Filed under: Hardware, iPhone, iPod touch
What happens when your iPhone overheats
The iPhone Blog has posted a screenshot of a warning screen that the iPhone 3G produces when it's over heated. According to Apple, it's totally legit. From the Knowledge Base: "Operate iPhone 3G in a place where the temperature is between 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F) ... If the interior temperature of iPhone 3G exceeds normal operating temperatures, you may experience [the] Temperature warning screen."Here in New England, we don't see temperatures above 95º F often. Still, I have felt it heat up pretty good after playing music for two hours straight during a summertime commute. It does get cold, however, and two weeks ago we saw a frozen iPod come back to life. It's nice to know that these devices can survive (or protect themselves from) temperature extremes.
[Via Macenstein]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dennis said 8:46AM on 5-11-2009
Wow, there are entire months in Texas during the summer where the temperature doesn't go below 95 degrees. And those months all happen rihgt after they would probably release this new software. Can you imagine every person in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona not being able to use thier iphone because the phone thinks its too hot out? They will certainly have to rethink that "feature".
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Brian said 9:17AM on 5-11-2009
It gets below 95 at night in Texas over the summer. Just clarifying...
Michael Jones said 10:19AM on 5-11-2009
Good point, but this isn't part of the new software. It's been there since at least iPhone OS 2.0. It just doesn't show up very often.
Unknown said 10:46AM on 5-11-2009
I exaggerate..but only slightly..
Check out JUly 27th from last year..
the average temp for the whole day was 94 degrees.
and if you woke up at like 2am..you could have seen 82 degrees
http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KDFW/2008/7/27/DailyHistory.html
greggsymington said 8:53AM on 5-11-2009
I had this happen to me last year! No one believed me!
http://www.modmyi.com/forums/general-iphone-chat/275131-iphone-needs-cool-down-before-you-can-use.html#post1739711
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JKT said 4:53PM on 5-11-2009
To be fair, reading thru the whole thread it seems that about 2/3 believed you and simply asked for more info or discussed with each other where to find that string in the OS. Just because nobody else has seen it doesn't mean nobody believes.
Joe RIckerby said 9:00AM on 5-11-2009
I like how iPhone refers to itself in the 3rd person!
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Greg said 5:11PM on 5-11-2009
"I need to cool down before you use me."
Admit it, it would be better.
Robert said 9:40AM on 5-11-2009
My wife and I were washing our cars a few weeks ago. It was one of the first real sunny days in awhile. I plugged my iPhone into a boom box dock to play while we washed. I sat it just inside the garage door to keep from getting water on it. The shadows shifted before we finished her car. Suddenly, the music stopped and I had that same temperature warning screen. I left it inside to cool down. Then I wondered if there was an API someone could use to convert the iPhone into a thermometer.
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Thomas said 9:46AM on 5-11-2009
Unlikely since it would be measuring the internal temperature of the workings of the iPhone.
iPod Touch said 10:24AM on 5-11-2009
You can see the iPhone demonstrating this at [Link Removed] if you can figure out how to raise the temperature...
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puhsitch said 6:48PM on 5-11-2009
That was a pretty useless simulation. What can you do with it other than accidentally click on ads?
Also, comment-spamming is generally frowned upon here.
L3 said 10:58AM on 5-11-2009
If we had A2DP, we could simply pop the iPhone into that garage freezer and stream to the receiver...
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Jordan Running said 11:31AM on 5-11-2009
I didn't realize this was news, or I would have taken a screenshot a couple months ago when I left my iPhone (running 2.0 firmware) in the car on a sunny spring day. It took me about 15 minutes of holding it up to the A/C vent to get it cooled down enough that it would let me use it. Pretty funny. You can still slide to get the keypad in case you need to make an emergency call.
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Panolo said 12:00PM on 8-09-2009
I have already seen this on an iPhone left in a closed, locked car here in Arizona. it goes away when it cools off.
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Lee said 12:26PM on 5-11-2009
I live in the UK and this has only happened to me once, when I was in Australia and I left my iPhone on the passenger seat in the car on a sunny day, needless to say it was baked. It was hot to the touch and the temp screen was suprising.
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Geoff said 1:47PM on 5-11-2009
I have never seen this. That is crazy. I know they have issues in the cold, but not the heat. I guess I won't store my in the oven.
[Link Removed]
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oliver hart said 4:28PM on 5-11-2009
People like you make me sick. Take your free macy's gift cards and go back to myspace
duh said 2:09PM on 5-11-2009
Wow. I live in Texas and boated with my iPhone last summer while playing music through the boat speakers. No heat issues on the 100+ degree days.
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chesleyn said 12:59PM on 6-25-2009
I live in Los Angeles. The other day one of the radio stations was giving away a trip to Texas. First prize was a 2 night stay. Second prize was a week long stay.
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