iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.

iPhone 15 Pro lineup
Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup process, suggesting that the higher temperatures might sometimes be a temporary condition.

The Wall Street Journal quoted a customer who felt his iPhone 15 Pro Max remained hotter than his iPhone 13 Pro Max a few days after setting up the device:

Thomas Galvin, a 23-year-old from Cleveland, says his iPhone 15 Pro Max has been "super hot" and that he is considering returning it. Apple customer support told him the heat was a result of setting up the new phone, but even a few days later, it is still "way worse than the iPhone 13 Pro Max," he said.

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.

On Wednesday, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the titanium frame on iPhone 15 Pro models negatively impacts thermal efficiency. Kuo believes that Apple will likely address the issue through software updates, but he said improvements may be limited unless Apple lowers the performance of the A17 Pro chip.

Apple has not commented on the concerns, and it's unclear if the company will actually make any software optimizations in future iOS updates.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15 Pro

Top Rated Comments

Velin Avatar
8 months ago
The complaints are heating up.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrono1081 Avatar
8 months ago
I don't buy into "overheating" hysteria. 99% of the time people conflate "getting warm" to "overheating" because they don't understand that chips get warm when doing things and what sounds hot to a human isn't hot to a computer chip.

If it's truly overheating, the screen will dim, the device will stutter, and eventually shut off. That's overheating.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
motm95 Avatar
8 months ago
Although it got warm during setup and maybe for the first day afterwards while it was indexing and downloading messages and all that, my 15 Pro Max is now operating at normal temperature. No overheating issues here and it is a great phone.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RalfTheDog Avatar
8 months ago
Step 1, pull the pin.
Step 2, count to three.
Step 3, throw phone at enemy and duck.

(I am not sure why you would want to throw an iPhone at a duck.)
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skyscraperfan Avatar
8 months ago
And yet hundreds lined up in Dubai to get one. It seems it is more suitable for Alaska and Iceland.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macman01101 Avatar
8 months ago
I have a 15 pro max, 512gb, natural titanium, and I use without a case.

I’ve had it since launch day. It’s done indexing, etc.

My phone gets extremely hot when:
- updating apps in App Store
- using podcasts app
- charging with apple chargers and cables (both wireless and usbc)
- I was using safari last night trying to book a car and got the hottest I’ve ever felt. Had to close safari and heat dissipated. Wasn’t able to reproduce.


Gets noticeably hot during:
- normal phone call

Haven’t tried:
- FaceTime
- IG

I’m strongly considering returning it.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Apple Music Messages and Notes Feature 1

iOS 18 Rumored to Add New Features to These 15 Apps on Your iPhone

Tuesday April 30, 2024 10:44 am PDT by
Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, and new features have already been rumored for many apps, including Apple Music, Apple Maps, Calculator, Messages, Notes, Safari, and others. Below, we recap iOS 18 rumors on a per-app basis, based on reports from MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and others: Apple Maps: At least two new Apple Maps features are...
maxresdefault

Apple Event Rumors: iPad Pro With M4 Chip and New Apple Pencil With Haptic Feedback

Sunday April 28, 2024 6:19 am PDT by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined some of the new products he expects Apple to announce at its "Let Loose" event on May 7. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. First, Gurman now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro models will be equipped with Apple's next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that...
iPad Pro OLED Feature 2

Apple to Use 'Best OLED Panels on the Market' for Upcoming iPad Pro

Monday April 29, 2024 10:04 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models will feature "by far the best OLED tablet panels on the market," according to Display Supply Chain Consultants. Set to be announced on May 7, the OLED iPad Pro models will feature LTPO (a more power efficient form of OLED), a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, and a tandem stack and glass thinning that will bring "ultra-thin and light displays" that support high...
iOS 18 General Notes Feature 2

iOS 18 Rumored to 'Overhaul' Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness Apps

Sunday April 28, 2024 6:44 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iOS 18 will "overhaul" many of Apple's built-in apps, including Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness. Gurman did not reveal any specific new features planned for these apps. It was previously rumored that the Notes app will gain support for displaying more math equations, and a built-in option to record voice memos, but this is the first time we have...
iPad Air 5 Colors

Apple's M1 iPad Air Drops to New Low Price of $399.99 at Best Buy

Monday April 29, 2024 7:12 am PDT by
Best Buy today has discounted Apple's M1 iPad Air (64GB Wi-Fi) to a new all-time low price of $399.99 in the Starlight color option, down from $599.99. Best Buy says this deal will last through the end of the day, and it's only available in one color at this record low price. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
ios 17 5 repair state

iOS 17.5 Includes 'Repair State' Option That Doesn't Require Turning Off Find My for Service

Tuesday April 30, 2024 1:24 pm PDT by
With iOS 17.5, Apple is adding a "Repair State" feature that is designed to allow an iPhone to be sent in for service without deactivating Find My and Activation Lock. The fourth iOS 17.5 beta that came out today adds a "Remove This Device" option for all devices in Find My, and using it with an iPhone puts that iPhone into the new Repair State. Right now, sending an iPhone to Apple to be...