When Apple introduced the iPhone 15 series in 2023, it elicited mixed reactions due to overheating difficulties that afflicted nearly every handset. The company initially blamed the problem on a startup error and released an update to fix it.
However, complaints have surfaced of iPhone 15 series customers experiencing high temperatures once more. Is this just another problem, or is there a fundamental weakness in the design that has shown as summer temperatures rise? Let’s find out.
iPhone 15 overheating: Is it a software fault or a design flaw?
Initially, the iPhone 15 series’ overheating problem was caused by software flaws, which led smartphones to run unusually hot when booted up. However, as summer temperatures rise, stories of iPhone overheating have resurfaced. While it is usual for phones to overheat in hot weather, the fact that iPhones become inoperable when temps rise is aggravating, to say the least.
The upgraded processor in the iPhone 15 series could be one of the causes of the heating problem. According to Notebookcheck, Apple expected these devices to run warmer than their predecessors. Although this information is unsubstantiated, it offers one plausible reason for the situation. Furthermore, Apple’s contemplation of a Graphene cooling option for the iPhone 16 series indicates that the heating issue is more serious than previously imagined.
How can I keep my iPhone 15 cool?
If the heating problem is caused by a cooling issue, there may not be a single solution. However, you can take numerous actions to guarantee that your iPhone remains within safe operating temperatures.
1. Close the Bluetooth and other settings.
If you feel your iPhone heating up while on the go, the first step is to turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and location services. While these functions are useful, they consume a large amount of computing power, adding to the device’s heat buildup.
2. Remove the casing.
Almost everyone uses a case to safeguard their phone, as repairs can be costly. However, because these cases form an enclosure around the gadget, they trap any heat generated by it. Remove the case in warmer areas to improve airflow and heat dissipation.
3. Turn on Airplane mode.
If your iPhone has already overheated and you need it to cool down immediately, turn on Airplane Mode. This disables all wireless signals and associated processes, saving up system resources and assisting with cooling.
4. Upgrade to the current version.
If the preceding procedures do not work, a software flaw could be to blame for the overheating. In such circumstances, updating to the most recent iOS firmware is recommended, as Apple frequently addresses these vulnerabilities.
It has been reported that Samsung withdrew from the competition to manufacture screens for the iPhone SE 4 because of problems with cost.
BOE Develops as Front-Runner for iPhone SE 4 OLED Screen Supply Amidst Vendor Negotiations
A rumor claims that the OLED screen of Apple’s fourth generation “Special Edition” smartphone, the iPhone SE 4, would probably come from a Chinese company. Three vendors were apparently involved in negotiations with the iPhone manufacturer over the price of the display for the impending midrange smartphone; one of them is alleged to have pulled out over the display’s cost. Since the current iPhone SE model was released in 2022, Apple has not yet disclosed any information on future plans to create a new model.
The Chinese electronic component company BOE (Jingdongfang), according to a ZDNet Korea story (in Korean) citing industry sources, has secured the contract to produce the OLED screen for the rumored iPhone SE 4. According to the source, Apple was soliciting bids for the iPhone SE (2022) replacement from three suppliers: Samsung, BOE, and Tianma.
The report states that BOE is probably going to supply most of the iPhone SE 4’s screens after Samsung withdrew from the competition due to concerns about its viability for business. The Chinese businesses requested $30 (approximately Rs. 2,500) per display unit, while Samsung Display allegedly proposed a price of $35 to $40 (about Rs. 2,900 to Rs. 3,300) for each unit. It is predicted that the iPhone SE 4 would have a design akin to the iPhone 14 and enable Face ID.
Apple allegedly made a far lower offer of $25, or around Rs. 2,100, which is what prompted Samsung to call off the negotiations in the middle of March. The insider informed the outlet that because of the reduced cost concerns, the South Korean tech company was not particularly interested in making the screens for the midrange phone right once.
Out of the two Chinese suppliers, BOE seems to be the only company that can make display units for the iPhone SE 4, and they are apparently prepared to deliver the part for Apple’s less expensive smartphone. In the meanwhile, Tianma has failed to match Apple’s technological specifications for the iPhone SE 4’s display, which is expected to launch in 2025.
Apple reportedly wants to collaborate with Baidu to offer AI services since China’s regulatory agency needs to authorize LLMs.
Apple-Baidu Collaboration: Exploring AI Integration for China’s Tech Industry
According to reports, Apple and the massive Chinese internet company Baidu are in discussions on using LLM and AI services for Apple’s own ecosystem in China. According to the rumored cooperation, the Cupertino-based tech giant may be able to access the local AI player’s AI capabilities, including the native AI helper Ernie Bot. iOS 18 and macOS 15 are rumored to bring these features to the iPhone 16 series. According to a story published earlier this month, Apple and Google were reportedly discussing a similar agreement whereby Apple would use its Gemini AI for global use.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to disclose on March 22 that Apple and Baidu had initial talks on the use of Baidu’s generative AI technology in Apple products and operating systems. According to a Morning Star article on Monday, Baidu’s shares increased by 5.4 percent following a story by an unidentified Chinese media site on the two internet titans’ cooperation.
Before deciding on Baidu, Apple reportedly had talks with Alibaba and another Chinese AI startup. One of the most prominent participants in the AI market has been the Chinese tech business. In August 2023, the business unveiled Ernie Bot, an AI chatbot that utilizes Ernie 4.0, its native big language model. Wang Haifeng, the company’s chief technology officer, said in December 2023 that the chatbot had amassed more over 100 million users.
According to WSJ, Apple is searching for a domestic AI technology supplier in China due to the legislative barriers present in the area. Before being made available to the public, China’s cyberspace regulatory organization must review and authorize all LLM models in use within the nation. At now, the authorities have approved about 40 LLMs. According to the article, Apple’s sole choice was to collaborate with a local player because neither OpenAI nor Google Gemini operate in the area.
It’s unclear at this time if Apple’s AI features would bear Baidu’s branding as part of the agreement. It is rumored that the iPhone manufacturer intends to replace cloud-based functions with on-device AI capabilities. Because Apple could just be using the engine to power the AI features, consumers in China might not see Ernie Bot or any other well-known AI tools from Baidu.
Early benchmarks suggest that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Dimensity 9400 chipsets may exceed Apple’s A18 Pro CPU in terms of multi-core performance.
Next-gen iPhone 16 Pro chips: A18 Pro processor performance revealed, Qualcomm vs. MediaTek face off
Apple is likely to equip the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with an A18 Pro CPU, which is the successor to the 3nm A17 Pro mobile processor announced last year. According to a recent leak, the forthcoming chip is projected to boost both single and multi-core performance, although the next flagship chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek may outperform the A18 Pro in multi-core performance, according to early benchmarks of all three processors.
According to X (previously Twitter) user Mochamad Fanani (via WCCF Tech), Apple’s A18 Pro CPU earned 3570 points in Geekbench 6’s single-core test and 9,310 points in multi-core. This marks a 23% and 28.66% boost, respectively, above the Geekbench scores for the A17 Pro, which drives the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
While these preliminary benchmark results indicate that Apple has increased the performance of its forthcoming iPhone CPU in both single-core and multi-core modes, it may face stiff competition from Qualcomm’s next-generation chip. A previously leaked benchmark (via X: @negativeonehero) indicated that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 had a single-core score of 2,845 points and a multi-core score of 10,628.
Similarly, leaked benchmarks of the rumored MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chip indicate that the next CPU from the Taiwanese chipmaker will have single-core and multi-core scores of 2,776 and 11,739 points, respectively. The Dimensity 9400 is also believed to have a higher AnTuTu score of 3,449,366 points than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor, which scored 3,133,570 points.
According to leaked benchmark scores, both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Dimensity 9400 CPUs might outperform the A18 Pro in terms of multi-core performance. These projections should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are early leaks about the performance of these chips, and the ultimate performance — after optimisation for efficiency — may differ for all three CPUs.
Apple is allegedly increasing chip output sooner than normal this year.
iPhone 16 Series: Expected Improvements with A18 Pro CPU and Enhanced AI Capabilities
The iPhone 15 series was released only around seven months ago, yet the iPhone 16 series is already one of the most anticipated phones of 2024. The range is rumored to consist of four models: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. According to early sources, the Cupertino-based tech giant is developing an A18 Pro CPU for the future iPhone series, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Apple employed an older A16 chip in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models, while the Pro variants had an all-new A17 Pro chip.
According to 9to5Mac, Jeff Pu of Haitong International Tech Research provided information regarding the A18 Pro CPU in his research note. According to the expert, Apple is contemplating improvements to the A18 Pro CPU to enable on-device artificial intelligence. The business is increasing chip output sooner than normal.
“According to our supply chain inspections, we are observing increased demand for Apple’s A18, although A17 Pro volume has stabilized since February. We observe that Apple’s A18 Pro, the 6-GPU version, will have a bigger die area (compared to the A17 Pro), which might signal a trend in edge AI computing,” Pu noted in his letter. The increased die area means that the chip will be able to contain more transistors and specialized components. This would pave the way for greater on-device AI capabilities in the iPhone 16 Pro series.
Increasing the die area in a chip is thought to increase the likelihood of faults and design problems. It may also influence energy efficiency and heat dissipation.
Apple is expected to adopt a divided approach to its AI features this year. It might use cloud infrastructure in collaboration with Google for some AI functions while operating others entirely on the device.
The iPhone 16 series is likely to emerge in the second half of this year, with significant modifications and advancements. The basic iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are believed to use the A18 SoC, while the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max may have the A18 Pro processor. The A18 Pro just appeared on Geekbench 6, scoring 3,500 points on the single-core test and 8,200 on the multicore test.
For the first time, Apple dropped the “Bionic” label when introducing its 3nm A17 Pro SoC to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. References discovered in leaked iOS 18 code suggest that things may be very different for the normal iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus compared to the earlier A16 Bionic. It appears that Apple’s most advanced A18 chipset will be included in every iPhone 16 model that is released the following year. Then then, Apple may give the A18 a new name to better distinguish it from the non-Pro and “Pro” models.
Apple has decided to maintain the same nomenclature for the iPhone 16 series in 2024; an A18-based “Ultra” model will not be released.
The iOS 18 update, dubbed “Crystal,” has been leaked by MacRumors and includes allusions to four next iPhone models. The following devices are mentioned in the unique identification that separates all iPhone 16 variants.
D47: iPhone 16
D48: iPhone 16 Plus
D93: iPhone 16 Pro
D94: iPhone 16 Pro Max
As you might expect, there isn’t a single “Ultra” model in the range for next year, indicating that Apple isn’t yet ready to rename the iPhone series. According to the leaked code, the iPhone 16 series as a whole will use a new SoC with the codename “Tahiti” and designation number t8140. According to chronological naming methods, this would be the A18. Based on available information, Apple appears to be using the same chipset in all of its handsets.
Nevertheless, more data suggests that the “Pro” and non-Pro versions of the A18 may include two different variations. The bespoke SoC for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus is generally referred to by Apple as “D4y,” whereas the internal code for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max is called “D9x.” Since it is a bad business plan and would discourage customers from buying the more costly models, it is improbable that the tech giant will use the same technology in all four models while attaching different price tags to them.
Rather, the A18—which powers the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus—is probably just the A17 Pro rebranded under a different name, with the higher-performing SoC designated as the “A18 Pro.” Regarding the production process, Apple could go to TSMC’s “N3E” node, which is purported to have better yields and a lower cost-per-wafer than N3B technology, making it the more prudent option. As for additional data, such the number of CPU and GPU cores, we do not yet have them. Moreover, because 2023 is not yet over, we do not anticipate hearing about these speculations until the beginning of 2024. As always, we will keep our readers informed in the future.
Improvements in performance:
Based on the developments of the A-series chips in the past, speculate on possible gains in performance for the A18. Bring up topics like efficiency gains, AI capabilities, and CPU and GPU performance.
Examine how the anticipated performance of the A18 and A18 Pro (if they are available) may be applied to practical use cases such as video editing, augmented reality, and gaming.
Features of the camera and software:
Talk about the A18’s possible camera improvements, such as enhanced picture processing, better low-light capabilities, and more photographic modes.
Mention any software features that are supposed to be specific to the iPhone 16 and that could make use of the A18’s capabilities, including improved machine learning apps or novel augmented reality experiences.
Market influence and competition:
Compare the anticipated features of the iPhone 16 to those of other Android manufacturers’ future flagships in brief, and talk about how the A18 might help Apple stay ahead of the competition.
Conjecture on how the iPhone 16 and A18 could affect the market for mobile processors and the state of smartphones in general.
FAQ: All the Information We Know (and Fear) About the iPhone 16 and Up
Q: When is the iPhone 16 coming out?
A: Since Apple usually releases new iPhone models in September, the iPhone 16 range should be available in September 2024.
Q: Will the A18 chip be included in every iPhone 16 model?
A: According to leaked information, the next iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Plus, 16 Pro Max, and 16 nicknamed “Tahiti” would all use a new SoC, most likely the A18 processor. A18 for non-Pro models and a more sophisticated A18 Pro for Pro models, on the other hand, may be the two variations.
Q: Will the iPhone 16 Ultra be released?
A: According to recent sources, there won’t be a “Ultra” model in the 2024 lineup. It appears that Apple will continue to use its current naming convention.
Q: To what extent will the A18 be faster?
A: Although specifics are still being kept under wraps, based on the developments of the preceding A-series, expect notable improvements in:
Speed of the CPU and GPU:faster processing for more seamless operation in demanding apps, games, and daily duties.
AI capabilities :enhanced machine learning for better augmented reality, natural language understanding, and photography.
Efficiency increases:less heat generation and an extended battery life.
Q: What about the A18 Pro, should one exist? What will be the difference?
A: The purported A18 Pro could provide:
Increased clock rates:Performance that is even quicker than the A18 norm.
Extra GPU cores:improved graphics processing much further for demanding video editing and gaming.
specialized accelerators of artificial intelligence: enhanced effectiveness for particular AI tasks such as object identification and facial recognition.
Q: What improvements in cameras can we anticipate from the A18?
A: The enhanced image processing of the A18 may result in:
Improved low-light performance: Clearer, more detailed images in poorly lit settings.
Faster autofocus: Capture ephemeral moments with amazing accuracy.
New imaging modes: Experiment with different effects and characteristics to discover creative possibilities.
Q: What software functions could make the A18 more powerful?
A: Among the possible software improvements are:
Applications of advanced machine learning: Voice assistants, picture editing software, and translation that is more precise and efficient.
Immersion-based augmented reality: Games and apps for augmented reality that are more engaging and realistic.
Customized user encounters: For a more personalized experience, adjust based on your preferences and usage habits.
Q: How does the iPhone 16 compare to other high-end smartphones?
A: Given the anticipated performance of the A18, Apple should continue to lead the mobile processor market. This, along with more prospective developments in cameras and software, could:
Preserve Apple’s competitive advantage: delivering user experience and performance that are best in class.
Encourage industry innovation: encouraging the development of smartphones with even more features and power by other manufacturers.