Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 in September as the company's latest and greatest smartphone, promising the same things that we hear every year. The new generation comes with a better screen, a faster chip, improved battery life, and upgraded everything for "the best iPhone ever made," in Apple's own words.
The biggest change happens under the hood, causing something that reminds tech-savvy users of one of the biggest flops in history.
In 2016, Samsung released a smartphone whose battery couldn't handle the high temperatures recorded when running demanding processes, eventually suffering from overheating. Due to the excessive heat, the Galaxy Note 7 batteries started overheating, sometimes bursting into flames. The battery occasionally produced small explosions or started emitting smoke randomly, even when not in use.
The iPhone 15 series seems to suffer from a widespread overheating problem that not even Apple can handle. It hasn't reached the scale of the Galaxy Note 7, and Apple has already promised an update to resolve the issue – but so did Samsung, and the South Koreans eventually recalled and retired the entire Galaxy Note 7 series.
Now, it looks like the iPhone 15 overheating issues are expanding to the automotive industry.
iPhones damaged due to BMW wireless chargers
Photo: Florin Profir/autoevolution
BMW owners are now reporting that the wireless chargers in their cars end up frying the NFC sensor in the iPhone 15, making it impossible to pay with Apple Pay.
Wireless charging in a car has become very common, making getting some extra juice while driving more convenient. You don't need cables, and BMW offering a built-in wireless charger fits this approach like a glove. Most modern smartphones, including the new iPhone generation, already have wireless charging support.
Reports started pouring in this week that wirelessly charging an iPhone 15 in a new-generation BMW featuring the factory wireless charger breaks down the device.
While the reports are still scarce, it looks like the iPhone enters the data recovery mode after approximately 10 minutes of wireless charging. It's unclear if the excessive heat pushes the iPhone into this mode, as the smartphone comes equipped with a cooling system that kicks in when it struggles with excessive heat. The device then locks access to the smartphone until the temperature drops.
Photo: Florin Profir/autoevolution
However, the overheating appears to be so aggressive that the device is knocked directly into the data recovery mode. Owners can't restart the iPhone on the spot and must wait until it cools. Restoring the smartphone is the only option, though it's not the most convenient. Some iPhone 15 owners contacted Apple and went to an Apple Store for assistance, eventually temporarily getting the smartphone up and running.
The more concerning thing is that the wireless charger appears to damage the iPhone 15 after the data recovery mode is triggered. The overheating seems to fry the NFC sensor, as owners claim Apple Pay fails to launch. Apple Pay is a contactless payment option bundled with the iPhone.
iPhone 15 buyers who encountered the problem have tried to restore the device manually several times to no avail. Starting from scratch and setting up the iPhone as a new device also fails to bring the smartphone back to working condition.
Some owners claim they contacted Apple to report the problem, and after the tech giant inspected their broken iPhone 15s, it issued replacement devices. The new units encountered the same problem when trying to wirelessly charge them using the factory charger installed in the latest-generation BMW models.
The problem appears limited to the iPhone 15 series, as wirelessly charging an older iPhone model in a BMW works flawlessly. The Pro models also encounter the problem more frequently than the standard and the Plus siblings.
Photo: Florin Profir/autoevolution
Apple has already promised a software update to resolve the overheating, but until it ships, not using the BMW wireless charger and keeping an eye on your iPhone 15 while charging are must-follow recommendations. Fast charging and wireless charging typically produce excessive heat, but the process is also exposed to other factors in a car. For example, as others have explained, charging a smartphone in direct sunlight or during a hot summer day could cause overheating, eventually triggering the iPhone's protection systems.
Overheating is known as a potential cause of hardware damage, though in all these cases, the NFC sensor is the only one broken down after using the BMW wireless charger.
Neither BMW nor Apple commented on the problem, but all signs suggest that the issue happens on the iPhone side. The wireless charger installed in BMW cars works flawlessly with any other smartphone, including previous iPhone generations, so Apple must figure out why the iPhone 15 ended up with a fried sensor, and it must do it now.
At the time of writing, there are no reports of similar issues in other vehicles equipped with wireless charging from the factory.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones. Full profile
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