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iPhone 4s getting warm/hot under normal use?

M

Munch

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 20, 2006
80
72
I just got my 4s yesterday and finding that it is getting quite warm under normal use. For instance, typing several messages in a warm makes the phone warm enough that my hands start to clam up. I don't have a problem with my hands sweating.

I've also had the phone in my pocket and feel the phone heating up, especially the side right under the SIM slot.

Playing a game can also make it warm enough that is noticeable.

Is this normal?

Note: I had a 3GS before and never felt heat like this.
 
From what you describe it could be normal enough. My iPhone 4 can get noticeably warm when I'm using it for an extended period, and games would certainly heat up the CPU. "Hot" would be a problem, i.e. if it feels like it could burn you, but "Warm" is normal enough.
 
Munch said:
I just got my 4s yesterday and finding that it is getting quite warm under normal use. For instance, typing several messages in a warm makes the phone warm enough that my hands start to clam up. I don't have a problem with my hands sweating.

I've also had the phone in my pocket and feel the phone heating up, especially the side right under the SIM slot.

Playing a game can also make it warm enough that is noticeable.

Is this normal?

Note: I had a 3GS before and never felt heat like this.
Click to expand...

Under normal use the phone should be COOL to the touch. If it is hot (like mine was) you have something wrong keeping your CPU at max. In my case it was a reoccuring meeting that was glitching up my phone. Under notifications it was flashing and glitchy looking, my phone was always hot and the battery was horrendous just like everyone was complaining about. I deleted the meeting appt and all my issues went away-cool phone and excellent battery (lasts over 24 hours). I've heard several other people having this issue with a similar fix.
 
rgs3 said:
Under normal use the phone should be COOL to the touch. If it is hot (like mine was) you have something wrong keeping your CPU at max. In my case it was a reoccuring meeting that was glitching up my phone. Under notifications it was flashing and glitchy looking, my phone was always hot and the battery was horrendous just like everyone was complaining about. I deleted the meeting appt and all my issues went away-cool phone and excellent battery (lasts over 24 hours). I've heard several other people having this issue with a similar fix.
Click to expand...

if i watch video like live news on tv shaw its get hot
 
rgs3 said:
Under normal use the phone should be COOL to the touch. If it is hot (like mine was) you have something wrong keeping your CPU at max. In my case it was a reoccuring meeting that was glitching up my phone. Under notifications it was flashing and glitchy looking, my phone was always hot and the battery was horrendous just like everyone was complaining about. I deleted the meeting appt and all my issues went away-cool phone and excellent battery (lasts over 24 hours). I've heard several other people having this issue with a similar fix.
Click to expand...

This is incorrect. When you use your phone to talk it will get hot. Every single cell phone ever made does this. I used to sell cell phones.

Depending on what apps you use, and what processing those apps do, your phone could get hotter or cooler.
 
Getting Hot is a feature for us here in the North East, we just had our first snow yesterday and I was able to keep my hands nice and warm with my new iPhone 4s. LOL. The 4s does run warmer than the 4 just like the 2011 MBP run hotter than the 2010. More processing power in the same form factor will run hotter. No way around it. FYI the fact that it runs hotter should not be a concern, your phone can handle it and it is functioning within specs. Relax and enjoy your technology.
 
Hmm... even in my pocket it is warm. But perhaps because it's glass it is absorbing my body's heat more than the plastic on the 3GS was?
 
same here my 4S gets warm when I use it a lot, also if I am in the car chargiung it, I notice it gets warmer then at home with my wall charger.

I am using the Belkin Mini charger I bought at Best Buy because that was what Apple sells on their site, so I figured it had been tested and approved by Apple.
 
Yes this is normal.

Does your PC or laptop get warm/hot under normal use? Yes, it does.

Does your TV get warm/hot under normal use? Yes, it does.

So will a phone with a powerful processor and the antenna constantly receiving/sending data in a tight, limited ventilated area get warm/hot? Yes, it will.

What's not normal is people asking/saying stupid questions/comments...
 
Yeah, on what planet do phones stay cool to the touch? Sure, if I'm just briefly using it, but any smartphone I've ever had gets a little warm with prolonged use. If you're burning yourself like my old BB Storm liked to try to do to me, then that's a problem.
 
Wicked1 said:
same here my 4S gets warm when I use it a lot, also if I am in the car chargiung it, I notice it gets warmer then at home with my wall charger.

I am using the Belkin Mini charger I bought at Best Buy because that was what Apple sells on their site, so I figured it had been tested and approved by Apple.
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Ok...

That's normal, you just said it yourself, it gets warm when you use it a lot

:confused:
 
Since none of you can actually feel my phone, this is all subjective. But it gets uncomfortably warm on the antenna just under the sim card slot just going through various settings menu on the phone.

Yes, I'll be taking it to the Genius bar to get it checked, but also wanted to gauge the experience of everyone else.
 
My iPhone gets warm when playing games etc and i expected that but not uncomfortable. My iphone 3G gets warm too. Could be heat is transferring better through metal/glass than plastic.
 
The processor IS faster so it would generate more heat, unless they've added some sort of extra cooling to it as well.

Now I'd worry if it was hot to the touch (like close to burn worthy) but warm is perfectly normal. It is, after all, essentially a computer.
 
iEvolution said:
The processor IS faster so it would generate more heat, unless they've added some sort of extra cooling to it as well.

Now I'd worry if it was hot to the touch (like close to burn worthy) but warm is perfectly normal. It is, after all, essentially a computer.
Click to expand...

Almost a computer lol
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

The iPhone 4 got just as hot.
 
Munch said:
Since none of you can actually feel my phone, this is all subjective. But it gets uncomfortably warm on the antenna just under the sim card slot just going through various settings menu on the phone.

Yes, I'll be taking it to the Genius bar to get it checked, but also wanted to gauge the experience of everyone else.
Click to expand...

I had the same problem when the 4 came out, i took it to apple genius and they said there was a fault, they replaced it and the second one did run cooler.

Also i know things get hot when charging but the first 4 i had got red hot and you could not touch the glass back at all, i honestly don't know how the glass did not break!
 
Hi I had the same problem cause of playing mine craft so I closed it and it came down to normal temperature
Thanks
 
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