[Infowarrior] - Apple Issues Heat Advisory for iPhone 3G, 3GS

[Richard Forno]

Wednesday July 1, 2009

Apple Issues Heat Advisory for iPhone 3G, 3GS

http://www.gearlog.com/2009/07/apple_issues_heat_advisory_for.php

Whether anecdotal reports of iPhones overheating are true or not,  
Apple has taken them seriously enough to reveal the presence of a  
temperature warning screen for the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

Here's the deal: an unknown but probably very small number of iPhones  
have been affected by overheating, to the point that some white iPhone  
3GSes have allegedly turned pink. Sascha Segan, our phone analyst,  
said he hasn't seen any such problems with his iPhone 3GS, however.

Apple, however, has issued what some might call a "common sense"  
warning: a support document that warns users not to keep the iPhone in  
an environment where temperatures can exceed 113 degrees Fahrenheit,  
including parked cars.

But Apple also warns that CPU-intensive applications, such playing  
music or using the GPS while in direct sunlight may also overheat the  
iPhone.

In that case, actually using the iPhone in temperatures over 95  
degrees can also trigger the temperature warning. "Low- or high- 
temperature conditions might temporarily shorten battery life or cause  
the device to temporarily stop working properly," Apple warns.

Obviously, summer temperatures in many locations top 95 degrees.Las  
Vegas, for example, has forecasts topping 100 degrees for the next 10  
days; Phoenix routinely climbs above 103.

So what will happen? Read on.

Apple also says that the iPhone 3G and 3GS should not be stored where  
the temperature can fall under -4 degrees Fahrenheit, or used in less  
in temperatures under 0 degrees F.

If the phone exceeds those temperatures, Apple says, the iPhone may  
stop charging, its display might dim, a weak cellular signal may be  
experienced, and the temperature warning screen on the left may also  
appear. Apple's support document implies that there's a temperature  
sensor of some sort built in to the iPhone 3G or 3G S

If that happens, Apple says, you'll need to let the iPhone cool down  
before you use it again, although the phone may be able to make  
emergency calls during that time. How long will that take? Apple  
doesn't say.