White iPhone 3GS reportedly overheats, turns a browner shade of white

by Laura June posted Jun 26th 2009 at 4:55PM

Right after its launch, we noted the sundry problems reported by new iPhone 3GS owners, but this is the first time we've heard tell of this specific one... and it seems like a doozy. It's unclear exactly what caused this, but what is apparent is an unattractive discoloration on the above handset. The user claims it was caused by overheating during a period of using the GPS and 3G of the phone. Either way, it looks pretty crummy now, doesn't it? What about the rest of you with new, white iPhones? Anything to report? One more shot of this looker after the break.

Filed under: Handsets, Apple

Tags: 3gs, apple, iphone, iphone 3gs, Iphone3gs, overheating, problems

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

Vellie @ Jun 26th 2009 5:07PM

hmmm.... sucks

Low Ranked

Vellie @ Jun 26th 2009 5:08PM

oh yeah that was first and second

Neutral

Peter @ Jun 26th 2009 5:17PM

Crummy? That's the sickest pink spray job I've ever seen. I'm going to go put mine in the oven right now...

Neutral

gabriel.mas @ Jun 26th 2009 5:47PM

You bet it is!!! I'm wondering which temperature make it blue?

Neutral

wolf @ Jun 26th 2009 6:14PM

um... anybody else notice the apple logo being reversed in that picture or is it just me?

Highest Ranked

Cris T @ Jun 26th 2009 6:22PM

I think he took the picture with the iPhone looking into a mirror, reversing the image.

Highly Ranked

Galen20K @ Jun 26th 2009 6:06PM

Ya'll See? J U N K! As we've already known for years.

Low Ranked

Dr. Greenthumb @ Jun 26th 2009 6:44PM

That's why it's on top huh? Haha, no point in arguing with the retarded.

Highest Ranked

Galen20K @ Jun 26th 2009 7:41PM

You must be Learning impaired if you actually Believe that One Phone can be on Top, especially one of such Low Quality and Non-Functional Nature.

AHAHahahaaa

Good luck with that now! ; D

Neutral

Tony @ Jun 26th 2009 9:55PM

Open your eyes little boy, it's very clear. Now get to bed before mommy can see your on the internet past your bedtime.

Highly Ranked

Ryan @ Jun 26th 2009 6:22PM

its probably because he took a picture of the phone in the mirror

Neutral

crisss1205 @ Jun 26th 2009 6:23PM

How long does it have to be in the oven to turn green?

Neutral

Gib @ Jun 26th 2009 6:28PM

I've got the white and mine is still beautifully pure. Havent noticed any over heating either.

Neutral

Jordan @ Jun 26th 2009 6:51PM

No overheating here on my white one. No discoloration either.

Highly Ranked

Palm PRE 4 LIFE @ Jun 26th 2009 7:17PM

Not surprising, iCrap is trash anyway. Scrap it!!

Low Ranked

klmsu19 @ Jun 26th 2009 9:35PM

Yaaa ok fanboy! you mean besides the Pre's crappy build quality, sharp edges on the sliders, light leak on the screens, and overall poor screen quality defects already in the Pre's? go back to your dying company who cant keep a customer and sold 1/4 the phones in the first weekend.

Learn the real facts before you bash

Highly Ranked

TechnoBill @ Jun 27th 2009 11:09AM

Yeah, it must be difficult deciding which app to run on the Pre. I mean you can enjoy some Pandora, and then check where you are on a map or even check the weather. And then you can... well... you could listen to Pandora some more, I guess. BUT, at least you can multi-task between that long list of apps. Because you wouldn't want to have to re-open an app on the Pre. You might not have the extra 2 minutes to wait for it to load up. ;)

Neutral

Palm PRE 4 LIFE @ Jun 27th 2009 1:39PM

I have a version 1 of a phone, apple is now releasing things you should have had in version 1.. Cant wait for that mms, and maybe a fart app or 2. SDK is now in the wild, PRE is coming. Be afraid, very afraid!!

Neutral

ILIKEBOOBS @ Jun 27th 2009 3:32PM

The Palm Pre is definitely better than the iphone. It's almost as good as the samsung instinct LOL, which is twice as better than the iphone

[ChYEaaaaaH RiiIiiiiiiiiTe}

Highest Ranked

Brooklyn Lou @ Jun 26th 2009 7:24PM

I put my black one in the freezer and it turned white

Neutral

Dave @ Jun 26th 2009 8:06PM

PRE>Iphone

Highly Ranked

klmsu19 @ Jun 26th 2009 9:36PM

pointless subjective post

Highest Ranked

Adam @ Jun 26th 2009 10:16PM

I can say that my 3gs gets a lot hotter than my 3g ever did. Noticeable warm on the back.

Neutral

Doggy @ Jun 26th 2009 10:15PM

Got a white one love it's perfect . Prob some thing done to that unit

Neutral

Josh @ Jun 27th 2009 8:51AM

Looks like where the rails would be on a slider like case to me.

Neutral

miro @ Jun 27th 2009 9:28AM

It does seem a little suspect. I haven't seen the dissected version of the phone, but assuming a specific component overheated, wouldn't the discoloration be more focused?

I have a G1 and when the processor gets taxed the bottom part of the phone gets hot in one specific place (behind the chin), not all over the phone.

Would this type of damage make sense with the internal layout of the phone?

Highly Ranked

Griff @ Jun 27th 2009 10:36AM

Actually if you look at the exploded view here (http://www.isuppli.com/Asset/Apple%20iPhone%203%20GS%20Exploded%20View.jpg), then you can see those marks are along the sides of the battery. Which sort of makes sense since most likely the battery has some protection behind it where the sides do not, and the heat could radiate out. If he was taxing his phone with 3G and GPS, the battery could have been working quite hard.

Neutral

Adamus @ Jun 27th 2009 10:54AM

If the sides of the battery got hot enough to discolor the outside of the case, major components inside the phone would be destroyed as well. Isn't it a little curious that he is taking a pic of his "burnt up" phone with his "burnt up" phone?

Neutral

Adamus @ Jun 27th 2009 10:50AM

This is pretty obviously BS. If you look at the tear-down pics of the 3GS, there isn't anything that runs down the phone in those two lines that could overheat like that. Besides the fact that the "brown" discoloration is actually pink in all the pics. Not to mention the fact that a component that was hot enough to discolor the back of the phone would cause major problems to the screen, and there isn't ONE pic of the screen. More than a little suspicious.

The more likely cause is a cheap red plastic or rubber case was put on there, and it rubbed off on the phone. Not exactly a great headline though, right? More people click on a story with the headline "iPhone 3GS Overheating" than would click on "Moron puts crappy case on iPhone; it becomes discolored".

Neutral

Peter D @ Jun 27th 2009 1:13PM

I think I agree with this post 100%!!!

Neutral

anthony @ Jun 27th 2009 11:53AM

Glad I bought a black iPhone.

Neutral

kenny powers @ Jun 27th 2009 12:20PM

its pretty funny how all these apple fanboys defend the defects of their phone, but if its a pre they bash it saying its a pos, sorry it took your 3rd gen phone to still not have many features a first gen phone has cough cough mms cough, but i forgot you have a compass, you win

Neutral

Llama @ Jun 27th 2009 1:17PM

I've worked with several phones throughout the last few years. I've seen battery heat discolor phone backs before. The Motorola K1M was really bad about this, and the phones would still be functional with the discoloration. As for the color that is showing up on the white, several pigments of plastic are mixed to obtain a white finish. The fact that one pigment may have a lower discoloration point than the others is possible.

Neutral

Dissapointed @ Jun 27th 2009 3:41PM

After about a week I noticed a black spot show up right next to the apple logo. I have had an invisible shield on since minute 1 of owning the phone so i know its not dirt or something on the phone itself. My only thought was heat discoloration because my GF and mine 3gs get very hot! I mean hotter than my G1 ever did. Anyway I am terribly dissapointed with AT&T so im returning the iphone anyway and going back to T-Mobile.

Neutral

fanboys @ Jun 27th 2009 5:54PM

So far so good. No overheat. Yes, it got warm after a few hrs but not so hot you can't touch or hold it.
I love my 3G S

Neutral

fastharry @ Jun 27th 2009 7:50PM

Blackberry storm for the win!!.....NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neutral

Riz @ Jun 28th 2009 8:50AM

Judging by the comments on this thread (flame war not withstanding), overheating on the 3GS doesn't seem to be an issue for folks. Pics can also be deceiving; my Pre hasn't had any issue with white spots after heavy use like an earlier post suggested.

I find it hard to believe something like this would slip through quality control if it were a pervasive problem. Prolly just an isolated incident.

Neutral

Brian @ Jun 28th 2009 9:29AM

You would think by now either 2 things would happen. 1, Apple would start selling their products that are white to have have coloring issues. Or 2, people who buy an Apple product would learn not to buy white because they pretty much all seem to have issues with the color changing for one reason or another.

Neutral

Philly Z! @ Jun 29th 2009 4:48AM

Let's not forget the white iPhone 3G had problems of showing cracks now the 3GS version sucks 2, I'm so glad I have the Black backing!
Plus we all know the Pre's a cute phone but, when your ready to step up 2 the big leagues buy an iPhone or Blackberry!

BTW, so pumped for next Summers iPhone HD version 4 of the iPhone will be an Android and Pre Killer!!! That is as long as AT&T don't limit it!

Neutral

Martin @ Jun 29th 2009 9:11AM

how is the iPhone the big leagues. It is what all the moms and kids use. Its just an iPod with a phone. It is not a business phone, so doesn't seem very big league to me. All in all its really just a designer phone with a great music player and a great web browser, though that is being challeneged now too!

Neutral

Moof @ Jul 16th 2009 6:56PM

The iPhone has multiple business uses it kills the Pre and any RIM product so... if you hate iPhones so much you jealous little boys why do you read about them? If you don't care..then howbout you just don't google the iPhone to find it's flaws.

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