Why Does Phone Get So Hot?

[miamifin33]

Im trying to figure out why my phone gets so hot after such light use (ie browsing web for a few minutes). I understand these phones do heat up but my phone is getting so hot it is actually getting hard to hold. My Gps is off as is wifi. My screen is pretty dim too. What could be the cause?

 

[vicw926a4]

I don't know that they all do - I've been running mine into the ground since I got it last Friday, and I haven't noticed any unusual warmth - certainly no warmer that my old Iphone 3g was. I haven't experienced the dim screen, either. It does seem to get warmer while it is charging. I know that's not much help to your dilemma, but just be aware the problem isn't a universal one.

 

[miamifin33]

Thanks for the reply. What i meant by my screen being dim is im setting it dim in an attempt to cool my phone/preserve battery life.

 

[bworley50]

Live wallpapers

 

[miamifin33]

I don't use live wallpapers.

 

[dvader]

Mine seems to get hot when i run like google navigator type apps..
anything use the sat's/gps

if it's just hanging out, or surfing. making a call.. etc. it seems room temp. but when i run the nav.. after i take it out of the dock, it's really warm.

I use live wallpapers and it does not get warm (unless as noted above)

 

[doctorlove316]

My phone got real real hot the very first day I used it but since then it hasn't got hot at all, barely even warm. And I've been running this beast almost non stop.

 

[Chaos5]

You have to figure its almost a computer in these things now. A 1ghz processor will conduct a lot of heat without a heat-sink and fan much like computers. Also mines was hot once I turned it off and bam it was cold as of no electricity running through the phone.

 

[derpudel]

You might need to exchange it. I've had no heating issues on mine, and I've used it hard from day one.

 

[mflynn]

Heat comes from the battery while charging/discharging, electrical components while consuming electricity. Playing an intensive game or something that will stress the cpu more then normal will cause the temp of the phone to increase.

This is why I wonder about the wisdom in companies developing dual cores for a phone and pushing the speed to 2Ghz. There's only passive cooling for these phones and the enclosures are such that there's absolutely no air movement possible.

 

[Mister869]

I agree that this is not an "across the board issue". I have been using mt DX heavily since release day and I have not experienced any excessive heat with mine.

Maybe the battery in yours is not 100% up to snuff, I would suggest taking it back and getting a new one and see if problem continues (the battery that is).

 

[FrogVomit]

Mine only gets warm when I'm using data in with very low signal strength. That will drain the battery quick because the transmitter is working overtime.

 

[TurboCam]

I have noticed the phone gets really hot when using the google nav....such as when it's in the car dock (and i don't have a charger hooked up to the dock either.)

I'll take the phone out of the dock, and it is sizzling!!

 

[anon(40376)]

Processors are notorious for heating up with applications that cause them to process a lot of information. I would imagine that Google needs the processor to work hard to keep up with the changing screen as you move, and pulling maps and other info off the storage device. In addition, the GPS is now working using the processor to keep the location updated via satellite signals.

Now I would also wonder about the cooling. mflynn already hinted at the newer faster processors heating up more, but I would also wonder about the cooling efficiency when the unit is mounted in a dock. Since the phone uses passive cooling (no fans) if the back of the phone is snug up against more plastic, can it cool efficiently as it does if that extra thick layer of plastic is not there?

More questions than answers....

 

[deercreek]

Mine got really hot one day and I got scared that it might be the car charger I was using. Then I noticed it was still hot after several minutes of sitting in my pocket. I think it was because I had dTor running in the background and it was actually downloading something. I haven't noticed that happen since.

 

[Speedr117]

Mine gets hot in the car dock, charging and displaying nav. BTW, does anyone else notice it takes a long time to charge this phone? According to JoicePlotter, 4 hours from almost dead to 100%.

 

[Leif]

Mine only really get's hot when I'm playing graphics intensive games (well, intensive for a hand held device. ). (Due to vision problems, I can't drive, thus I don't test out navigation).

And no, I really haven't noticed long charging times, as the only times I charge it is when:
A. I'm developing (it needs to be plugged into my laptop anyway)
B. I'm copying files (Same as above, but it's rare that I do this)
C. When I'm asleep (at which point I don't care how long it takes, just so long as it's charged when I wake up 5-8 hours later).

 

[anon(41845)]

My Storm1 can get hot with heavy use and from what I understand that is normal for a smart phone. But all this talk about hot, really hot and not very hot is funny. Without temps to compare - we are left to our own description and interpretation of temps.

For example, my wife and I both say we like hot showers...but she calls mine cold and I think her's is boiling hot.

All that said - if you have a concern take it to a VZW store that has a service tech and have him/her look at it. If it is defective then order a new one. If not - enjoy!

 

[anon(40252)]

Mine will get really hot sometimes. Sometimes it worries me. It seems to be hit and miss though. I may go a couple days without a problem and then I am using (like any other time) and it heats up.

I will keep an eye out for something specific. I know in my old phone the GPS would cause it to heat up so maybe it is the Nav.

 

[IamGov#IM]

There are temp gauges in the market. I blew up a battery on my orig droid from overclocking...lol. For literalists out there, when i say blew up i mean it blew a few internal cells due to heat and the battery enlarged, pushing the back cover off.

Of course this was taking a 500mhz processor and pushing it to1 ghz on a custom rom, so a lot different than factory.

Get the temp gauges on the market if you are worried, but overall just keep using the phone. If it fails and you didn't hack it then there is always the warranty to fall back on.