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

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, brownish / pinkish 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.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 28th 2009 7:32AM]

@blarge: "I have a White 3G and had this EXACT same problem. It wasn't overheating, but rather a cheap leather case I purchased and the tanning had rubbed off."

EXACTLY what I was thinking. This isn't over heating; the color is all wrong. It's just dye that rubbed off something else, e.g. a cheap case or even cheaper purple jeans. And if it's the latter, Apple should just take his iPhone off him and refuse to sell him anything else...

[Deoki Posted Jun 28th 2009 6:54AM]

My friend got a white iPhone 3GS and when in GPS with 3G it gets really, REALLY hot. So it seems like the painting on the iPhone hasn't been tested properly. Sure you could always get the black one, but it will cost you that awful fingerprint-magnet "feature".
My white HTC Magic also gets hot, but not as hot as the iPhone and the back is removable, wich may come in hand in case I see a similar problem.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 28th 2009 11:41AM]

How in the hell do HUGE electronics companies not have this problem under control? It's unacceptable.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 28th 2009 11:40AM]

I still have the original iphone, it heats up quite hot but it has the aluminum back so there is no color change. Why have just black and white and not a nice metal finish for an option? I was going to upgrade my iphone to the 3G but I knew soon enough there would be another one so I was holding out for the 3G S, now I am going to hold out even longer until they fix this problem because I want a white one, for now my original iphone works just fine. Just like the ipods, I had the classic version one generation previous, still had the spinning hard drive (which I hate compared to solid state) and had to get it replaced because the heat would warp the plastic and the hard disc would not spin. Apple c'mon...this is pathetic.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 29th 2009 2:57PM]

I have the 32GB black iphone. I have noticed on occasion that while it is charging in the car and listening to music for a couple of hours, it will get VERY hot. I didn't even want to put it in my pocket the last time. Unfortunately, my 3G would get hot too, but the 3GS gets even hotter.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 29th 2009 3:36PM]

Within the past week and a half, I've had 2 defective white 3GS's (16gb). First one had bad touch sensors (as in, didn't work, at all). Second one randomly reboots when it gets hot. It's not scorched the back (like above), but probably the cause of the random reboots.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 4:26AM]

but...but...it can't be...Apple is so perfect....

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 30th 2009 12:10PM]

If it is discoloring because of heat breaking down the polymer coating on the back of the iPhone. I wonder what the long term impact of heat and sunlight would be on the fingerprint resistant coating used on the touch screen? Is that more susceptible to darkening over time than the older model screens? Sorry, I'm no chemist but what sounds great (finger print esistant screen) might have it's downsides. Of course you probably will upgrade before is duscolira due to normal aging.

[oldschoolgamer Posted Jul 2nd 2009 6:19PM]

Uh Oh. Looks like this isn't such an isolated incident after all. The worst part about all of this is it seems like apple is blaming the user for this problem.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20090702/tc_pcworld/appleadmitsiphoneoverheatingissuessortof

Well, I don't know about anyone else but I know if I had spent my hard-earned money on a new iphone 3gs I wouldn't leave it in my car for any extensive period of time on a hot day. So I seriously doubt these users are leaving their phones in their cars. Clearly apple rushed the 3gs to market without fully testing it and now they may have to issue a recall.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 2nd 2009 11:58PM]

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[(Unverified) Posted Jul 5th 2009 9:51AM]

I'm actually starting to get a similar effect on my white macbook that's a little over a year old now. It's getting brown heat scorch streaks on the back and underside of the laptop. As well as cracking on the front. No wonder they changed to unibody.

[canadianpj Posted Jul 5th 2009 2:32PM]

Isn't this the ONLY reported case of this happening out of all the 3GS's out there? I would think that if this was happening on a larger scale places like this would be riddled with photos. I am not concerned, in the least, about a single problem because God knows that they never happen with any other devices ever made...