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Apple Says it Will Fix Software Problems Blamed for Making iPhone 15 Models Too Hot to Handle

FILE - The iPhone 15 phones are shown during an announcement of new products on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - The iPhone 15 phones are shown during an announcement of new products on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
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Apple Says it Will Fix Software Problems Blamed for Making iPhone 15 Models Too Hot to Handle

FILE - The iPhone 15 phones are shown during an announcement of new products on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - The iPhone 15 phones are shown during an announcement of new products on the Apple campus in Cupertino, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Apple is blaming a software bug and other issues tied to popular apps such as Instagram and Uber for causing its recently released iPhone 15 models to heat up and spark complaints about becoming too hot to handle.
The Cupertino, California, company said Saturday that it is working on an update to the iOS17 system that powers the iPhone 15 lineup to prevent the devices from becoming uncomfortably hot and is working with apps that are running in ways “causing them to overload the system."
Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, modified its social media app earlier this week to prevent it from heating up the device on the latest iPhone operating system.
Uber and other apps such as the video game Asphalt 9 are still in the process of rolling out their updates, Apple said. It didn't specify a timeline for when its own software fix would be issued but said no safety issues should prevent iPhone 15 owners from using their devices while awaiting the update.
“We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected," Apple in a short statement provided to The Associated Press after media reports detailed overheating complaints that are peppering online message boards.
The Wall Street Journal amplified the worries in a story citing the overheating problem in its own testing of the new iPhones, which went on sale a week ago.
It’s not unusual for new iPhones to get uncomfortably warm during the first few days of use or when they are being restored with backup information stored in the cloud — issues that Apple already flags for users. The devices also can get hot when using apps such as video games and augmented reality technology that require a lot of processing power, but the heating issues with the iPhone 15 models have gone beyond those typical situations.
In its acknowledgement, Apple stressed that the trouble isn't related to the sleek titanium casing that houses the high-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max instead of the stainless steel used on older smartphones.
Apple also dismissed speculation that the overheating problem in the new models might be tied to a shift from its proprietary Lightning charging cable to the more widely used USB-C port that allowed it to comply with a mandate issued by European regulators.
Although Apple expressed confidence that the overheating issue can be quickly fixed with the upcoming software updates, the problem still could dampen sales of its marquee product at time when the company has faced three consecutive quarters of year-over-year declines in overall sales.
The downturn has affected iPhone sales, which fell by a combined 4% in the nine months covered by Apple's past three fiscal quarters compared with a year earlier.
Apple is trying to pump up its sales in part by raising the starting price for its top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max to $1,200, an increase of $100, or 9%, from last year's comparable model.

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What Happens after the TikTok Ban?

The TikTok logo is placed on the US and Chinese flags in this illustration taken, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)
The TikTok logo is placed on the US and Chinese flags in this illustration taken, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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What Happens after the TikTok Ban?

The TikTok logo is placed on the US and Chinese flags in this illustration taken, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)
The TikTok logo is placed on the US and Chinese flags in this illustration taken, April 25, 2024. (Reuters)

The US Supreme Court will hear arguments on Friday from TikTok and its China-based owner ByteDance, which is seeking to block a law signed by President Joe Biden that will ban the short-form video app beginning Jan. 19 unless it is divested from ByteDance, due to national security concerns. TikTok requested an injunction to pause the ban during the legal process, but the Supreme Court did not immediately act on the request.

Here’s what could happen on Jan. 19.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE APP?

New users will not be able to download TikTok from app stores and existing users will not be able to update the app, because the law prohibits any entity from facilitating the download or maintenance of the TikTok application. In a Dec. 13 letter, US lawmakers told Apple and Alphabet’s Google, which operate the two main mobile app stores, that they must be ready to remove TikTok from their stores on Jan. 19.

Cloud service provider Oracle could see some disruption to its work with TikTok. Oracle hosts TikTok’s US user data on its servers, reviews the app’s source code and delivers the app to the app stores.

Google declined to comment, while Oracle and Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

HOW WILL USERS BE AFFECTED?

TikTok’s 170 million users in the US will likely still be able to use the app because it is already downloaded on their phones, experts say. But over time, without software and security updates, the app will become unusable.

Some users have begun posting TikTok videos instructing others on how to use virtual private networks (VPNs), which mask an internet user’s location, as a way to circumvent the possible ban.

Content creators who have built businesses from their TikTok followings are preparing for the worst. Nadya Okamoto, who has 4.1 million followers and founded August, a menstrual products brand, said TikTok helped her business grow organically through viral videos. A TikTok ban could force her and other small businesses to spend more on marketing and raise their costs.

It's very stressful, she said. If TikTok goes away, we'll be okay, but it is going to be a hard hit.

WHAT HAPPENS TO TIKTOK’S EMPLOYEES?

TikTok’s 7,000 employees in the US are still trying to figure out their fate. After a US appeals court upheld the sell-or-ban law on Dec. 6, pessimism spread among staffers who began worrying about layoffs, said one current employee.

But the company has continued to make job offers for new roles, prompting some confused job seekers to seek advice on Blind, an anonymous forum for employees to discuss companies.

One user posted on Blind that they received a job offer from ByteDance in San Jose, California, starting in February. Others commented on the post, counseling the user to accept the offer and use it as leverage in other interviews.

I signed the offer and will wait and watch how the situation unfolds, the user said in the Blind post.

WHAT WILL ADVERTISERS DO?

TikTok’s US ad revenue is expected to total $12.3 billion in 2024, according to research firm Emarketer, and while that is much smaller than Instagram owner Meta Platforms, advertisers say TikTok’s devoted user base means some brands will try to advertise beyond Jan. 19.

The ongoing assumption is the app might not be updatable, but you’ll see a groundswell of usage, said Craig Atkinson, CEO of digital marketing agency Code3. The app’s ecommerce feature TikTok Shop, which lets users purchase products directly from videos, has no direct competitor that advertisers can easily switch to, Atkinson said, adding that his agency was signing new contracts with clients to build TikTok Shop campaigns even as of late December.

Some advertisers may continue spending beyond Jan. 19 on TikTok and reevaluate if the app sees declining usage or performance, said Jason Lee, executive vice president of brand safety at media agency Horizon Media.

ARE THERE POTENTIAL BUYERS?

TikTok has repeatedly said it cannot be sold from ByteDance. That hasn’t deterred billionaire businessman Frank McCourt, a former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team who said he has secured $20 billion in verbal commitments from a consortium of investors to bid for TikTok.

McCourt has not yet spoken with ByteDance, but said he believes the Supreme Court will uphold the law requiring TikTok’s divestment, after which the parent company would be more open to sale discussions.

McCourt and his team have had preliminary conversations with members of the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who had tried to ban TikTok during his first term in the White House but has since reversed his views, and are also seeking a CEO to lead the app. McCourt's business plan for TikTok includes migrating the app onto open-source technology and earning revenue through ecommerce and licensing data for AI training.