The launch of Apple’s new flagship smartphone, the iPhone 15 Pro, is not going as well as the Cupertino tech giant might have hoped. Overheating, NFC chip failures, USB-C charging issues and an overhyped report that it may easily bend have been in the news. Are the issues real or are they simply part of the usual post-launch fault-finding ritual?
The overheating issue
What is it?
Some people have reported that their iPhone 15 (not the Pro versions) can overheat under certain conditions. The iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t suffer from the same issue as its titanium casing dissipates head more effectively than the non-Pro aluminium casing.
What’s the cause?
According to a report from Reuters there are three potential issues at play.
- An identified software bug in iOS 17 that will be remedied in an upcoming software update.
- Some third party apps can “overload” the system. Apple is working wth developers to fix the problem. Instagram had the issue and has already been updated.
- When a device is restored from backup or set up for the first time, there are a number of background processes that run. These should subside after a few days.
What can you do?
Owners of the iPhone 15 should ensure all their apps are updated and that they update iOS 17 when a new release is pushed out through Software Update.
If you have transferred your old iPhone to the new model, the overheating should reduce after a few days.
NFC chip failure
What is it?
There are reports that wireless charging in BMW motor cars puts the iPhone 15 into recovery mode. Once the device reboots, the NFC chip, which powers Apple Pay among other things, fails. At this time, the only way to resolve the issue is to replace the affected iPhone.
Older models do not seem to be affected
What’s the cause?
No-one knows yet. Given we are talking about electricity, magnets and computer chips in close proximity, it’s possible we are seeing something that was designed to work within specific tolerances is working as intended. Neither Apple nor BMW have made any statements.
What can you do?
If you drive a BMW, don’t use the wireless charging pad with your new iPhone 15. If you need to charge while in your Beemer, use wired charging.
USB-C charging issues
What is it?
Some people have found that when they connect an iPhone 15 to a charging brick their iPhone wakes up flat.
What’s the cause?
As I’ve noted before, USB-C is a mess. We have to remember that USB-C is a connector. What happens through that connector depends on what the cable is made to carry (power, data, video or some combination) and what it’s connected to at the other end.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are capable of not only being charged over USB-C but also charging devices over USB-C. For example, you can share some juice from your iPhone 15 to give a friend a bit of power. Or you can charge your AirPods or Apple Watch.
It seems that when the iPhone is connected to some charging banks, it charges the power bank and not vice-versa.
What can you do?
Some folks have found that reversing the cable fixes the problem. Or you may find that the charging brick dedicates one of its USB-C ports for charging so perhaps using a different port can help.
It’s also possible that Apple will add a software toggle that enables you to choose whether the iPhone 15’s USB-C port is used to draw or deliver charge.
Another Bendgate?
What is it?
Every year a new iPhone is released. And every year, there’s some, often confected, controversy about the thin body being too flexible, resulting in bends that can result in broken screens. Back when the iPhone 6 was released, there was an issue according to Consumer Reports.
A YouTube vlogger was able to bend an iPhone 15 Pro Max, causing the back of the device to crack.
What’s the cause?
To be fair, making something made of glass crack is a matter of an applying enough force in the correct plane. So, causing the iPhone 15 Pro Max to crack is not impossible. The real question is whether the ‘test’ conducted by the vlogger was realistic.
Consumer Reports, which was a leading critic when the iPhone 6 faced the first “bendgate” scandal, conducted its own tests and found that “There is some flex in the phone that recovers when the force is released.”
In other words, there’s nothing to see here.
What can you do?
Don’t try to break your iPhone 15 Pro max for a few moments of YouTube notoriety. And handle your iPhone like you would anything else that cost you more than a week’s pay.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.