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iPhone 6+ playing Pokemon Go in the sun causing thermal throttling.

ImpulseStrike00

ImpulseStrike00

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 16, 2015
13
2
Sugar Land, TX.
I've been walking about an hour a day playing Pokemon Go in 100 degree weather. So naturally my iPhone 6 plus doesn't like this. Every time I walk it dims the screen to a level that I can barely see it.

Im not complaining, I know this is an extreme condition. I'm just wondering if there is something I could do to keep it cool. I'm reluctant to take it out of its white Speck case for fear of dropping it, and I cant always feel the Pokemon vibration when I have it in my pocket.

Mainly posting because I found it funny that this is even happening :D.
 
StarkCity

StarkCity

macrumors 6502a
Sep 11, 2013
560
477
California
ImpulseStrike00 said:
No. First thing I change on my iPhone is max brightness, and auto brightness off. Its just trying to keep the components from getting damaged.
Click to expand...

Interesting. It gets 130 degrees here. Hit 124 last month. I work outside all day, have for years and have never had that happen. Mine does however, go right to this screen. No warnings...... Just shuts down.
31ecd4421ad646eaa79d0ec06f284cbf.png
 
ImpulseStrike00

ImpulseStrike00

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 16, 2015
13
2
Sugar Land, TX.
StarkCity said:
Interesting. It gets 130 degrees here. Hit 124 last month. I work outside all day, have for years and have never had that happen. Mine does however, go right to this screen. No warnings...... Just shuts down.
31ecd4421ad646eaa79d0ec06f284cbf.png
Click to expand...
yeah, I've had that on my iPad before. Don't know if it matters but I'm on ios 10 beta.

again, not really stressing me out. Phone works great, when its not in constant direct sunlight.

Thanks for your interest.
 
Newtons Apple

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,253
Jacksonville, Florida
It is hard to cool a closed device like a iPhone as it depends on the case helping to get rid of the heat. You case actually holds the heat in and with the temp outside and screen brightness set high and high CPU use, it will overheat for sure.

Without these built in safeguards your iPhone would damage itself.
 
Gav2k

Gav2k

macrumors G3
Jul 24, 2009
9,216
1,608
Yep dimming screen in relation to heat is a thing. Run a gps based app in the sun and it'll do as above until it hits the ceiling to trigger the overheat screen.

Op - buy a black golf umbrella ;)
 
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M

MattXDA

macrumors 6502
Aug 18, 2014
477
470
UK
You aren't wrong about it being the heat, it dims the display when the phone is getting too warm. This can also be observed when playing intensive games.
 
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willmtaylor

willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Oct 31, 2009
10,314
8,198
Here(-ish)
C DM said:
I've seen other posts in different threads describing the same type of behavior in relation to heat (it also doesn't seem like everyone said that that wasn't the case).
Click to expand...

Gav2k said:
Yep dimming screen in relation to heat is a thing. Run a gps based app in the sun and it'll do as above until it hits the ceiling to trigger the overheat screen.

Op - buy a black golf umbrella ;)
Click to expand...

MattXDA said:
You aren't wrong about it being the heat, it dims the display when the phone is getting too warm. This can also be observed when playing intensive games.
Click to expand...

Learn something new every day.

Found this in Apple Support pages:
image.jpeg
 
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cableguy84

cableguy84

macrumors 68000
Sep 7, 2015
1,757
2,610
Same thing happens to mine. Never had this on my smaller iphones, but you have to remember the plus has a larger surface area to attract heat
 
HEK

HEK

macrumors 68040
Sep 24, 2013
3,547
6,080
US Eastern time zone
Ok get an ice pack, probably one that you can re-freeze. Next put the iPhone in a plastic sandwich bag. Preferably ziplock type. Experiment with brands and types to find one with clearest plastic. Rubber band the plastic bag enclosed phone to the ice pack. Probably want some sort of insulating backing, foam, cloth, top off old soft side cooler etc. this way you can hold the whole thing without hand getting too cold.

The iPhone will get hot due to hard CPU use, screen at bright, and radio chips working hard. If ambient temp is in 90s to 100s the phone turned off is already close to thermal max. Having a case on it further insulates phone from dissipating the heat.

These are simply physical laws you can't get around. A phone with a huge finned heat sink still can't cool lower than the ambient surrounding temperature. Add placing on a hot surface, or in sunlight and you are at the limit fast. The screen will dim and finally thermal safety shutdown will occur.

Only way is to get rid of the heat by something cooler absorbing it. In the car I will hold my phone in the air conditioning air stream of vent for a few minutes to bring temperature down. I know the rig in first paragraph is cumbersome but if you must use the phone in high ambient heat with screen at 100% to see in daylight there just is no other way.
 
HEK

HEK

macrumors 68040
Sep 24, 2013
3,547
6,080
US Eastern time zone
Newtons Apple said:
If you are going to "ice pack" your iPhone you better keep it in a ziplock as the higher humidity will cause moisture to condense on the cold phone and in the device and possibly set off the moisture sensors.
Click to expand...
Dah, try reading my post again, I specifically mention putting phone in zip lock type plastic bag.
 
B

barkomatic

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2008
4,520
2,821
Manhattan
ImpulseStrike00 said:
I've been walking about an hour a day playing Pokemon Go in 100 degree weather. So naturally my iPhone 6 plus doesn't like this. Every time I walk it dims the screen to a level that I can barely see it.

Im not complaining, I know this is an extreme condition. I'm just wondering if there is something I could do to keep it cool. I'm reluctant to take it out of its white Speck case for fear of dropping it, and I cant always feel the Pokemon vibration when I have it in my pocket.

Mainly posting because I found it funny that this is even happening :D.
Click to expand...

If you're iPhone is starting to be affected by the heat than your body may not be far behind. Maybe delay your obsession until it gets a little cooler? :D By the way, I'm not criticizing, as I have the game myself. However, I refuse to go outside extensively until its in the low 80's. That's Pokemon season.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
Not kidding when I say you could bring an umbrella. Or just spending to shocked the device from direct sunlight. You may look like my grandma, but we actually busted out our umbrellas in Vegas two weeks ago when it was 112...
 
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