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Apple acknowledges iPhone X becoming unresponsive in cold weather, promises software fix

Last updated

The iPhone X can temporarily lose touch functionality in cold weather, Apple admitted on Thursday in response to owner complaints.

"We are aware of instances where the iPhone X screen will become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment," a spokesperson told The Loop. "After several seconds the screen will become fully responsive again. This will be addressed in an upcoming software update."

Apple didn't offer a timetable for the patch.

On Wednesday a Reddit thread emerged on the topic, with the original poster complaining that his iPhone became unresponsive just seconds after stepping into cold weather. Some other commenters reported similar issues.

Officially iPhones, iPads, and the iPod touch are only built to run in ambient temperatures between 32 and 95 Fahrenheit. Going beyond those limits can cause a device to "change its behavior to regulate its temperature," the company says, even shutting down completely.

Many Apple customers live in places that regularly become colder however, and the issue is particularly critical with the iPhone X, which doesn't have a physical home button to fall back on.



56 Comments

jdgaz 9 Years · 406 comments

ColdGate has arrived. Buy the dip.

AlexanderHC 8 Years · 6 comments

Thank God! I thought I was about to have an iPhone with intermittent problems which I can never get fixed! Phew! Let's hope they find that software fix and release it soon rather then later. 

MplsP 8 Years · 4047 comments

This is nothing new - living in MN, my wife and I routinely have our iPhones go unresponsive and shut down if they get cold. Bring them inside and warm them up and they comeback to life. I think the processsor must be a reptile.

Kuyangkoh 7 Years · 838 comments

Apple is quick in fixing issues unlike some phone Co....new kid in the block usually stumble a bit, hehe don’t worry you are protected by a trillion (almost) company, hehe

paxman 17 Years · 4729 comments

Thank God! I thought I was about to have an iPhone with intermittent problems which I can never get fixed! Phew! Let's hope they find that software fix and release it soon rather then later. 

I thought you were being sarcastic. I have never owned an iPhone where this did not happen. The iPhone 5s would last minutes in cold weather. I am talking really cold but it would shut down regardless of charge. I'd get a few pictures taken and that would be it. The 6s is marginally better but by no means great.