Widespread reports are circulating about the iPhone 15 overheating, seemingly across all models. Measurements taken with an infrared camera show temperatures as high as 116F.
The issue appears to affect all four iPhone 15 models, with some owners reporting that their phones get too hot to even hold without a case – including 9to5Mac’s Ian Zelbo …
Some users, like Zelbo, reported the issue while charging using a wired connection.
My iPhone 15 Pro Max is almost too hot to touch while fast charging right now. I thought people were exaggerating, but no, this isn’t great.
Interestingly if I’m holding it, the left side rail and a little of the back on the left side is what is the hottest by far… lines up perfectly with the logic board.
Past 70% battery percentage, it seems to have cooled down significantly (still hot but comfortable in the hand). 25-60% was the worst by far.
Others, though, report the same issue while not charging, including when using the phone for relatively undemanding tasks like browsing social media.
It should be noted that it’s not unusual for iPhones to get hot during the first 24 hours or so after setup. Especially when doing setup from a previous phone, or from an iCloud backup, there can be a lot going on in the background during this period: reinstalling apps, re-indexing, and so on.
However, the reports we’re seeing – including from reviewers given early access to the phones – go well beyond this initial setup period.
Korean YouTuber BullsLab did some testing with a Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera. These provide a visual representation of the temperatures detected, with some models – including the one he used – able to display the actual temperatures measured.
Top comment by jorn
When we first got our phones, my wife reported that her 15 Pro Max was annoyingly warm. I’d suggested that this was likely due to post-migration background tasks, and that it should improve by the next day.
This seems to have proved out.
In his tests, he showed temperatures as high as 46.7C, which is 116F – though this was admittedly during demanding use (benchmarks and games).
However, many are experiencing less extreme versions of the problem even with very undemanding tasks, like Android Authority’s Aamir Siddiqui.
During long use sessions, often when switching between chat apps and watching reels on Instagram. The phone gets hot in the space on the right side, across the bottom of the camera island. This is without gaming, without being plugged in for a charge, and on Wi-Fi, so the heat is inexplicable.
Looking at reports on X, the iPhone 15 Pro Max seems to feature a lot, but this may be selection bias: The flagship model is likely to have been the choice of many of those keen enough to place their orders rapidly enough to get launch day delivery.
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