Cooking with the D3 (this thing runs hot!)

[Kilgore Trout]

So, one of the reason I got rid of my earlier D2 G was the amount of heat the thing produced. Any level of internet activity, or graphics intensive games, tended to get the CPU area fairly toasty (not the battery, the area directly around the CPU). Not toasty enough to be uncomfortable to hold, but a lot more heat then I'd felt from a phone before.

I am disappointed to see a similar issue with the D3. It is not quite as bad as the D2 G, but it is definitely a lot warmer than any smartphone I've used.

Now, before you write this off with the standard "CPUs generate heat, they all do this, etc" - I am not a newbie. I've had every kind of PDA and smartphone there is and I've not experienced this level of toasty handset outside the Moto Droid line.

Thoughts?

 

[rushmore]

I have not had the issue yet, but did with the DX2.

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk

 

[otacon#AC]

Mine only gets hot in the multimedia dock but that's about it. I expected that though.

 

[albertgeorge]

Havent had any issues.

 

[heelfan71]

Now, before you write this off with the standard "CPUs generate heat, they all do this, etc" - I am not a newbie. I've had every kind of PDA and smartphone there is and I've not experienced this level of toasty handset outside the Moto Droid line.

Thoughts?

How many of your previous were dual core. Mine doesn't get hot, warm sometimes.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

How many of your previous were dual core. Mine doesn't get hot, warm sometimes.

There is nothing about dual core that should generate a lot more heat. My iPad is cool to the touch, for example.

It is possible that I have a bad unit.

 

[mupi]

Does ipad have a dual core cpu? Also, ipad has a LOT more surface area from which to dissipate heat. Put your D3 on an ipad-sized piece of aluminium and I bet it will stay pretty cool, too. More so if you can actually attach the CPU directly to said aluminium sheet...

 

[heelfan71]

There is nothing about dual core that should generate a lot more heat. My iPad is cool to the touch, for example.

It is possible that I have a bad unit.

your ipad is a lot bigger than the phone. 2 core processor will run hotter than single core. Simple logic. Google it if you must. Not saying your phone is okay, but 2 core will run warmer than 1.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

your ipad is a lot bigger than the phone. 2 core processor will run hotter than single core. Simple logic. Google it if you must. Not saying your phone is okay, but 2 core will run warmer than 1.

The Ipad2 is a dual core.

In any case, I'm saying that I could put my hand directly over the CPU in nearly any available dual core device (tables or phones) and feel almost no heat. Duel core processor do not inherently make phones run hot.

This is basically a Motorola issue. I returned by early Droid 2 global the phone would get toasty. And, there were many users with similar complaints all over the net. My brother in law, who has had his D2 G for a a few months now, tells me he is having similar issues. And, the D2 G was most definitely not Dual Core.


From what I can see, the D2 G had serious problems with this issue, and similar problems have apparently popped up for the DX2, and I suspect (based on my short experience) that the D3 may be in the same boat.


So, bottom line for me, is that the dual core is not the issue. Its something intrinsic to Moto phones.

 

[albertgeorge]

Or its you, because my thing runs cold. Not even a tint of heat.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Or its you, because my thing runs cold. Not even a tint of heat.

And, the gazillion posters on boards all over the net complaining about the DX2, D2 G, are all imagining things too, right? Not trying to be oppositional, because I realize you are trying to help and just sharing your own experience in an honest way, but the problem is not isolated to just me.

To be clear, I'm most definitely not saying there is something systematic wrong with the D3. I'm saying that my specific D3 runs hot, and that a few other Moto phones have had fairly widespread problems in the past. Whether there is a widespread issue with the D3 remains to be seen. But, I'm encouraged that you and others are NOT having an issue.

I have, over the last day, worked to shut down as much syncing and background activity as I could. That has resulted in some very nice battery performance. So, maybe that will also help with the heat issue.

 

[Yoho]

I had heat issues with my OG DROID, but not with my new D3. I don't feel any heat at all coming from mine. Sorry to hear that you are having that problem. I know, because of past experiences, it can get annoying especially when talking.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I had heat issues with my OG DROID, but not with my new D3. I don't feel any heat at all coming from mine. Sorry to hear that you are having that problem. I know, because of past experiences, it can get annoying especially when talking.

Yoho, I'm just glad to hear that my problem is isolated. If it is not a system wide issue, then there is a fix. In a worst case scenario, I just go down to Verizon and get a new unit.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Droid 3 Heat Issues? - Droid Forum - Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum

Well, so much for the isolated incited theory.

 

[heelfan71]

I have the extended battery. Maybe mine doesn't even get warm because of that. Since the battery is thicker, it creates more space from the internals and the back of the phone. Who knows.

 

[mbrouill]

So, one of the reason I got rid of my earlier D2 G was the amount of heat the thing produced. Any level of internet activity, or graphics intensive games, tended to get the CPU area fairly toasty (not the battery, the area directly around the CPU). Not toasty enough to be uncomfortable to hold, but a lot more heat then I'd felt from a phone before.

I am disappointed to see a similar issue with the D3. It is not quite as bad as the D2 G, but it is definitely a lot warmer than any smartphone I've used.

Now, before you write this off with the standard "CPUs generate heat, they all do this, etc" - I am not a newbie. I've had every kind of PDA and smartphone there is and I've not experienced this level of toasty handset outside the Moto Droid line.

Thoughts?

I carry both a D2G and a D3 and yes the D2G get's warm enough I could use it for a heating pad for my neck, but I haven't had the same issues with the D3. You may just have a defective one or the battery might not be seated right.

 

[Suntan]

So, bottom line for me, is that the dual core is not the issue. Its something intrinsic to Moto phones.

I love how arm-chair thermodynamists make knee jerk assumptions based on incorrect observations.

All of these phones (from every maker) put out roughly similar amounts of heat energy (they all use roughly the same internals and get roughly the same amount of life out of batteries with similar charge capacities.)

If the phone ?feels hot? it is likely because the phone is doing a *better* job of getting that heat energy *out* of the phone and away from the electronic bits. Now a company could add a heat spreader to better distribute that heat energy across the back surface so that the entire back just gets ?less warm? than the spot right under the CPU, but that adds cost, weight and bulk.

The phone has built in provisions to go into limp-along mode should the internals get ?too hot.? If you?ve actually gotten your phone into that condition with normal usage (ie, not by setting it on the dash of your car and using it as a GPS) then I?d be open to hearing your argument of heating issues.

In short, if it is physically too hot to hold, or constantly locking into limp-along mode, I could see a reason to take it back. But if it is just ?warm? and you have an irrational fear about it, that?s entirely different.

Also, just throwing this out there, using the phone with the slider shut will make it feel warmer than using it with the slider open.

-Suntan

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I carry both a D2G and a D3 and yes the D2G get's warm enough I could use it for a heating pad for my neck, but I haven't had the same issues with the D3. You may just have a defective one or the battery might not be seated right.

I don't think it is the battery. I have the same symptoms as the DG2. Heat is around the CPU area. Battery is not warm at all. It is nowhere near as bad as my DG2.

I'm glad to hear that it is nit an issue for most. But, as the link above shows, other posters are also having this issue.

Anyway, I hope it is a bad unit and not a "feature". I hated the hot DG2.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I love how arm-chair thermodynamists make knee jerk assumptions based on incorrect observations.

All of these phones (from every maker) put out roughly similar amounts of heat energy (they all use roughly the same internals and get roughly the same amount of life out of batteries with similar charge capacities.)

If the phone “feels hot” it is likely because the phone is doing a *better* job of getting that heat energy *out* of the phone and away from the electronic bits. Now a company could add a heat spreader to better distribute that heat energy across the back surface so that the entire back just gets “less warm” than the spot right under the CPU, but that adds cost, weight and bulk.

The phone has built in provisions to go into limp-along mode should the internals get “too hot.” If you’ve actually gotten your phone into that condition with normal usage (ie, not by setting it on the dash of your car and using it as a GPS) then I’d be open to hearing your argument of heating issues.

In short, if it is physically too hot to hold, or constantly locking into limp-along mode, I could see a reason to take it back. But if it is just “warm” and you have an irrational fear about it, that’s entirely different.

Also, just throwing this out there, using the phone with the slider shut will make it feel warmer than using it with the slider open.

-Suntan

I guess we're all very luck to have an expert physicist on hand to instruct us about thermodynamics.

As per Verizon, unusually warm handsets are a known issue with the Moto Droids and they have it documented in their database. I just got off the phone with VZW and they did acknowledge a very high return rate on some of the recent Moto Droids because of warm or hot handsets. Consistent with what several of you are saying, the problem appears to be most pronounced with the DG2. I've read about similar issues with the DX2 (on phonearena and other sites) but the tech guy claims he has not gotten any calls about that phone.

I visited the support forums on the MOTO board and there are NO reports of warm handsets for the D3 but dozens of complaints about the DG2. And, given that most of you are not having a problem, I am going to continue to hope it is defective handset and will bring it back for a replacement today.

Anyway, once again, let me thank everybody for reading along.

 

[freshnezzz#AC]

HDMI makes my phone heat up and eventually lag like crazy