There's no doubt about it that the iPhone 6s is the best new iPhone to come out of Apple's doors, but one hardware problem is proving, literally, to be a hot-button issue for some iPhone 6s owners.
A number of Apple's customers have reported that the iPhone 6s Touch ID button or home button becomes too hot to the touch for no reason at all. The complaint has been posted by a few users on the Apple support forums, while others have voiced their displeasure on Twitter.
"This morning, when I woke up, the home button was burning hot and the screen is just black," says one user. "I went to bed with it working just fine last night, plugged it in to charge, and now it won't work. Nothing else is hot, not even the charging port, just the home button is on fire. I have had the phone unplugged for an hour and the button is still on fire."
Side note, I'm not fond of my 6s plus randomly shutting off and my Touch ID getting hot. Gonna need the apple gods to react QUICK.
— Maj (@Majhatesall) October 2, 2015
Started the iOS 9.0.2 update - iPhone 6s Plus has totally died. Will not switch on. The home/touch id button is very hot to touch. — Joe Taylor (@JoeTaylorLand) October 1, 2015
My iPhone 6s turned off and won’t come back on and the TouchID is HOT to the touch…
— Michael Schultz (@michaelschultz) September 29, 2015
Hmm.. so I woke up and the Touch ID button on my phone is so hot it’s BURNING MY FINGER and won’t turn on. — Justine Ezarik (@ijustine) October 5, 2015
My iPhone 6s shut off with 50% battery left and the home button became so hot I couldn’t touch it… New feature?
— Jonnie Hallman (@destroytoday) October 4, 2015
The problem seems to crop up when users hold down the Touch ID button for a while, but other users say their iPhones just crash and turn off without warning. When they try to turn on their phones, the home screen remains black and the Touch ID button becomes very hot to the touch, although the rest of the phone doesn't have the same problem at all.
There is one way to get around the problem, though. One user has suggested that resetting the iPhone by holding down the home button and the power button together for 10 seconds will get rid of the hot Touch ID button. However, for some users who have been faced with the problem more than once, resetting their iPhones every so often is not exactly the optimal solution to a problem that shouldn't have come with a $650 smartphone.
Apple has yet to respond to the complaints. One user who says he got in touch with an Apple Support specialist was told the specialist has not heard of the issue before.
Apple is known for not responding to complaints and rumors about its products. While the hot Touch ID button may not become the next Bendgate, it's likely the current issue may not get sufficiently addressed as well, as Apple famously shushed down the whole Bendgate controversy by saying only nine customers complained about their bending iPhones.
The current pair of new iPhones are also not without other problems. Aside from the heating Touch ID button, some users report their devices are abruptly shutting down even with a lot of battery left. 3D Touch issues are also reportedly preventing some links from opening in Safari, while some users say they are having audio distortion problems with their speakers.
The software problems will likely get a patch soon enough, as Apple has proven to be very aggressive about rolling out security patches soon after it releases a new product. The heating Touch ID button, however, appears to be a hardware issue, and if it is, it's unclear what solution Apple may have in store for its unhappy customers.
