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iPhone 15 Pro Max 15 Pro Max overheating playing AAA games. At what point is it too hot and potentially a fault?

I

ISignedUpToAskThis

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 28, 2022
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A family member (running the latest public version of iOS) recently installed a few AAA games on their 15 Pro Max for the first time (Alien Isolation, Resident Evil Village etc).

He's had the phone since November and hasn't experienced any excessive heat whatsoever, however within minutes of running any of these games the handset heats up considerably, to the point it's uncomfortable to hold. There aren't any warning messages or anything like that, and the games seem to run OK.

He does not use a case (just a screen protector), and a case helps but is still very hot. Either way - he shouldn't have to use a case just to play a game, right?

I've never had these issues myself (rarely play games), and I always thought that a previous iOS update was supposed to have resolved the overheating issue?

Does this sound like a potential fault? Is there anything he can do in terms of changing settings to improve it? Will Apple do anything about it if it was taken to an Apple Store?

Thanks
 
Normal.
When I used my older iPhone in the desert in an un-air conditioned room (>96°F) I’d have to strap it to a small frozen blue ice pack that was wrapped in a sock. Phone stayed cool then.
 
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ISignedUpToAskThis said:
A family member (running the latest public version of iOS) recently installed a few AAA games on their 15 Pro Max for the first time (Alien Isolation, Resident Evil Village etc).

He's had the phone since November and hasn't experienced any excessive heat whatsoever, however within minutes of running any of these games the handset heats up considerably, to the point it's uncomfortable to hold. There aren't any warning messages or anything like that, and the games seem to run OK.

He does not use a case (just a screen protector), and a case helps but is still very hot. Either way - he shouldn't have to use a case just to play a game, right?

I've never had these issues myself (rarely play games), and I always thought that a previous iOS update was supposed to have resolved the overheating issue?

Does this sound like a potential fault? Is there anything he can do in terms of changing settings to improve it? Will Apple do anything about it if it was taken to an Apple Store?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Heat can ruin a Lithium battery’s lifespan. I’d bet there are other games he can play that don’t cause a heating issue.
 
It was a marketing presentation to sell more iPhones. The big ticket was ray tracing capabilities of the GPU.
They said the iPhone 15PM can play AAA games, which it now can. They didn’t say it would run cool while doing so.
 
ISignedUpToAskThis said:
Considering how much a point Apple made about supporting AAA games like these when they launched the 15 Pro/Pro Max, you'd think it would handle them better.
Click to expand...
This exactly

When I play Roblox with my kids for crying out loud on my 15 pro (no case, no screen protector), the glass gets so hot it’s bordering on painful to touch with my thumbs. And this in an air conditioned home
 
ISignedUpToAskThis said:
Considering how much a point Apple made about supporting AAA games like these when they launched the 15 Pro/Pro Max, you'd think it would handle them better.
Click to expand...
This exactly

When I play Roblox with my kids on my 15 pro (no case, no screen protector), the glass gets so hot it’s bordering on painful to touch with my thumbs. And this in an air conditioned
now i see it said:
It was a marketing presentation to sell more iPhones. The big ticket was ray tracing capabilities of the GPU.
They said the iPhone 15PM can play AAA games, which it now can. They didn’t say it would run cool while doing so.
Click to expand...
This nonsensical hardline logic is flawed. It shows up in every thread.
“You need to go to the hospital? Wait don’t call an ambulance, I’ll take you there”
I attach you to my dirt bike and drag you down the road
“I said I can take you to the hospital, I didn’t say you’d be comfortable. I am doing exactly what I advertised I’d do”
 
ISignedUpToAskThis said:
Considering how much a point Apple made about supporting AAA games like these when they launched the 15 Pro/Pro Max, you'd think it would handle them better.
Click to expand...
Yes, one would think. The fact that the battery gets hot when playing AAA games tells another tale, however.
 
now i see it said:
It was a marketing presentation to sell more iPhones. The big ticket was ray tracing capabilities of the GPU.
They said the iPhone 15PM can play AAA games, which it now can. They didn’t say it would run cool while doing so.
Click to expand...
Don't know about where you live but here in the UK we have legislation like the Consumer Rights Act 2015, any purchase has to be fit for purpose. If something is too hot to hold when performing a task it was advertised to do (e.g. play AAA games) then it may not be fit for purpose. The issue isn't the phone not running cool, it's that it runs too hot.
 
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iPhone 16 Pro tagline: “Play AAAAA games for longer due to improved graphene cooling solution”
 
Overheating would mean that the phone is producing more heat that it can safely handle. If it happens a message will appear telling you to let the phone cool.

If the phone just get hot then it’s fine it’s how the phone was designed to handle this heavy loads.
 
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Last edited:
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apps.apple.com

‎Thermals

‎Phone running slowly, charging slowly or low brightness? See if your device is overheating using Thermals. Thermals displays your device’s thermal state, as well as how many processors are active on your device and its uptime, as reported by iOS. Thermals helps troubleshoot: • Poor...
apps.apple.com apps.apple.com

This is a basic free app that will let you see the thermal status of your iPhone.


Are you charging your phone while playing the games? Charging and heavy usage really increases the heat production in my experience.
Screen brightness also is worth considering.
 
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