iPhone 3GS shake, rattle, hot, hot, hot
By Michael W. Jones
More reports are coming in concerning the iPhone 3GS and its tendency to overheat to the point of damage, and users are now reporting a disturbing rattle that accompanies the shake gesture and tapping.
More and more users are reporting problems with overheating of the iPhone 3GS. The problem is so severe that cases have been discolored and heat has stopped people from using their phones for normal tasks. There have been many reports that the handset is too hot to even hold after a few minutes of use. Although usage details differ, some users have said that they had a problem after heavy use of the GPS-intensive software in the new phone; other have reported it after a few minutes of game playing.
The problem is apparently more common in the white-cased iPhone models. The casings of some models have discolored, with parts of the case turning a slight pink shade, according to a Telegraph story. Many users also report that their battery life is very short when the phone overheats, which makes perfect sense, since all of that energy to make heat has to come from somewhere. One expert at repairing iPhone problems said, “My guess is there’s going to be a whole lot of batteries affected because these [iPhones] are from very large production runs. If you have a problem in the design of a series of batteries, it’s probably going to be spread to tens of thousands [of device], if not hundreds of thousands, and maybe more.”
At the same time, many new iPhone GS users are reporting a rattle, either when the phone is shaken or when the case is tapped with a fingernail. This problem is known to Apple, and they are looking into it. One blogger at IntoMobile was told that it would not do much good to replace his current phone, since it is likely that any new phone would also have the same condition. For what it’s worth, Apple seems to think that the problem is more prevalent with the white-cased models, though this has not always proven true in the wild.
These sorts of problems are not at all common with Apple products, though similar things have been seen before with both batteries and rattling iPhones. Still, these problems are beginning to sound much more severe and common than earlier, similar defects. It makes one wonder if the iPhone 3GS might not have been rushed in to service at the expense of build quality.
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