However, the company has not set a timetable for when its software will be fixed
After users of the new iPhone15 models complained about their phones overheating, Apple is blaming Instagram and other popular apps for the problem.
The US tech giant claims, according to the Independent, that a software bug linked to the Meta-owned app was one of the reasons users reported that its latest range of smartphones launched last month , overheated so much that users could not touch them while performing certain tasks. The company is working on an update to its latest iOS 17 operating system, which serves as the software for the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Meta has acknowledged the issue, which some users have dubbed “heatgate,” and modified the Instagram app in an attempt to prevent it from heating up the device. Other apps blamed for the problem, such as Uber and the video game Asphalt 9, have yet to receive updates, according to Apple. There’s also no timetable for when Apple’s own software patch will roll out, but the company said no security issues should stop iPhone 15 owners from using their devices while they wait for the update.
“We have identified certain conditions that may cause iPhones to run hotter than expected,” Apple said in a brief statement. It’s not uncommon for new iPhones to overheat during the first few days of use or when restored with backup information stored in the cloud — issues that Apple already points out to users. Devices can also get hot when using apps like video games and augmented reality technology that require a lot of processing power, but the heating issues with the iPhone 15 models have gone beyond these typical situations.
In its response, Apple emphasized that the problem was not caused by the new titanium housing used in the state-of-the-art iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, instead of the stainless steel used in older smartphones. Apple also shot down speculation that the overheating problem in the new models may be linked to a shift from its proprietary Lightning charging cable to the more widely used USB-C port that allowed it to comply with an order issued by European regulators.
Although Apple has expressed confidence that the overheating problem can be fixed quickly with upcoming software updates, it could reduce sales of its product at a time when the company has faced three consecutive quarters of year-over-year declines in overall sales. The recession weighed on iPhone sales, which fell 4% overall in the nine months spanning Apple’s last three fiscal quarters compared with a year earlier.
Apple is trying to boost sales in part by raising the starting price for the flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max to $1,200, a 9 percent increase from last year’s flagship model. In its acknowledgment of the iPhone 15 overheating problem, Apple said the planned software update would not affect the phone’s performance, which analysts had warned was likely.
