iLounge

By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Friday, April 10, 2009
News Category: iPhone

A number of iPhone users are reporting intermittent problems with Wi-Fi after installing iPhone OS 2.2.1, which have since been linked to a battery issue by one intrepid user. According to an Apple Discussions thread, affected units randomly drop Wi-Fi signals, refusing to reconnect to any network for a period of time. Originally, many of the users believed the problem to be heat-related, as some users reported success after putting their phone in the refrigerator or freezer—a process we would warn against, as it could result in water damage or a water damage indicator being triggered from condensation, thus voiding any remaining warranty.

Scottish user ScottieWil physically opened his iPhone, discovering that Wi-Fi immediately returned when the relevant chip was touched with a Nitrogen stick to quickly cool it down. Upon further inspection, however, he found that the issue appears to be directly linked to the percentage of battery charge—his Wi-Fi seemed to work consistently no matter what the temperature as long as the battery charge was less than 50%—and suggested that the battery is “very sensitive to temperature,” which would explain why the freezer trick worked for a short period. Despite ScottieWil’s efforts, there appears to be no immediate fix for the issue. One user wrote that an Apple representative made an appointment for him to get a replacement phone without 2.2.1 installed, suggesting Apple is aware of the problem, if currently unable to provide a solution. [via The Register]