iPhone overheats and shuts down while in charging pad

[Left Coast Geek]

I use this Bulletpoint motorized wireless charging cradle on my Note 9, works flawlessly, and doesn't get hot. But I use a thin case so wireless charging works well enough. The console design on these cars is atrocious. I can't believe they took the most important, most used space in the car and stuck some stupid dials there and made the wireless charging spot require an acrobatic feat to get your phone in and out.

What space or 'stupid dials' is that? at least not on my 2019...

 

[DurhamHusker]

As I said in another thread -

"Wireless charging is inefficient in the first place and that loss in efficiency ends up generating lots of heat. In order to get rid of that heat, you need set your phone someplace that's well ventilated. That little well in the console is most certainly NOT well ventilated. Thankfully, most phones will stop charging if they get too hot. If they didn't, it'd kill the lifespan of your battery.

I'm not sure how other car companies do it, but Ford's wireless-charger-in-a-box is a horrible, horrible design. Even with the lid open, mine tends to get super hot. I suppose your mileage may vary, but that's been my experience. I've tried a number of different phones in there over the 5 years I've had my '18."

... but I'll add here - Heat is the biggest killer of your lithium ion battery. Phones, watches, lawn mowers, whatever ... getting hot degrades the lifespan of your battery. I don't use the wireless charger in this vehicle because 1) it's slow, and 2) my phones get really, really hot down there. Horrible design.

An A/C duct in there might have made it useable. But as others have said, it also has other drawbacks.

 

[purevw]

I've exclusively used wireless chargers for many years without issue, as the life of cable receptacles is considered to be 1000 plugins until failure. Charging only once per day with a cable gives you a 3 year phone life, assuming the cable is plugged and unplugged very carefully each time. A high rate pad charger can build heat. As others have mentioned, using your phone while charging can build great amounts of heat. Since there's likely no way to limit the output of the pad charger, the solution would be to add space between the phone and pad. Either a case or a small spacer. I've never had an issue, but have to confess I've also never had an iPhone.

 

[Ugh_J]

What space or 'stupid dials' is that? at least not on my 2019...

View attachment 78823

The one with the letters P, R, N, D, and M on it. Totally agree with gtr09 about that.

 

[JamaicaJoe]

I've exclusively used wireless chargers for many years without issue, as the life of cable receptacles is considered to be 1000 plugins until failure. Charging only once per day with a cable gives you a 3 year phone life, assuming the cable is plugged and unplugged very carefully each time. A high rate pad charger can build heat. As others have mentioned, using your phone while charging can build great amounts of heat. Since there's likely no way to limit the output of the pad charger, the solution would be to add space between the phone and pad. Either a case or a small spacer. I've never had an issue, but have to confess I've also never had an iPhone.

I have a Toshiba tablet with USB-C and it gets plugged and unplugged many times per day. It is well over 7 years old, on its second batterry and second shock case. No problems with the receptacle.

 

[nationalgallery]

Update:
I've had the iPhone 15 Pro for a few days now; unlike my 12 Pro which would slowly discharge and get really hot and do a self-shutdown after awhile driving with it on the charging pad while using CarPlay, the 15 just gets slightly noticeably warm and charges while I drive. I guess the charging circuit in the 12 was fried; since the 15 gets only slightly warm on the Expedition charging pad I don't think I would suspect that was the cause of the failure of the 12.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

I am the typical old dog, and smart phones provide a wealth of new tricks to learn; so what I'm saying may not be relevant to this discussion. Knowing only vaguely know "how" they work precludes me knowing "why" they don't, but I'll give it a shot...

My iPhone X Max has never given me a problem until the other day when the battery got very hot to the touch while surfing the web. I closed all the apps and turned the phone off (I know, redundant). Since I restarted it, it has not gotten hot again. Maybe OP's phone battery was just overworking by charging while having several apps on standby. FWIW, I have never needed to use the charging pad in my Expedition, but I have one at home and the phone sits on it every night with no issues ever.