Apple warns of overheating iPhones


3 Jul 2009

Apple has warned that its new iPhone 3G S gets hot during usage and has issued a warning against leaving it inside cars in hot weather. The new device will throw up a temperature warning if it overheats.

In a warning note, Apple recommends: “Operate iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a place where the temperature is between 0C and 35C (32–95º F). Low- or high-temperature conditions might temporarily shorten battery life or cause the device to temporarily stop working properly.

“Store iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a place where the temperature is between -20C and 45C (-4–113F). Don’t leave the device in your car because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.”

The company said that symptoms to watch out for in case the iPhone is overheating are dimming screens, inability to recharge, weak cell signal and, of course, a temperature warning that states: ‘Warning. iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it’.

The iPhone 3G S comes with a faster processor than its predecessor, the 3G model. The original 3G device came with a 400Mhz processor, whereas the latest model comes with a blisteringly fast 600Mhz application processor and this it is feared could be the cause of the overheating problem.

By John Kennedy