Apple’s next iPhone is set to include two hardware updates to avoid the overheating that plagued the latest iPhone 15 Pros, while keeping a sleek, slim design.
According to one leaker, the first part of Apple’s new solution will be a graphene heat sink: thin layers of the highly conductive and nano-engineered material designed to absorb heat and transfer it off the device.
The second part of this upgrade, this leaker said, will be a new metal battery case, inside the phone, which will help pull heat off the battery and get it to the heat sink.
Overheating has plagued Apple’s most recent model, with numerous user reports claiming the iPhone 15 Pro was hitting over 100 degrees Fahrenheit after just a few minutes of use.
While Apple attempted to fix the issue with a simple software update, iOS 17.0.3 — some early demonstrations showed iPhone 15’s climbing to even higher temperatures than before the update.
According to one leaker, Apple’s new solution for the newer iPhone model’s overheating issues will be a graphene heat sink, paired with a new metal battery case design inside the phone
A known collector of Apple prototypes, design validation test products and other pre-production hardware rarities, who goes by @KosutamiSan on X (formerly Twitter), leaked details of the new hardware fix on Wednesday
The Apple prototype collector was ahead of the curve with a leak about USB-C components built into iPhone 15, but has also rushed out stories that proved to be incorrect. When asked where evidence for the graphene heat sink came from, Kosutami said, ‘Prototypes I owned’
A known collector of Apple prototypes, design validation test products and other pre-production hardware rarities, who goes by @KosutamiSan on X, leaked details of the new hardware fix on Wednesday.
‘Apple is actively working on a graphene thermal system of iPhone 16 Series,’ Kosutami posted on X, ‘to solve the heating problems existing before.’
‘The battery of [Apple 16] Pro series,’ the leaker continued, ‘would change to a metal shell for the same reason.’
Graphene, a nanoscale lattice of carbon atoms, sometimes with other elements added or ‘doped’ in, has proven in some cases to conduct electricity (and thus heat) as much as 70 percent higher than copper metal.
A well-designed, thin layer of graphene could pull heat off the iPhone’s internal components and out into the open air with no noise or bulk of a new fan.
The proposed metal battery case, presumably, would also aid this process, as metal is also an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, making it a good intermediary layer for the new heat sink design.
According to Apple Insider, Kosutami has a mixed track record with predictions.
The Apple prototype collector was ahead of the curve with a leak about the USB-C components that came with the iPhone 15 but has also rushed out a few stories that proved to be incorrect like claims the iPhone 15 Pro would have a Thunderbolt cable.
When a user on X asked where the evidence for this new graphene heat sink leak came from, Kosutami replied, ‘Prototypes I owned.’
Owners of an iPhone 15 or 15 Pro, or anyone using Apple’s signature device in hot weather, will know and dread warnings asking users to wait until ‘iPhone returns to a normal temperature’
Some iPhone 15 Pro users claim their smartphones are still overheating despite Apple releasing a fix with their iOS 17.0.3 update. Some early demonstrations even showed a few iPhone 15s climbing to even higher temperatures than before the update
Apple released its attempted software fix for overheating with iOS 17.0.3 early this past October.
Adarsh Kumar, a member of the Indian National for the state of Karnataka, told DailyMail.com at that time that his own iPhone 15 Pro was still suffering from heating issues.
But, as he recounted it, his smartphone would only overheat when charged with a MagSafe — even when ‘it is left idle.’
‘The titanium surface makes it hard to hold the phone as well when it gets heated,’ Kumar said. ‘The overheating is not limited to just the backside.’
DailyMail.com also spoke with X user ‘Maxwell’ who confirmed his iPhone 15 Pro Max is still overheating after the software update.
Maxwell shared a screenshot of his smartphone that displayed a ‘Charging on Hold notification.’
‘Charging will resume when iPhone returns to normal temperature,’ the notification reads.
He also shared that his phone’s audio speakers would crackle and that the high-end, ‘prosumer’ Apple device ‘can’t withstand a small drop.’
Other iPhone 15 Pro owners shared their frustrations on the MacRumors Forum, where many also cited issues while using A MagSafe charger.
‘I’ve had my 15 pro (512GB) phone since release day and charge it every night on my Belkin 3 in 1 MagSafe charger, I have used this charger for three years without issues,’ user TotalMacMove posted.
‘I woke up yesterday morning with my phone at 68 percent, and multiple alerts saying charging had been paused due to temperature and the phone was extremely hot.’
