I wonder if Apple has included a CPU temperature sensor and throttling? From my own work years ago on embedded systems I can imagine this scenario:

1. Badly behaved third party application causes high CPU loading
2. High CPU loading increases power draw
from battery
3. As battery gets warmer, internal resistance and self heating increases.

If this is correct, the design fault would be with the motherboard, not the battery. The old Powerbooks with the first Li batteries had ASICS and temperature sensors built into the battery case for protection, and I wonder if this has been left off to save money.

The other iPhone problem, of course, is that the case is badly designed to dissipate heat. Polished plastic is about the last thing you would choose to encourage convection. The Palms, with their matt metal cases, were much better designed in this respect.

of my HTC Magic has never gone above 35c :)

Apple will apparently be releasing a fix for this soon - http://bit.ly/5GCn0

Oh how I'd snigger if Apple do have a mass recall. That'd teach them to make batteries non-removable! Maybe then they'd start asking themselves why almost no one else in the world hardwires batteries...

Isn't the EU bringing in a new law soon about how all batteries are to be consumer replaceable? Sounds like a good idea to me.

BTW does any suppose that the irrate poster Gavin has an overheating 3GS?

Here's a thought Nick, fucking grow up and report some news without sounding like some teen bedroom geek talking about fanbois and the like. Christ you must be 40ish, how about acting like it. if the iPhone has a manufacturing problem that's certainly news but ffs by all means give us your opinion but at least try and be impartial.

I saw many complaints of iphones 3g and iphones from the first generation (some unlocked and jailbroken, some NOT), with firmware 3.0, that got ultra hot (well, not ultra, only hot, compared to the usual temp) and started lossing battery like crazy.

maybe not only the 3gs battery is faulty, but the new firmware too.

be a limited problem. Wife and I got our new 3G S units and are heavy users and experience no issues.

Apple lies about their own health, let alone how honest they are about their products'!

M$ may not make the better electronic consumerism goodies but they surely lie better.

While I love OS X and most Apple hardware I will not buy their non removable battery crap. These people can not even pull off the battery on these expensive devices and if they short out it is toast. Nope, this only supports my belief that battery operated devices should be user friendly/removable.

shouldnt that be:
rushed development and insufficient testing causing overheating!