back in n thank goodness it started to charge.
Wen jun, on July 3rd, 2009 at 7:51 am
I have to agree with several other posts here on what a baseless article you have written here. Several of the Mac rags have jumped on, what I have seen so far as one photo of someone who has case discoloration they state is due to overheating. I am a former Lead Genius for Apple and this type of thing makes me crazy. You have no idea, first what you are talking about and second no facts.
Several times you make reference to “defective moisture sensors”. I was with Apple during both the original phone launch and the 3G so I have seen everything when it has come to the iPhone. It was also my experience on MANY occassions that sadly people were less then truthful when it came to their stories about what happened to their phones. I personally tested multiple units to see just how hard it was to submersion sensor. In every single case it took me running the entire unit under the facet to get it to trip the sensor. Yet I have dealt with MANY customers who would come in with both their phone or computer and swear to me they never got it wet. Yet I would take it in the back and crack it open only to find obvious evidence it DID get wet. We do not have to rely on the sensors alone.
This kind of factless, irresponsible “journalism” on your part immediately creates a bad situation for the store Genius who is trying to help the customer. A variety of things can cause the iPhone to run hot. I have seen it myself with my own iPhones. Cases for one. The back of the phone needs to be able to breath. All of these leather, thick rubber, etc type cases impede the ability for it to cool down properly. A common situation would be a hot summer day, iPhone in a case in a pocket and you being on a call with your bluetooth going and all the while Mail is coming in, it’s searching for wifi and a few push notifications are happening and yes I would bet it’s gonna get warm.
If you feel your phone is defective and it is getting really hot just sitting there go see a Genius at the Apple Store. Be honest with them and be nice and they will work with you. Their goal is to take care of you. Do not start throwing an attitude or stating you “read on the Internet…” just describe what you are experiencing. Actual hardware defects are usually easy to reproduce.
But ignore idiotic articles such as this that he obviously pulled right out of his ass…and it needs to go right back there.
Erick, on July 3rd, 2009 at 9:29 am
the “blame the victim” ploy has been an apple weakness for years. trying to blame motherboard problems on a scuff in the case or a bit of dirt on the keyboard or a small dent on an ipod is the one thing that gives Apple a black eye. Usually a letter or two to customer relations departments can do an end run around the stonewall at the genus bar . The damage that these sort of policies do to public perception is somehow lost on somebody in the corporate office. the fact is that people remember bad experiences more than good ones and will talk about them to others more readily than great ones. the net effect is a bad experience has a tenfold effect over a good one. its just not worth it for apple to not make things right when things go wrong. a new product and an apology for the inconvenience will make more money for the brand than a tv advert or a print ad in the long run .
taojones, on July 3rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
These are small powerfull devices, no shit, they get hot. Ther might be millions of them sold and I have seen a picture one one that was faulty. I have neen no other rpeorts apart from that one.
Defects happen. Sometime a fault in design, sometimes a manufactung fault. If you want to keep geting these devices made cheaper and cheaper, then there will be more design and manfactuing faults. Quality costs, and not many are going to pay for the top quality hardware, so the compromise is made, and warrantees exist. I also have phone insurance, so I dont have to rely on the vendor to replace the phone. It’s part of my vodafone contract. I would not want to sign up for 2 years on a plan to have the handset die accidentally or get stolen 3 months in.
In my mind, the boggest defect with iPhone is the shitty ear buds. I went through 3 pairs that all ended up quiet and fuzzy after about a month each. After the accesory warrantee finally would no longer replace them I bought a pair of Seinhiesers, and these have been brilliant. But guess what, they cost more than the stock set.
wait for the devices to ship with x.1, then buy one.
Now if Apple prices for headsets is like everything else, then an NZ$80 pair is probably only NZ$40 worth of gear from someone else (as that is what I paid for a pair of stereo buds with a mic for my old Treo). My current buds were about $140, but As I listen to more postcasts and music now than I did before, I dont mind paying for a more comfortable pair.
Also with technology, not just Apple, never buy the .0 version.
John, on July 3rd, 2009 at 11:20 am
to their credit, apple does specify the operating ranges in the tech specs for the iphone. but today i feel bad for the folks in tucson (currently 95F) and modesto (currently 97F).
and erick, do you really want to claim being a lead genius? in my experience the only thing you guys are geniuses at is passing the proverbial buck. i’m more of an effin genius than you and i’ll take you on head-to-head any day. lame.
Pooch, on July 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
My previous 3G iPhone would get hot to the touch when I would use the maps app and then close out, as if the GPS would keep working even when the app was closed. It would also suck the battery dry rather quickly. I turned off location services and it seemed to remedy the problem, and only used it when I needed it. Kind of a pain, but it kept the battery from dying. When 2.2 came out, the situation seemed to fix itself. No more heat problems or battery dying too quickly. 3.0 seems to deplete my battery faster, or maybe I’m just playing with the new features too much. I took my phone into a dry sauna room (I guess just a friggin’ hot room) so I could listen to tunes, and my temp warning triggered. In hindsight, probably not the smartest thing to do, but the phone still works like the day I bought it, so the protective measures of shutting down the phone when it overheats worked just fine. I’m wondering if it is more of a design flaw in the case and not the phone itself, like maybe it is thinner than previous models and that’s why there appears to be more heat, when it is really just more heat transfer due to thinner material. My 3GS is in an incase slider case and I’ve never tripped the temp sensor or noticed excessive heat.
Daniel Flick, on July 4th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Here is a little followup from my previous post, that again calls this article on Cult of Mac into question.
From MacRumors:
“Reports of overheating and discoloration on the new white iPhone 3GS have been circulating over the past week or so, but a new report [Google translation] from frenchiPhone (via Hardmac) claims that the discoloration is due to contact with some third-party cases and not associated with overheating. The discoloration reportedly can be removed by wiping the back of the iPhone with alcohol.
- After numerous calls to Apple technical service and maintenance of contact with a level 3 (engineer) the problem seems to come not from a hot 3GS but contact with some covers! This was evident by ourselves on a device with a small sticker (a warning not to listen to music too loud) remained stuck, part of the hull below remained white.
- A simple solution to the problem is to clean the back of the iPhone with alcohol, tested by myself I can confirm that it works and reassure you it is safe for your precious
No details have yet been revealed on which third-party cases may be responsible for the discoloration.”
Erick, on July 5th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Iphone 3G overheated, sent to apple, they sent it back saying that the liquid indicators were red however my phone never got close to coming into contact with any liquid.
Vinny, on July 17th, 2009 at 5:28 am
I am one of the folks who got screwed by Apple because of the defective moisture sensors, or perhaps more specifically, the design defect in the iPhone which makes it malfunction in humid environments.
My Home button stopped working 2 weeks after I purchased my iPhone. I was told by the “Genius” at the Apple Store (hey – does anybody really believe that kids who work in Shopping Malls might be Geniuses? Does Apple think we customers are so dumb that we might believe it? WTF?) that the malfunction was my own fault, due to my immersing the device in water. It never happened.
The store manager told me that I had to pay $200 for a new phone, and that nobody else at Apple would/could help me.
As it turns out, if customers call the main number in Cupertino, and insist on talking to Customer Relations, they will get satisfaction. But the Apple Store misled me on that count, and it is now too late. Customer Relations called the store, trying to get me a refund of my $200, but the friggin’ Genius Assistant Store Manager said no.
The 3 iPhones I bought (well, make that 4) were my first Apple purchase since I bought my first computer, an Apple //c.
I suspect that I will NEVER buy another Apple product, due to this incident. I was treated in a shoddy manner.
Android is looking better and better, and in two years, when my contract is up, I suspect that the iPhone will be just another good phone, with no compelling reason to choose it.
David Westebbe, on August 25th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Jeff Said:
“Nothing about “oversensitive moisture sensors” either– I just don’t believe it.”
Google on the string “iPhone moisture”. Become a believer.
The phone has a design defect. If you are in a humid place, you too could get screwed by Apple.
David Westebbe, on August 25th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Erick Wrote:
“I personally tested multiple units to see just how hard it was to submersion sensor. In every single case it took me running the entire unit under the facet to get it to trip the sensor.”
Erick- please google on the string iPhone Moisture.
You may modify your stance based upon what you find.
David Westebbe, on August 25th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
“and erick, do you really want to claim being a lead genius? in my experience the only thing you guys are geniuses at is passing the proverbial buck. i’m more of an effin genius than you and i’ll take you on head-to-head any day. lame.’
I find it insulting that Apple thinks I’ll believe that some kid who works at a mall store is a Genius. In my experience, folks like Einstein and Newton rarely settle for a career in retail.
David Westebbe, on August 25th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
“Iphone 3G overheated, sent to apple, they sent it back saying that the liquid indicators were red however my phone never got close to coming into contact with any liquid.”
Vinny – Call customer relations at the main Apple number, 408-496-1010.
Do NOT allow them to transfer you to tech support. Insist on Customer Relations. You may get your phone swapped out for free.
David Westebbe, on August 25th, 2009 at 3:13 pm