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I have a strange issue with my phone. It's an octa core 1.7 Ghz running Android 4.4.2.

When I go outside and it's too hot, the touchscreen starts to not respond when woken from sleep (or in other words, unlocked). If I put it in sleep mode and let it rest for a while, it starts working fine again after some time.

When I return home, the phone isn't so hot and it functions normally. This problem is quite rare, though.

Is this a software or hardware problem? What can I do?

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  • Use the app Cpu Temp to record and monitor CPU temperatures. If this issue happens again, it will note the temp. and then you can post us the screenshot of corresponding apps with high temperature. Also, as Jaskaranbir noted, it seems to be throttling. But let's see what's causing this? – Firelord♦ Jun 7 '15 at 9:18
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Since there is no specification of How hot, I would answer based on some assumptions.

The phenomenon you face is quite normal. Whenever the temperatures of the components in the device get hot, to the point of possible hardware damage, the phone CPU goes into throttling. Have a look at this post about thermal throttling.

Basically, thermal throttling is when the CPU of the device reduces its power (clock speed and voltage). And due to this the device starts to cool down.

When its too hot (like well around 70 degrees Celsius). This will cause the device to throttle and slow the clock speed. Which in turn causes lag (or dropped frames) this affects the whole of the device (touch screen, GPU e.c.t.) and will speed back up once normal safe operating temperatures are reached.

Thermal throttling is controlled by the kernel. SO by using a modified kernel throttling can be turned off, but is defiantly Not recommended. This is a feature to prevent permanent hardware damage to the device.

This also explains why your phone functions normally when it cools down since that is when the processor returns to its "normal" mode.

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  • Ok , but why before I didn't have this problem ? So what has changed ? Is this similar to computer CPU that may have this problem when the cooler is damaged ? Is there anything I can do ? Because when I'm out my phone is useless . – tiku Jun 7 '15 at 4:48
  • This feature was always present in your phone. You are taking it as Problem, but its actually a *Feature. This is happening because your phone gets too hot and to avoid further damage from heating, system turns off some features to let it have rest and cool down. So nothing in phone has changed, its just high temperatures that are causing this. This is similar to computers (especially modern) when processor goes too hot (doesn't necessarily have to be a missing/damaged fan/cooler, they can go way hot even if the fan/cooler is working). Every processor has thermal throttling feature these days. – Jaskaranbir Singh Jun 7 '15 at 4:54
  • Ok , my wife has another phone with the same parameters , the same android system. but doesn't have any problem when we are at the same place (out of house) , so at the same environment's temperature. And just to clarify , I don't know if the cpu temperature is to high , but I feel too hot on the back side of the phone , so I'm supposing this. – tiku Jun 7 '15 at 4:57
  • This doesn't necessarily have to be same. Does not mean that if my android phone heats, all other similar models in my area should heat the same way too. It depends on a lot of factors including background apps and tasks as well as the material of clothing the phone is lying under (for example some clothing materials absorb more heat then others). Besides that, there could be many other countless factors. So its not necessary that your wife's phone has to go the same way as well. As I already said, it all depends on when kernel decides that its time to throttle. – Jaskaranbir Singh Jun 7 '15 at 5:01
  • Ok , but I had this phone the previous summer , even with more applications than today and I had no problems. Today I have done a factory reset with only the minimal system and applications and I'm facing this problem.And the strange is that if some time the phone it's not freezing after sleep, is not freezing after even if I try with hard operations like watching a video. But if he goes to sleep , after he can repeat the freezing. – tiku Jun 7 '15 at 5:07

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