Apple Working on Fix for Bug Causing iPhone X Display to Become Temporarily Unresponsive in Cold Weather

[thadoggfather]

Doesn't really matter what the core issue is. If they can fix it via software, they're going to. The alternative is replacing hardware .... but with what ? Clearly Apple didn't do enough testing of the hardware's behavior in cold temperatures. They'd have to come up with an improved design, test it, then manufacture it. That's a 6+ month process.

What do u mean it doesn’t matter what core issue is? Of course it does?

If it is hardware and this isn’t a real fix with software lots of cold climate folks are gonna be hurting with their purchase

 

[pika2000]

Even after paying 1000$?? Would you tolerate that if you new TV did that or Playstation/Xbox did that?

The Playstation and Xbox were littered with bugs on their launch day, to the point that they are still updating firmwares till today even on their latest iterations. Heck, remember how Sony tends to brick PS3s everytime they released an update?

 

[C DM]

Let's go with your car analogy. You bought a shiny new car with 4wheel drive for 100k and you drove up the mountain because the car company said it's the best 4wheel drive car ever built. And now up there, due to cold wether, the 4wheel drive went unresponsive. Please elaborate your reaction to that event? I hope you would say "it's a new hardware.. bound to have bugs"..

Plenty of recalls and similar things happen with cars to address things of that nature. Is that somehow new?

 

[drzen]

These sort of issues are going to leave Apple with egg on their face. The apologists always like to say how Apple is never first to market (OLED, wireless charging, IP rating etc) but when they finally do, their implementation is always great.

Well, maybe there is an advantage to "move fast and break things" early, so that you don't subject a huge swath of people to beta testing your ultimate flagship product.

This is the tenth year Apple has been producing iPhones. And this is a major issue with a core function that's inexcusable.

Glad I bought my 8 - even if it is a "7s", it just works.

 

[macTW]

Let's go with your car analogy. You bought a shiny new car with 4wheel drive for 100k and you drove up the mountain because the car company said it's the best 4wheel drive car ever built. And now up there, due to cold wether, the 4wheel drive went unresponsive. Please elaborate your reaction to that event? I hope you would say "it's a new hardware.. bound to have bugs"..

Lol way off. More like, you bought the car but realized car play didn’t work yet so you waited until there was an update.


You seriously think a phone with almost everything ont he exterior new should work perfectly? That’s not a joyful or realistic view of life.

 

[2010mini]

I'm willing to bet that that is only for the CPU. If it has a 2nd temp sensor, put it in airplane mode and ask Siri what the temperature is. She should be able to tell you, right ?

Siri tell you the temperature based on weather data from National weather site. That is a total different thing. That is not how an internal sensor works.

For anything to give you an exact ambient temperature, the device would need a probe. Your car for instance has one if it tells you the outside temperature.

 

[Minato1990]

as a Canadian this is unnaceptable.
What the ****. They better get this **** fixed before Winter comes fully in Canada!

 

[nextuser]

Keep waiting, it will always be something for people to bitch about, technology is never perfect.

Technology is supposed to get better over time though

 

[FelixDerKater]

Will there be an X Extreme edition like the Galaxy Actives?

 

[jdillings]

So I guess we know what will be included in next week's Patch Tuesday release

 

[firewood]

I'm willing to bet that that is only for the CPU.

There are a ton more temperature sensors in an iPhone than the ones on the CPU cores and the Li-Ion battery controllers. Siri knows nothing about them. Google "temperature compensation of capacitive touch sensors", and you will get a ton of research papers and device data sheets on the touch sensor controller chips. The barometer chip and accelerometer/gyroscope chips also have their own internal temperature sensors and compensation circuits and/or hidden little DSP processors. There's probably even a few more of those temperature sensors on an iPhone for other things.

 

[Tech198]

This sends chills though my spine..

Many sensors could fail.

Technology is supposed to get better over time though

It does, but with improvements u always gets failures many, in the same area when you introduce new features.....

So, standing outside the circle "nothing is really ever improved" just more and more fixes forever

 

[pierce1979]

Welp... I guess i’ll chalk this up to another perk to living in San Diego.

 

[nofunsir]

Ah yes... the ol' if (temperature.isCold()) { display.disable()} bug.

 

[Delgibbons]

Thankfully we're not just coming into Winter

 

[FelixDerKater]

What are the chances it is actually a software flaw?

 

[69Mustang]

IF YOU HAVE THIS ISSUE, TAKE A MINUTE AND REPORT IT TO APPLE.

They don't know how big a problem is unless they get reports of it. The more the better. Don't rely on someone else to do it for you. The more that report it, the larger of an issue they will see it is and the faster they'll fix it.

Although that is generally good advice, this particular issue has boiled up to the top.
"We are aware of instances where the iPhone X screen will become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment. After several seconds the screen will become fully responsive again. This will be addressed in an upcoming software update."

 

[Fattytail]

I wonder if this is an issue related to OLED? It’s an “organic” light emitting diode after all......

 

[PhillyGuy72]

Temporary solution?

 

[3rdiguy]

Get all of this ironed out so that when the Plus model arrives things are in working order

 

[Essaux]

Most expensive phone ever, but only for indoor and summer use.

 

[jonnysods]

Naaaa. All it takes is wiper fluid to get rid of the bugs...

Actually tonight it's snow. First Snow fall of the season tonight sadly...

 

[nextuser]

Most stupid answer ever. Even a 100000$ car has issues. Grow up.

So if your 100000$ car stopped working in cold weather, that would be OK?

Sure the car may have issues, but the steering wheel and brakes shouldn't stop working because of a bug

 

[iMi]

It’s like ya calibration issue of some sorts.

In drastic temperature changes the capacitive screen input values will change. Thus meaning that a touch might yield a output value of 1 instead of 5.

They simply need to readjust to the new average pressure/input faster instead of waiting for 3-5 mins
[doublepost=1510281429][/doublepost]

Might as well always buy 3 year old iPhones.

Thank you for the explanation. Learn something everyday!
[doublepost=1510294277][/doublepost]

It’s like ya calibration issue of some sorts.

In drastic temperature changes the capacitive screen input values will change. Thus meaning that a touch might yield a output value of 1 instead of 5.

They simply need to readjust to the new average pressure/input faster instead of waiting for 3-5 mins
[doublepost=1510281429][/doublepost]

Might as well always buy 3 year old iPhones.

Thank you for the explanation. Learn something everyday!

 

[C DM]

So if your 100000$ car stopped working in cold weather, that would be OK?

Sure the car may have issues, but the steering wheel and brakes shouldn't stop working because of a bug

As if something like issues with hard shifting in some cold weather or starter not always working right away haven't really been affecting some cars here and there through decades of all kinds of manufacturers and models. And recalls or TSBs would get issued to resolve those types of things. Reality of the auto industry since basically always.