A user reports that their smartphone frequently overheats and the battery drains much faster than normal. After confirming that there are no software issues and the device is updated to the latest firmware, which of the following is MOST likely the root cause of the problem?
There is a large number of applications running in the background.
The charger being used is not the manufacturer's original charger.
The battery needs to be replaced due to degraded health.
The combination of frequent overheating and rapid battery drain strongly points to a failing battery. As lithium-ion batteries age through charge cycles, their internal resistance can increase, causing them to generate more heat and hold less of a charge. The question stem specifies that software issues have been ruled out, which eliminates background applications as the cause. While using a non-original charger or setting maximum screen brightness can contribute to battery drain and heat, a degraded battery is the most probable underlying hardware fault that would persistently cause both significant symptoms.
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