Nexus 4 is overheating

[android newb]

My N4 is hot under normal use and very very hot when playing games.

I wonder if anybody is experiencing the same thing. Not many reviews really mentioned about this problem. That makes me suspect that my phone is a defected one. What can I do? return? or waiting for software update?

 

[willdogs]

Smartphones get hot. Its normal. Sometimes very hot if you are playing a game or watching a video. NORMAL!

If it truly was overheating out of specifications, the unit would shut down.

No one really mentions it because we are used to it. If you are just coming over to andorid or have been using a less powerful /older smartphone then I'd suggest getting used to the heat

 

[jd914]

Your phone isn't defective. No need to return it as there are many that have returned their devices for frivolous reasons.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[N4Newbie]

Not a game player here except maybe an occasional game of solitaire. However, in normal use I have never noticed anything that comes even close to "warm". Not even when charging (plugged in) or charging (wireless; Energizer Qi pad).

By normal use I include maps, navigation, mail, messaging, etc, etc.

 

[vanhoud]

Yes the phone gets hot. Use Franco kernel and it will be no more

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

 

[N4Newbie]

Try this:

Open the phone app and "place a call" to *#*#4636#*#* (just as you see it; 4636 spells "INFO").

Tap Battery Info and check the battery temperature. Do this often both when your N4 is at normal temperature and when hot; maybe start a battery temperature diary.

 

[Hubertsng]

As other people said, your device is just getting warm. It's perfectly normal. Now if it actually overheats and shuts down, then you have a problem.
Many people have said that it occurs near the camera and the back and this can be fixed by buying either a screen protector or a case.

 

[android newb]

Thanks for the replies.

I used iPhone 3gs before upgrading to N4. I didn't notice such heat issue with the 3gs (maybe because I was using a hard case).

After a call, the battery temperature on my N4 is 29C which is pretty normal. However, it is still a little warm in the hand. The battery temp and the phone temp are not the same anyway. I currently don't have a tool to monitor the processor temp or the phone body temp.

I should say the phone is warm in normal use (a few apps running in the background, some browsing), and is really really hot when playing 3d games. How hot is it? well, I don't have a number to give you but ... Ignoring the fact that it is uncomfortable for using at such temperature, my hands are just not capable of holding it. That's how hot.

If the phone is capable of running heavy games but your hands are not capable of dealing with the heat, then I would question the true capability of the phone and the user experience in general.

I know the phone is deal. At this price, I should have no complaint. But they're some points I want to make. To me there are things that Google needs to work on, hopefully software-wise.

 

[willdogs]

If you want to see a hot phone, try using Google Navigation for a 2 Hour road trip while plugged into the car charger. It was very hot to the touch but the case helped.

 

[joerazz22]

Just ran the stability test on my Nexus4 for 15 mins. Here's the stats:

cpu: 1134 mhz
system load: 6.88
cores: 4

batt.temp: 49.6 Celcius. (121.28 F)
elapsed: 00:15:08

core 1 successful runs: 22
core 2 successful runs: 21
core 3 successful runs: 22
core 4 successful runs: 22
RAM(760 mib/run) successful runs: 535


Seems a bit hot to me. In addition to the basic apps, I use Chrome, and played Plague, Inc. & Ingress. The back is hot to the touch.:-\

 

[Kaenon]

My N4 is hot under normal use and very very hot when playing games.

I wonder if anybody is experiencing the same thing. Not many reviews really mentioned about this problem. That makes me suspect that my phone is a defected one. What can I do? return? or waiting for software update?

What you're experiencing is 100% normal for any electronic device.
Components get very hot when running memory intensive programs and they can't dissipate heat as quickly as the components on the board generate it.

 

[soma4society]

If you want to see a hot phone, try using Google Navigation for a 2 Hour road trip while plugged into the car charger. It was very hot to the touch but the case helped.

Lol, this doesn't surprise me to hear. I used navigation for a *brief* time the other day and it really must work the CPU. At one point I was stuck at a long traffic light and I'd swear it was losing battery by a factor of 1% like every 30 seconds or so--plugged it in real quick after that observation. Didn't notice the heat tho cause I've got a bumper. I'm underclocking the CPU now after just having rooted. I assume it will help mollify heat and battery drain like this, at least a little? Or no?

 

[soma4society]

I didn't notice such heat issue with the 3gs

I used all iphones from the 1st generation. Not sure how they do it but heat just doesn't seem to be as much of an issue with those devices. For me, it's not *bad* on the N4 (certainly not enough to even consider going back to Apple). It's just noticeable that's all. Usually when I stream Netflix. I do remember warming on my 3G and 3Gs, but on my iphone 4 and 4s, I almost never felt *any* heat or if I did it was barely perceptible. Not even when playing graphics intensive games like Infinity Blade sans case.

 

[rupam95]

Can this amount of heat (let's say about 40-45 Celsius) damage any internal hardware? I find it very hot around the camera area and i was wondering if it would affect the camera in anyway.

 

[xstinkyx]

I never encountered overheating in 2+ months of N4 usage until the other week.

I installed the Ruzzle game and noticed a few thing:

- Ruzzle was seemingly draining the battery more than expected. I couldn't tell if this was normal or not (I was playing it a fair amount, but not a super lot).

- One day the N4 became very very warm. I think I force quit Ruzzle and the problem went away. Or maybe I did a reboot.

In any case, I'm still suspicious of Ruzzle. It's a fairly basic no-frills game yet seems to cause the N4 to freak out.

 

[Andyvalver]

A friend at my work bought a nexus 4 and has sent it back because it has an issue where it gets hot and turns itself off. Battery drains quickly too. I think its a battery issue with his and its causing it to turn off because its overheating

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Android Central Forums

 

[HZWL]

Yes, my new Nexus 4 has the similar problem. It got very hot under normal use (actually it is ideal) and turned itself off once. I thought the phone was dead. However, next morning, it could be turned on again. Such hot has happened several times but did not turn itself off. I really want to know if it is a defective problem. Should I contact the seller to replace one?

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[HZWL]

My N4 is hot under normal use and very very hot when playing games.

I wonder if anybody is experiencing the same thing. Not many reviews really mentioned about this problem. That makes me suspect that my phone is a defected one. What can I do? return? or waiting for software update?

Yes, my new Nexus 4 has the similar problem. It got very hot under normal use (actually it is ideal) and turned itself off once. I thought the phone was dead. However, next morning, it could be turned on again. Such hot has happened several times but did not turn itself off. I really want to know if it is a defective problem. Should I contact the seller to replace one?

Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[chubb]

Yes, my new Nexus 4 has the similar problem. It got very hot under normal use (actually it is ideal) and turned itself off once. I thought the phone was dead. However, next morning, it could be turned on again. Such hot has happened several times but did not turn itself off. I really want to know if it is a defective problem. Should I contact the seller to replace one?

Any suggestions?

Thanks

If it is turning itself off while using it, then yes I would replace it. It should not get that hot while playing games, browsing, watching videos, or anything that one would normally do on a smartphone that it turns itself off due to heat. I would look at any apps recently downloaded and delete them and see if the problem persists, not all apps are coded properly and/or cause major issues on different phones. Also if you are using a case, take it off to see if the case is preventing the heat from escaping, I know a long shot but you never know.

 

[Fairclough]

Think of it as a computer... my laptop with a built in fan (all comps have one) quad core, only 4gb ram gets hot when I game... a mobile no fan quad core 2gb of ram will do the same.
Its just using a lot of power to generate your game and energy is lost in heat.