We consider order-preserving $C^3$ circle maps with a flat piece, irrational rotation number and critical exponents $(l_1, l_2)$. We detect a change in the geometry of the system. For $(l_1, l_2) \in [1, 2]^2$ the geometry is degenerate and becomes bounded for $(l_1, l_2) \in [2, \infty)^2 \backslash \{(2, 2)\}$. When the rotation number is of the form $[abab \ldots]$; for some $a, b \in \mathbb{N}^*$, the geometry is bounded for $(l_1, l_2)$ belonging above a curve defined on $]1, +\infty[^2$. As a consequence, we estimate the Hausdorff dimension of the nonwandering set $K_f=\mathcal{S}^1\backslash \bigcup^\infty_{i=0}f^{-i}(U)$. Precisely, the Hausdorff dimension of this set is equal to zero when the geometry is degenerate and it is strictly positive when the geometry is bounded.

We study circle maps with a flat interval where the critical exponents at the two boundary points of the flat spot might be different. The space of such systems is partitioned in two connected parts whose common boundary only depends on the critical exponents. At this boundary there is a phase transition in the geometry of the system. Differently from the previous approaches, this is achieved by studying the asymptotical behavior of the renormalization operator.