My iPhone 16 Pro Max has been a fantastic smartphone, a sheer powerhouse in tackling all the tasks I throw at it, without compromise.
That said, ever since I purchased the best iPhone on the market last September, I’ve had a recurring issue pop up every so often. Most of the time, I use Apple Intelligence, whether that’s ChatGPT through Siri or Genmoji, my iPhone gets pretty hot and it happens very quickly.
I’ve tried to restore the software, but the issue is so intermittent that it never truly feels fixed, and I’ve spoken to other colleagues with a similar device, and they’ve also mentioned hot iPhones when using the built-in AI.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a deal-breaker by any means, but it is an issue that has been discussed online since Apple decided to move to the more premium titanium chassis with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and while it’s not specific to AI, using generation tools like Image Playground, is pretty taxing on the chip inside the device.
Yesterday, Apple unveiled the next generation of iPhones: the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. All beautiful in their own right, and all ready to showcase the future of AI-powered Siri when it hopefully launches next year.
While watching the keynote, one feature stood out to me more than anything else. And while I wasn’t planning to upgrade, it has made me want to preorder an iPhone 17 Pro later this week.
Ice, Ice, baby
I purchase a new iPhone every year, and it’s fair to say I’m more forgiving of software issues than most when it comes to the user experience on my smartphone.
For example, I had to close the Messages app and reopen it before uploading any photo to send via iMessage on my iPhone 12. Instead of sorting the issue out, probably through a software erase, I accepted the problem and just got on with my life. All this to say, I’m not one to really nitpick on annoyance.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll moan about tech annoyance in the pub, but more often than not, I just choose to live with them. After all, I buy a new device every year, and I always set it up as a new one, seeing the shiny new iPhone as an opportunity for an app spring clean.
Why am I going off on this tangent? Well, the 16 Pro Max has been an awesome phone, and honestly, the heating issue has been annoying, but nothing too severe to really impact my appreciation for the product.
That said, when Apple showcased the gorgeous copper-like Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro last night, in a new (old) aluminum chassis, with an Apple-designed laser-welded vapour chamber, I knew I had to have it.
Reverting to aluminum and focusing on thermal performance means the iPhone 17 Pro should be absolutely future-proof when it comes to AI and everything to do with Apple Intelligence that is expected to come in the next year or so.
Over the last 12 months, I’ve been unable to shake the feeling that my 16 Pro Max, despite being an absolute powerhouse, is going to struggle with more demanding AI tasks, especially considering I can’t create a genmoji of a frog eating ice cream without ramping the heat up.
We obviously don’t know what AI features Apple will bring to its products in the future, but we’re all hoping we finally see the Apple Intelligence-powered voice assistant we were promised at WWDC 2024. Rumors from top insiders like Mark Gurman report a new AI search engine built into Siri could also be on the horizon, and if that’s the case, I want the iPhone most capable of dissipating heat.
Getting ready for what’s to come
The dust has now settled on the iPhone 17 Apple keynote, and looking back at the devices Apple unveiled, I can’t help but get excited about the prospect of stability. One of the best iPhones in recent years was the iPhone 13 Pro, which improved on some of its predecessor’s battery and performance-related flaws.
With the iPhone 17 Pro, I get a similar vibe, a bigger battery, a more efficient chip, and a smartphone made to withstand the stress of modern-day applications powered by AI. If you’d have told me last week that I’d be most excited for a vapor chamber on an iPhone and the prospect of blazing fast AI capabilities, I’d have laughed in your face: there’s no way Apple could make me excited for cooler performance.
Fast forward to today, and the Cupertino-based company did it; they only went and did it. I’ve succumbed to the idea of an ice-cold iPhone capable of any AI process you throw at it, and I can’t wait to give it a try.