Samsung is not the only manufacturer of high-end smartphones dealing with overheating issues. Google’s new Pixel and Pixel XL phones are showing worrisome temperatures after 15 minutes of usage within the DayDream VR environment. Albeit no devices have exploded just yet, something fishy is going on where the battery part of top smartphones is concerned.
DayDream VR Overheats Google’s Pixel Smartphones
Using virtual reality on a smartphone is a concept that requires a ton of performance from a device that fits in the palm of one’s hand. As these smartphones become smaller and thinner, the cooling of internal components can be compromised. In most cases, this leads to devices feeling warm to the touch, or even overheating.
Google touted their line of Pixel smartphones as the “first ones to access DayDream VR”. This is a great concept on paper, but it seems difficult to work out in reality. After just 15 minutes of browsing DayDream, Pixel phones will start to overheat. For now, it appears that this is due to the DayDream headset being made of cloth, although other causes are being explored as well.
Users suffering from this overheating problem will see a warning on their screen. They are then advised to shut down DayDream, allowing the device to cool off. Both the Pixel and Pixel XL are affected by this problem, indicating that the screen resolution has no influence on this overheating issue.
As one would come to expect, overheating issues affect the performance of these devices. Mainly virtual reality gaming can feel sluggish, as it is very demanding. Ignoring these warnings is not advised, as it may cause permanent damage to the smartphone and its battery. Speaking of which, it appears that DayDream causes significant battery drain.
It is difficult to get virtual reality “right” from day one, even when it is developed by a company such as Google. For now, it remains unknown if this is a battery issue or solely related to the VR headband itself. DayDream View could be the culprit behind all of this, although the internal investigation is still pending.
Keeping in mind how Samsung smartphones suffered from similar issues not too long ago, this incident raises a lot of questions. Additionally, any device using the Samsung Gear VR headset suffers from thermal throttling too, although mileage may vary. It is evident that there is still a very long way to go before VR becomes consumer-grade other than for playing video games.
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