The iPhone 4 gets hot enough to damage the reflective backing on the retina display.

[audieddie]

After a long teleconference call, my iphone was blistering hot from extended use.

Hot enough in fact, to damage the backing to the display. Looking at it it's clearly behind any image on the screen; guess I'm gonna visit a genius. I'm not sure what chip or component is under that spot. I'd be curious if anyone could ascertain what it may be.

Here's two horrible images (sorry, only had my wife's 3g to take the pic) trying to show the burn spot. One is on a white field, the second is where I move the image to show it's the display itself and not some image being drawn.

 

[macpluslaptop]

I'm concerned about heat buildup as well. I could fry an egg on mine, and it's started to drop calls when that hot. I never had that issue with my 3G.

 

[MikePA]

After a long teleconference call, my iphone was blistering hot from extended use.

You were on a phone call which caused this? How long was it?

 

[audieddie]

You were on a phone call which caused this? How long was it?

A conference call that lasted about an hour.

Ok. Now that's just bizarre. I grabbed my phone from charging overnight and it was still there. I used it for another call while getting to work and went to show a friend the damage and it's gone. I wonder if it's heat expansion pressing up from behind much like when you press on an LCD screen.

I'm still going to visit the genius bar but I'll have to see if making a lengthy call will do this again.

 

[ouimetnick]

Let us know the outcome. I'm curious to what the Genius will say about it.

 

[audieddie]

Let us know the outcome. I'm curious to what the Genius will say about it.

Color me impressed.

When I made the original post I also on a whim sent an email to steve jobs' email you see posted. It seems he responds on occasion and I figured this isn't a trivial complaint if there happens to be some assembly tolerance issue they'd like to know about.

That bring Said, I just got a phone call from apple executive relations saying on behalf of steve jobs they want to replace my phone and take a look at the one that exhibited the problem! The arranged for me to go to my local store to make the swap.

Heading there now!

While I am heading to the store more info.

The spot is back. It's clearly heat expansion related as I can watch the spot move as the phone heats up. Kinda funny to watch happen. It's something pushing from the back and changes as it gets hotter.

I'd say this is an isolated incident, but curious. At least I'm getting a new phone.

Thanks Mr Jobs!

 

[mrguru]

I Thought i was the only one, ive noticed it get hot not being charged when im doing more intensive things. the area where the battery is i feel it as pretty warm.. ill keep an eye on it to see for myself. as well.

 

[audieddie]

Back from the store, exemplary service.

As the phone heated up from use, you could even see the spot move across the face of the screen. When I described it to the genius guy, and he saw it he made an interesting hypothesis which I find a valid explanation. He surmised that the excess heat was enough to make the battery swell; the tighter tolerances in the body is such that that minor swelling in my case was just enough to force up against the display and cause the effect. Seems reasonable in light of the spot moving as it got hotter, and how it did look like the kind of color/image distortion you get when you press on an LCD screen.

Anyways, all taken care of in record time. I'm still a bit stunned at how an email to Steve Jobs, heading up a company with millions of customers and billions of liquid assets got me a replacement phone in under 24 hours.

 

[danpass]

Back from the store, exemplary service.

As the phone heated up from use, you could even see the spot move across the face of the screen. When I described it to the genius guy, and he saw it he made an interesting hypothesis which I find a valid explanation. He surmised that the excess heat was enough to make the battery swell; the tighter tolerances in the body is such that that minor swelling in my case was just enough to force up against the display and cause the effect. Seems reasonable in light of the spot moving as it got hotter, and how it did look like the kind of color/image distortion you get when you press on an LCD screen.

Anyways, all taken care of in record time. I'm still a bit stunned at how an email to Steve Jobs, heading up a company with millions of customers and billions of liquid assets got me a replacement phone in under 24 hours.

getting burned/popping batteries is a much bigger deal than signal loss



I consider this a legitimate 'cool story bro'

.

 

[vistadude]

This has to be one of Apple's worst engineered products. How could the battery get so hot from normal use as to swell? Why did they decide to make the back out of glass that shatters? And why would they make an antenna that drops calls when you put your hand on the phone?

It looks like they are not testing their products properly anymore.

 

[trainguy77]

Color me impressed.

When I made the original post I also on a whim sent an email to steve jobs' email you see posted. It seems he responds on occasion and I figured this isn't a trivial complaint if there happens to be some assembly tolerance issue they'd like to know about.

That bring Said, I just got a phone call from apple executive relations saying on behalf of steve jobs they want to replace my phone and take a look at the one that exhibited the problem! The arranged for me to go to my local store to make the swap.

Heading there now!

I had this exact same thing happen when I had out of warranty issues with my x1900. Apple Executive relations told me they wanted to study the card.

Thats great they are looking into the problem.

 

[splizaat]

isnt this right on he opposite side of the processor?? Maybe it's the processor that is causing that spot of heat.

 

[kernkraft]

This has to be one of Apple's worst engineered products. How could the battery get so hot from normal use as to swell? Why did they decide to make the back out of glass that shatters? And why would they make an antenna that drops calls when you put your hand on the phone?

It looks like they are not testing their products properly anymore.

This has been going on for a while.

But another issue with the iPhone 4...

Another face palm is in order.

 

[neilk]

Not a fanboy, but a couple of hot phones out of 1.7 million sold is not a problem, more of a minor issue that would be hard to detect unless every single phone went through a one hour test before being sold.

Not a story, unless this becomes widespread.

Now get a life and spend it with your family.

 

[audieddie]

Not a fanboy, but a couple of hot phones out of 1.7 million sold is not a problem, more of a minor issue that would be hard to detect unless every single phone went through a one hour test before being sold.

Not a story, unless this becomes widespread.

Now get a life and spend it with your family.

Got a great life. Spend almost all of it with the family when I'm not running my company, but thanks for the concern

 

[neilk]

Got a great life. Spend almost all of it with the family when I'm not running my company, but thanks for the concern

Well thanks for taking my comments in stride. I was making a joke of a recent Steve Jobs e-mail thread that turned being faked where "Jobs" tells the e-mail recipient "Retire, relax, enjoy your family. It is just a phone. Not worth it."

You can read more about it here.

Have a good weekend,
Neil

 

[audieddie]

Well thanks for taking my comments in stride. I was making a joke of a recent Steve Jobs e-mail thread that turned being faked where "Jobs" tells the e-mail recipient "Retire, relax, enjoy your family. It is just a phone. Not worth it."

You can read more about it here.

Have a good weekend,
Neil

LOL! I guess I need to read the internets more. my bad. Have a good weekend too.