Samsung Galaxy S4 Heats Up to 50 Degrees Celsius? Reports Claiming the Handset Overheats Quickly [Videos]

Owners of Samsung Galaxy S4 voices out their complaints regarding sudden overheating issues and getting deprivation of comfortable use. Users of the Exynos Octa variant are experiencing this too hot to handle problem giving a huge impact to the battery pack. How hot does these users feel and what causes Galaxy S4 to overheat quickly?

Reports claim that Samsung Galaxy S4 can get up to 27 degrees Celsius when idle or simply lying down, 35 degrees during Internet browsing or checking Emails and up to 40 degrees processing a game. One owner even used an Infrared thermometer, revealing that the device has a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius.

Factors to heat up a smartphone, a tablet or a PC can boil to down to one cause - CPU usage. According to some, the main reason why Galaxy S4 heats up quickly is the Exynos Processor were placed too close to the radio and the battery area, enclosing too much heat inside the handset.

Exynos 5 Octa SoC

In February 2013, Samsung was struggling with Exynos 5 Octa processor in terms of power consumption and temperature according to Digitimes quoted by NextPowerUp. But the manufacturer pushed the use of 8-core processors without specified power consumption details and how it will affect the device's temperature.

Eight-core CPUs should function in divided ways; the first four CPUs are engaged with background processes and low-consuming applications while the second four are designed to run high-powered applications such as full 3D games or media editing apps.

If all the eight-cores are running at the same time, it is likely to produce so much heat similar to what happens on PC which not only eats the battery but can literally damage the device later on.

Overheating Aspects of Galaxy S4

Many users are sharing their concerns with overheating issues of Galaxy S4 and hopes for a new update to be released, fixing the problem. Here are some reports related to the overheating of the Galaxy S4:

• Heat builds up when browsing, emailing, gaming or even just idle.
• Ear irritation due to hot surface.
• Screen generates too much heat.
• Camera has unknown heat problem.
• "Mediaserver battery drain" found in the Battery section of the device.
• Heats up quickly than iPhone.

Causes of Overheating

Overheating can happen to any Android device and can be caused by several things:

• Multi-tasking several apps such as games, browsing and music playback at the same time will definitely overheat the device.
• Radio signals and wireless connectivity also contributes to the heat factor generated by the handset.
• CPUs and GPU generates heat as well whenever a user launches graphic-oriented applications and high-powered requiring functions.
• Room temperature also affects the handset. An air-conditioned room is likely to keep the phone on its right temperature but direct sunlight and scorching weather can cause the handset to overheat quickly.

Solutions

Samsung has not yet released any new updates related to the overheating issues. So for now, owners of the Galaxy S4 should note some of these tips to avoid incinerating their device.

1.      Place the device on a cool, dry surface to help it ventilate.

2.      Avoid exposing the handset to direct sunlight.

3.      Disable all wireless connectivity such Wi-Fi, Mobile Data, Bluetooth or GPS when not in use.

4.      Monitor the room temperature where the device is located and keep it under control.

5.      Use the device inside a well-ventilated area whenever playing games or using high-powered applications.

6.      Turn the device off when you are asleep to give it some rest and time to cool off.