I have an iPhone 14 Pro, and when it gets warm or hot during use or charging, I notice a faint smell when I bring it close to my face. It reminds me of the odor from a heated clothes iron or an older computer. The smell disappears once the phone cools down. I only noticed it recently after the phone fell against my face, so I'm not sure whether it has always been there. The battery health is at 80%, and there are no visible signs of swelling or other physical damage. Is this kind of faint smell normal for a warm electronic device, or could it indicate a battery or hardware problem?
3 Answers
The smell alone isn’t a reliable way to diagnose the battery. It’s reassuring that the odor is faint, only appears when the phone is warm, and there’s no swelling. Battery health at 80% does mean the battery is aging, though, so keep monitoring the phone.
A faint warm-electronics smell can be normal, especially when the phone has been working hard and you’re smelling it from very close up. Dust, materials inside the phone, and warmed surface oils can all create a slight odor that disappears as the device cools.
Be more cautious if the smell becomes strong or resembles burning plastic, harsh chemicals, or a sweet solvent odor. Also stop using and charging it if the phone becomes unusually hot, starts swelling, shuts down unexpectedly, or the smell continues even when it’s only mildly warm. In that case, have the battery inspected by Apple or an authorized repair provider.
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