Connect with us

Technologies

Apple Says iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Due to iOS 17 Bug, Not Hardware Design

Recent updates to some third-party iOS 17 apps, like Instagram and Uber, also contribute to the issue, Apple tells CNET. Here’s how to keep your phone cool while a fix is in the works.

Widespread complaints about overheating of the new iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can be traced to several factors, including a software bug in iOS 17, Apple told CNET on Saturday. 

The company said the new phones’ titanium frame and aluminum substructure aren’t contributing to the issue, and that they dissipate heat better than the stainless steel used in prior Pro models.

Days after the iPhone 15 series went on sale, people started to share stories about how their new phones overheated or felt excessively hot. Some users couldn’t comfortably hold their phone. Others shared pictures of infrared thermometers showing the temperature of their iPhone hitting more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

While spending time with the phones for my iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max review, I didn’t have trouble with either one overheating. The 15 Pro Max did become noticeably hot after I used my MacBook Pro’s 140W power adapter to charge it. It also got quite warm after I played Resident Evil Village for 30 minutes.

«We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected,» Apple said in a statement to CNET. «The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity. We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update. Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system. We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out.»

Tech reviewer Faruk Korkmaz published a video earlier this week documenting his iPhone 15 Pro Max’s temperature climbing to 98 degrees within minutes after he opened the Instagram app. The same thing occurred on his iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 17.

Apple explained that recent updates to some third-party apps on iOS 17, like Instagram, Asphalt 9 and Uber, overload the A17 Pro chip’s CPU, causing the iPhone to get warmer than normal. The company is working with third-party developers to implement fixes. As a result, Instagram released an updated version of its app on Sept. 27.

Neither Instagram, Uber nor Asphalt 9 developer Gameloft immediately responded to requests for comment.

There’s no word when the software update that addresses the iOS 17 bug will come out, but Apple did explain that the fix won’t reduce the iPhone’s performance.

In terms of charging, Apple said the 15 Pro and Pro Max support any USB-C adapter that’s compliant with the USB-C standard, including USB Power Delivery. The company said the iPhone regulates itself to cap charging to a max 27W and that if you’re using a 20W or higher charger, the phone can temporarily get warmer as a result.

iPhone 15 Pro Max's USB-C port

Apple’s support page notes that the iPhone may feel warm when you first set it up, restore it from a backup, or wirelessly charge it. That’s been my experience with a number of previous iPhone models and Android phones.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max and are experiencing overheating, there are a few things you can try until Apple releases the iOS 17 update. Turn on Low Power Mode from the Control Center or in the Battery section of the Settings app. This will kill any background tasks, temporarily limit the display’s refresh rate to 60Hz and reduce the brightness. Don’t keep your phone in direct sunlight or in an extremely hot environment for prolonged periods. And if, like Korkmaz, you suspect an app might be the issue, disable background refresh for that app under the General section in the Settings app.

Technologies

Fitbit Launches Luffu, AI-Powered Health Tracking for the Whole Family

Soon, you may be able to access every family member’s health data in one place.

If you’ve ever wanted a way to keep all of your family’s health records in place, Fitbit may have come up with a solution. Fitbit, well-known for its fitness wearables, announced the launch of its own health care system on Wednesday.  

Luffu, which translates to the Old English word for «love,» uses AI to create what it calls an «intelligent family care system.» The platform allows family members to share all their health information through an app.

It’s unclear when Luffu will be officially available, but you can sign up for the waitlist to get access to the limited public beta. Pricing or other details have not been announced.

Luffu will allow families to keep track of everyone’s doctor’s appointments, test results, vaccine records, medications, symptoms, diet and more. The platform uses AI to learn your family’s health history and patterns, and to alert you to any changes that should be addressed, such as missed medications or abnormal vitals. The AI function organizes the data submitted into the system. The app will also connect to third-party apps and wearables, such as the Fitbit.

Luffu is meant to lighten the mental load of family care by organizing all this health data in one place, its co-founder said.

«I was caring for my parents from across the country, trying to piece together my mom’s health care across various portals and providers, with a language barrier that made it hard to get a complete, timely context from her about doctor visits,» said Luffu co-founder James Park.

Luffu will include alerts and a space to log health and medication information via voice, text, photos, and other health portals and devices. The key medical information can be shared across the platform with spouses, caregivers and parents.

A representative for Fitbit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Continue Reading

Technologies

These New AI Transcription Models Are Built for Speed and Privacy

Mistral AI’s new Voxtral Mini Transcribe 2 and Voxtral Realtime are intended to run on your device, meaning your conversations never find their way to a data center.

Sometimes you want to transcribe something, but don’t want it to be hanging out on the internet for any hacker to see. Maybe it’s a conversation with your doctor or lawyer. Maybe you’re a journalist, and it’s a sensitive interview. Privacy and control are important.

That desire for privacy is one reason the French developer Mistral AI built its latest transcription models to be small enough to run on devices. They can run on your phone, on your laptop or in the cloud.

Voxtral Mini Transcribe 2, one of the new models announced Wednesday, is «super, super small,» Pierre Stock, Mistral’s vice president of science operations, told me. Another new model, Voxtral Realtime, can do the same thing but live, like closed captioning. 

Privacy is not the only reason the company wanted to build small open-source models. By running right on the device you’re using, these models can work faster. No more waiting on files to find their way through the internet to a data center and back. 

«What you want is the transcription to happen super, super close to you,» Stock said. «And the closest we can find to you is any edge device, so a laptop, a phone, a wearable like a smartwatch, for instance.»

The low latency (read: high speed) is especially important for real-time transcription. The Voxtral Realtime model can generate with a latency of less than 200 milliseconds, Stock said. It can transcribe a speaker’s words about as quickly as you can read them. No more waiting two or three seconds for the closed captioning to catch up.

The Voxtral Realtime model is available through Mistral’s API and on Hugging Face, along with a demo where you can try it out.

In some brief testing, I found it generated fairly quickly (although not as fast as you’d expect if it were on device) and managed to capture what I said accurately in English with a little bit of Spanish mixed in. It’s capable of handling 13 languages right now, according to Mistral. 

Voxtral Mini Transcribe 2 is also available through the company’s API, or you can play around with it in Mistral’s AI Studio. I used the model to transcribe my interview with Stock.

I found it to be quick and pretty reliable, although it struggled with proper names like Mistral AI (which it called Mr. Lay Eye) and Voxtral (VoxTroll). Yes, the AI model got its own name wrong. But Stock said users can customize the model to understand certain words, names and jargon better if they’re using it for specific tasks.

The challenge of building small, fast AI models is that they also have to be accurate, Stock said. The company touted the models’ performance on benchmarks showing improved error rates compared to competitors. 

«It’s not enough to say, OK, I’ll make a small model,» Stock said. «What you need is a small model that has the same quality as larger models, right?»

Continue Reading

Technologies

Don’t Miss Out on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $25 Per Month

With this StackSocial offer, you’re getting access to hundreds of games for either $25 for one month or $74 for three months.

Right now at StackSocial, you can get a three-month membership for just $74, which brings each month to $25. Normally $30 per month, you can also opt for a single-month plan for $25. I’ve been following Xbox Game Pass pricing for a while, so this is a great deal. Just keep in mind, once you get your download code via email, the purchase cannot be changed or returned. 

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate lets you access games not only on your console but also on a PC or mobile device. Basically, you can play what you want, when you want, where you want. Game Pass adds new games all the time, with not only older titles making their way to the service but also brand-new Xbox games, including releases from Microsoft’s own studios on the day of release.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a brilliant way to save cash while playing fantastic games, including Black Ops 6, Halo: Infinite, Hellblade 2, Starfield and tons more. While the lineup changes each month, more than 500 games are available to play. It’s the closest thing to a Netflix for games.

Please note that Microsoft allows prepayment for up to 36 months of access, so 12 is the maximum number of subscriptions you should purchase. You can check out our full roundup of all the best Xbox deals for more savings on games and accessories.

Why this deal matters 

The last time we saw the Game Pass subscription discounted was around the holiday season. Right now, you can get access to hundreds of games for essentially the price of one. Whether you choose the one- or three-month option, the price is the same at $25 per month. Since most games aren’t usually priced below $25, this is a steal. 

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Verum World Media