[psmith2.0]

I've noticed the past 2-3 times I've stuck my iPhone in its dock to sync and charge, after a while my PowerBook gets very hot, all on the keyboard and surrounding area (where your wrists or palms would rest, on either side of the trackpad). But really, the entire surface - speakers, rear portion, the sides, etc. - are all noticeably hot.

I'm hearing no fans or churning, and there seems to be no real activity to speak of...simply my iPhone getting charged or topped off. I won't even be using the thing thing, and I'll go to it after about 45 minutes or an hour and I'll put my hands on it to type and it's HOT.



Is this happening to anyone else? Should I just use the dock for syncing, and any longterm charging do with the wall adapter/USB cable I've got on my nightstand? I can do that, no problem. I was just curious about the heating up thing.

Why is this happening? This has never occurred with any of the three iPods (3G, 5.5G and current shuffle) I've owned with this same PowerBook. I always kept them in the dock when I'm not using them, and doing so never heated the PowerBook up. But charging my iPhone this way seems to cause this.

The iPhone itself, however, feels normal...it's not warm up at all. Just the computer when the iPhone is docked for a while.

[torifile]

Have you tried checking to see what your CPU is doing? Run Activity Monitor to see what the deal is. It may be that there's a problem in iTunes causing it to spike CPU usage or something.

edit: it looks like iTunes 7.3.2 was just released. Maybe you should try that and see if it helps?

[psmith2.0]

When I first dock the thing, a "SyncServer" shows up, taking anywhere from 20-48% of the CPU for the 20-30 seconds the syncing process/check is happening. Once that's over, it goes away and I don't see anything taking a chunk of CPU. Right now, typing this post, Safari is listed at the top, at around 18%, fluctuating up and down.

But I'm not seeing any weird app or process that's jumping out at me, hogging the CPU. Like I said, I hear no activity, churning, hard-drive spinning or fan. Everything is completely silent and still, just sitting there. But getting hot.

I'll probably check Apple forums a bit, and, in the meantime I'll just do any longterm charging from the wall unit. I'm only charging/topping off every 2-3 days...I'm very happy with the battery life I'm getting because I use the living hell out of this thing every single day.

[psmith2.0]

Whatever is going on is definitely iPhone related, and fairly instantaneous, going both ways: within 10 or so minutes of docking the phone, the PowerBook is noticeably heating up. After 30-45 minutes, it's officially what I call "hot".

However, when I remove the phone from the dock, it's cool and "normal" within 10 or so minutes.

So there's something going on there, triggered by docking the iPhone...



Oh well...

[apple007]

I haven't noticed any real heat issues but my fan does tend to run more often when my iPhone is charging.

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I'll probably check Apple forums a bit, and, in the meantime I'll just do any longterm charging from the wall unit. I'm only charging/topping off every 2-3 days...I'm very happy with the battery life I'm getting because I use the living hell out of this thing every single day.

I'd like to know what you consider "using the living hell" out of your iPhone and how you can go 2-3 days without "topping it off."

I hardly ever use Safari and my iPhone gets down to a half-charge every 24 hours just from normal use (some calls, checking email, etc.). Going two full days without a charge would clearly leave me at zero, and going into Day 3 would be out of the question.

Going 3 days on standby mode might happen, but "using the living hell" out of it and only needing to charge/"top off" every 2-3 days seems incompatible.

[sirnick4]

I feel the same way 007. There's no way I could go till the end of the second day without charging it from even normal use.

[psmith2.0]

A modest amount of phone calls, nothing outrageous. But the iPod is on a good bit during the day (not so much at night), and I do hop on, either Wi-Fi or EDGE, a good number of times throughout the day to check e-mail or hit a few sites.

Don't confuse "use the hell out of it" with "non-stop, constant use".

When I say I "use the hell out of it", I mean it's getting used solidly throughout the course of a day, but I'm not surfing for two-hours at a time or anything crazy. But I'm constantly reaching for it to do things...weather, maps, e-mail, iPod, making or receiving calls.

I've used my iPhone, in two weeks, more than I ever did my old phone in three years, I think.



Simply because I can, and because it does so much more! Things like Google maps and weather...I don't have to be at a computer anymore to use them.

So I'm using it a lot, but in short, concise sessions throughout a day, as I need. That's "using the hell out of it". I never said "I sit and surf for 4-5 hours at a time, make 15 conference calls, play three movies a day, etc."



But even on heavy days, where I'm going to it a lot, my battery has never fallen below the halfway mark. That's why I'm impressed. To me, it feels like I'm using it a lot (and sometimes I do surf on it for 15-20 minutes), and my little battery indicator is never as low as I think it would be.

I like that. Been a very pleasant surprise, owning something this powerful and capable that doesn't seem to drain the battery before my very eyes. I usually go two full days between charging. Twice I've gone three days (pull it off the charger Monday morning and don't stick it back on until Wednesday evening...maybe that's technically two-and-a-half days?).

Whatever.

My usual routine is pull it off the nightstand charger in the morning and don't stick it back on until I go to bed the next day (minus any syncing I do). Or I'll stick it in the charger two mornings apart, as I'm getting ready.

[ghoti]

What's heating up the computer is not the CPU - hence no/little fan activity -, but rather the voltage converter that is close to where you plug in the power cord. I have the same problem when I use an external harddisk, that is taxing the little converter quite a bit. I imagine the iPhone is drawing quite a bit of current to charge its battery in reasonable time.

[psmith2.0]

Cool, an answer. Thanks for the info. Is this a dangerous or harmful thing, to either my phone or computer?

[ghoti]

I don't think there's a danger. The USB ports have limiters that cut off the power if the device draws too much (that's why external harddisks need two USB cables), and the voltage converter must be able to support the combined maximum. I've had my 12" PB run really hot for extended periods of time when using the external disk for backups etc., and it survived that without problems. The good thing about the metal shell of the PB is that it provides a very large surface for getting rid of the heat, but that's of course also a disadvantage.

If it bothers you, get an MB or MBP, they seem to be able to provide more power without heating up so much (or just plug it into its charger ;).

[Dorian Gray]

I've noticed the same thing to a small-but-definite degree when charging my 1st-gen iPod shuffle. It surprises me because the maximum power per USB port on my 12-inch PowerBook is 5 volts at 500 mA, i.e. 2.5 watts. I can only conclude that some pretty inefficient circuitry and/or transformer is used to power the USB ports.

Off topic a bit, but unless it's inconvenient, I would top up the charge of the iPhone every day whether it would last another day or not. This is because lithium-based batteries (as used in most modern consumer electronics) don't like being fully discharged (doing so reduces the lifespan of the battery).

[apple007]

I'm not trying to split hairs or give you a hard time, 'scates; I was just a little baffled by your apparent battery life compared to mine.

From what you said above, you are typically charging your phone every 36 hours or so (removing from charger in the a.m. on Day 1 and returning to charger in the p.m. of Day 2). What is your average battery charge when you re-charge your iPhone in these 36-hour intervals?

Myself, I typically sync and charge/top off every night just to be safe, and I'm usually in the half-battery to slightly-more-than-half area.

(Maybe we need to define "charge" vs. "top off." To me, topping off is when the battery is already at least 75% charged. So if you're going 36 hours and only need to "top off" your battery, you're getting far better battery life than I am.)

[ghoti]

Originally Posted by Dorian Gray It surprises me because the maximum power per USB port on my 12-inch PowerBook is 5 volts at 500 mA, i.e. 2.5 watts. I can only conclude that some pretty inefficient circuitry and/or transformer is used to power the USB ports.

I would guess that 5V is just not used anywhere else in the machine, and so when it's needed it has to be created from a higher or lower voltage - and perhaps with a circuit that only just provides enough for the USB/FW(?) ports. Otherwise, I also don't see what difference 2.5W would make, considering the power supply is 40W or so (don't have it in front of me right now).

[Dorian Gray]

I think my power supply is 45 watts (don't have it here at the moment), but the amount used by the computer is significantly less: around 10 watts near idle and up to about 30 watts flat out (but without stuff hanging off the ports). I suppose 2.5 watts is a significant proportion of 10 watts, and it's only when the computer is relatively cool that I notice the temperature rise when charging the iPod. If the voltage conversion is 50% efficient then charging an iPod might put out up to 2.5 watts of heat, which I would probably notice relative to 10 watts (it doesn't get hot, just slightly warmer).

The FireWire port on my PowerBook can provide up to 7 watts but at higher voltage: unregulated 9.0 - 12.6 V.

Pscates2.0, unless you have "All Processes" shown in Activity Monitor you may not see the culprit (if there is one). It would be more useful to report the CPU % idle from the chart. Having said that, I suspect the heat is mostly coming from the voltage conversion going on rather than CPU consumption.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by apple007 I'm not trying to split hairs or give you a hard time, 'scates; I was just a little baffled by your apparent battery life compared to mine. From what you said above, you are typically charging your phone every 36 hours or so (removing from charger in the a.m. on Day 1 and returning to charger in the p.m. of Day 2). What is your average battery charge when you re-charge your iPhone in these 36-hour intervals? Myself, I typically sync and charge/top off every night just to be safe, and I'm usually in the half-battery to slightly-more-than-half area. (Maybe we need to define "charge" vs. "top off." To me, topping off is when the battery is already at least 75% charged. So if you're going 36 hours and only need to "top off" your battery, you're getting far better battery life than I am.)

I'm looking at my 1.01 iPhone now and I have 4 hrs 13 mins of use + 2 days & 3 hrs of standby time and my battery icon shows a charge of a little over 1/2 way.

I haven't used the web much during this time, it's been mostly iPod related functions with some phone use and some EDGE/WiFi use. Before the firmware update I could get a bit over 4 hours of solid Safari time before getting the 20% warning. Haven't tried since the update to see if this time has increased at all.

[Engine Joe]

Originally Posted by bassplayinMacFiend I'm looking at my 1.01 iPhone now and I have 4 hrs 13 mins of use + 2 days & 3 hrs of standby time and my battery icon shows a charge of a little over 1/2 way.

You have to be careful though - those stats are based on full charges. If you topped off the battery, the usage and standby numbers don't reset.

[apple007]

Originally Posted by Engine Joe You have to be careful though - those stats are based on full charges. If you topped off the battery, the usage and standby numbers don't reset.

I was thinking the same thing. I typically have 4-5 hours of usage and 24 hours of standby time when I recharge each night, and I'm usually at half. If other people are getting 4-5 hours of usage and *48* hours of standby, then I might have a lemon battery.

EDIT/P.S. - Actually, the numbers should reset if the battery was topped off *and* the full-charge indicator appeared. But the numbers won't reset if the battery indicator shows a full charge but the little full-charge icon hasn't appeared. (For me, it can take an extra 2-3 hours from the time the battery icon is all green to the little full-charge icon appearing. Perhaps the 1.01 update fixes that. I took a cautious approach and haven't updated yet; probably tonight or tomorrow.)

[Engine Joe]

Originally Posted by apple007 EDIT/P.S. - Actually, the numbers should reset if the battery was topped off *and* the full-charge indicator appeared. But the numbers won't reset if the battery indicator shows a full charge but the little full-charge icon hasn't appeared. (For me, it can take an extra 2-3 hours from the time the battery icon is all green to the little full-charge icon appearing. Perhaps the 1.01 update fixes that. I took a cautious approach and haven't updated yet; probably tonight or tomorrow.)

Actually, this is more accurate than what I said - if the icon doesn't change from lightning bolt to "plug", then the usage 'odometer' doesn't reset.

BTW apple007, sounds like your battery life experience and mine are pretty much in line. I don't seem to be getting as much as other people, but it isn't abysmal. And maybe other people aren't actually getting that much more than us, if they've not been going up to "full charge" status.

[apple007]

Originally Posted by Engine Joe And maybe other people aren't actually getting that much more than us, if they've not been going up to "full charge" status.

That's what I'm thinking. I've also seen reports where people go from half-charge to the 20% warning in a matter of hours, so the battery-charge indicator might not be 100% accurate for them (just like it's not accurate for people who get the all-green but not the full-charge "plug" icon). They might think they're at 50% after 36-48 hours, but they're really below that level.

[apple007]

Just as a quick follow-up, I updated to 1.01 around 7:00 p.m. and then started charging my iPhone from about a half-charge. Now, less than 90 minutes later, my battery is showing as fully-charged *with* the "plug" icon. Pre-1.01, my battery would go all-green quickly but it could take 3-4 hours before the "plug" icon appeared.

In other words, you can count me as a happy 1.01 customer.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by Engine Joe You have to be careful though - those stats are based on full charges. If you topped off the battery, the usage and standby numbers don't reset.

I made sure the numbers reset after the 1.01 update. I wouldn't have reported the numbers in my previous post if I wasn't sure it was usage from a single charge.

The 1.01 update isn't perfect though. I fully charged my battery yesterday and today the numbers hadn't reset and the "Battery has been plugged in since last full charge" disclaimer isn't appearing.