[Question] Normal operating temperature of the S20+ 5G

[tthe]

Dear Samsung Community, and especially official Samsung Support Team Members,

I recently got the Samsung S20+ 5G through my network provider (T-Mobile Hungary), and have been enjoying it for the most part so far. I have seen people talking about overheating issues on these forums, so first let me start by saying my device has not yet turned off because of, or warned me of overheating. I got the unlimited data plan, and I'm using it 24/7 as a WiFi hotspot (5 GHz). Screen turned off, charger plugged in, power mode disabled, 5G off. When I use the internet normally (not downloading using the full available bandwidth constantly), I have zero problems whatsoever. I haven't even had any problems during use, and there were days when I was using the phone for 4-5 hours straight. Now, today I started downloading some bigger files (40+ GB), and just left my phone and the computer running. When I came back, and touched the phone, it was noticably hot. Not painfully hot, but temperatures still seem to be above what I would consider normal operating temperatures for the phone. A CPU temperature sensor app showed me that the CPU was running around 45-50 C, which wouldn't be bad in case of a computer, but this is a phone ... Also, by the touch I can tell that the back of the phone, especially at the top, somewhere in the middle is noticably hotter, and there it didn't feel comfortable to touch the device. I would place a pretty sure bet, that it's either the cellular network chip, or the WiFi. Also keep in mind, that it's a warm summer day, with ambient temperatures floating around 27-30 C.

So my questions are:

• What are the safe operating temperatures of the phone?
• Exactly what kind of safety mechanisms are built into the phone's hardware and software that would prevent damage of the device?
• Based on my story, does my particular device seem to produce expected behaviours, or should I try to contact my network provider for a replacement?
• If I get zero warning about the operating temperatures, and the phone doesn't turn off / reboot automatically, am I safe to assume that the device is working properly, and can I continue using my phone the exact same way I have been using it so far without any risk of it being damaged / hurting me (I'm genuinely afraid of it catching fire)?

Would love to hear from anyone that is in my shoes, and I really would appriciate a detailed response to all of my questions from Samsung Officials. Thank you very much!

[AndrewL · Accepted solution]

@tthe: As the Galaxy S20+ 5G has a slim design and uses a high performance CPU you may notice the operating temperature of the device increase; this may be dependent upon the number of apps and background services in use. This is normal and should not affect your device's lifespan or performance.

- All Samsung Mobile devices have been manufactured observing the International Safety Specification (EN563)

- Whilst using the device in a high ambient temperature you may feel the device gets hotter than usual. This is because your device will work within a temperature range relevant to the ambient temperature.

I understand your concerns completely, and recommend that you continue to monitor the performance of the device. It is recommended that you turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Mobile Data when not in use, and disable apps when not in use via the Recent Apps button, as this can help prevent battery drain and overheating. If you have a case or cover on the device, you may also wish to remove this temporarily when you download larger files, as described above.

[tthe]

Thank you for your response. I keep testing the device, and so far I have not run into overheating warnings. Mobile data performance is good. The only thing I was afraid of is the fact that a part of the phone can get noticably hotter, and that this is not reflected by the sensor data that I can read. Meanwhile, I also talked to some other Samsung phone users about my specific use-case (phone is a 4G hotspot), and the heat seems to be a common side-effect for both older and newer phones when continously transmitting data for a longer period of time.