In response to numerous complaints regarding overheating issues affecting iPhone 15 Pro models, Apple released the iOS 17.0.3 update last weekend to address this problem. According to the company, the rise in device temperature was attributed to the operating system rather than hardware defects or design flaws. Apple also assured that the update would not compromise the performance of the A17 Pro chip, but is this claim accurate?
To investigate, tech site 9to5Mac conducted tests on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, aiming to determine the impact of the iOS 17.0.3 update. Here are the findings:
1. Overheating Issues with iPhone 15 Pro:
Many iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users reported elevated device temperatures after using them for some time, even during basic activities such as web browsing.
As complaints continued to mount, Apple clarified that the overheating problem faced by iPhone 15 Pro owners was unrelated to the new titanium-reinforced design. The company explained that the new design, which features a titanium frame and an aluminum structure, offered superior heat dissipation compared to previous Pro versions with stainless steel frames.
Apple also noted that the phone might feel warm in the initial days after setup or when data is transferred from an old device due to increased background software activity, wireless charging, or running resource-intensive applications. However, the company admitted that the high-temperature issue stemmed from an iOS 17 system error, not the new high-speed A17 Pro processor.
Apple asserted that the new iOS 17.0.3 update would not affect the A17 Pro chip’s performance. Some users had expressed concerns that Apple might throttle the speed of iPhone 15 Pro to prevent overheating.
2. Impact of iOS 17.0.3 Update on iPhone 15 Pro Performance:
The exact changes made by Apple to address the overheating issue remain undisclosed. Nevertheless, 9to5Mac conducted performance tests using the Geekbench processor performance measurement platform to examine whether the processor’s performance was affected after installing iOS 17.0.3 on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are the Geekbench results for the new device running iOS 17.0.1 and iOS 17.0.2:
- Single-core score: 2914
- Multi-core score: 7199
It’s essential to note that these results can vary based on factors such as momentary device temperature and battery power levels. iOS tends to reduce performance when the battery is running low to preserve it. Consequently, achieving precisely the same results after retesting on the same device is practically impossible.
With that in mind, here are the test results after installing iOS 17.0.3 and waiting for two hours to ensure the device cooled down. The same tests were conducted once again, yielding these results:
- Single-core score: 2941
- Multi-core score: 7523
So, does the iOS 17.0.3 update impact the overall performance of the iPhone 15 Pro? The answer is no, as the update did not significantly affect the performance of the iPhone 15 Pro. However, a short waiting period is advisable to be certain.
On the other hand, Apple also mentioned that certain applications, such as Instagram and Uber, might contribute to elevated iPhone temperatures. The company stated that it is collaborating with developers to address this issue. Nevertheless, this does not rule out the fact that many users who did not install these applications encountered overheating problems with their iPhone 15 Pro devices.
