Chinese Reviewer Discovers iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Thermal Throttling Issue During Gaming
In a recent review conducted by a Chinese tech enthusiast, it was found that the iPhone 15 Pro Max experiences significant thermal throttling when subjected to intensive tasks such as gaming. These findings have raised concerns among tech enthusiasts and users alike, questioning the performance capabilities of Apple’s latest flagship device.
During the review, the surface temperature of the iPhone 15 Pro Max was measured to reach up to 48°C while playing a game in a room with a temperature of 25°C. Furthermore, the phone was tested with high graphics settings and brightness, further intensifying the workload on the device. Such high temperatures can not only impact user experience but also potentially pose a risk to the device’s longevity.
To determine the impact of thermal throttling on gaming performance, the reviewer compared the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro Max to its predecessor, the A16 Bionic chip. After a 30-minute gaming session, it was observed that the A17 Pro chip achieved an average frame rate of 59.1 FPS, consuming 4.13 W of power. On the other hand, the A16 Bionic chip averaged around 56.5 FPS with a consumption of 4.32 W.
Although Apple has highlighted the GPU prowess of the A17 Pro chip, the real-world performance appears to be somewhat disappointing. The iPhone 15 Pro Max only demonstrates a marginal 4.4% improvement in average FPS compared to the A16 Bionic. Surprisingly, it achieves this while consuming 4% less energy. These results lead to speculations that the A17 Pro chip may be similar to the A16 Bionic, with the addition of just one extra GPU core, or that the phone may suffer from insufficient thermal headroom.
An additional test involving the popular game Resident Evil Village further highlighted the thermal throttling issue in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. When played at a specific resolution, the phone experienced aggressive thermal throttling, causing a substantial drop in the frame rate, eventually recovering to around 30 FPS.
As these findings come to light, Apple may need to address the thermal management concerns surrounding the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Users who expected significant performance improvements with the A17 Pro chip may find themselves disappointed. It remains to be seen whether Apple will take necessary steps to rectify this issue through software updates or future hardware revisions.
Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s thermal throttling issue during intensive tasks like gaming raises questions about the device’s performance capabilities and leaves users wanting more from Apple’s latest flagship device.