We all know that high temperatures can negatively affect the operation of a smartphone. It can even cause serious damage. However, they are less known the effects of cold on a mobile phone. And yet, they can be just as catastrophic.
This is something that is worth knowing, especially during the winter months or if we are in a high mountain region or where low temperatures prevail outside. Protecting our mobile phone from the cold is essential to guarantee its proper functioning and its own survival. We explain everything in more detail in the following paragraphs.
Before getting into the matter, it is necessary to define exactly what the cold threshold tolerated by an electronic device such as a mobile phone is. In general, Almost all smartphones are designed to be able to withstand low temperatures above 0º C. Problems may begin to appear when exposed to sub-zero temperatures.*
When could this damage start to occur? For example, when we walk in the snow with our cell phone in our hand, or if we leave it forgotten on an outdoor table on a freezing night. That's kind of like leaving your phone in a freezer, which, at first glance, doesn't seem like a good idea.
(*) The honorable exception to this rule is found in the rugged phones. These all-terrain devices are subjected to very demanding tests that also assess their ability to withstand extremely cold and extremely hot temperatures.
The effects of cold on a mobile phone
How does the cold affect mobile phones? There are many elements that can be damaged, such as the battery or the screen. But in addition to that, cold temperatures have a very negative impact on the performance of our devices. These are some of the effects that we are going to notice:
Battery
As many people know (or remember from high school lessons), the electrical current generated by a battery is the result of connecting a positive pole to a negative pole. This causes a chemical reaction that produces electrons to supply current to the battery. However, At low temperatures, many chemical reactions slow down.
That is something that is not exclusive to smartphones. It also happens, for example, with the car battery: when it is too cold, less current is generated. This way, The battery reaches a point where it cannot generate a minimum flow of electrical current, so it stops working.
Most of the time this can be solved by simply taking the phone to a place where the ambient temperature is higher. That will "resurrect" the battery.
Touch screen
Another of the most common problems in phones affected by excessively low temperatures is the screen malfunction. Especially in the case of LCD screens.
When the cold is excessive, users notice that the touch screen of their mobile does not respond as quickly and fluidly as usual. In addition to running slower, images may appear warped, text may appear blurry, and colors may appear washed out.
Another risk of the screen associated with extreme cold is that it hardens more than normal, which Any slight impact on it can be fatal.
Other errors
In addition to the most obvious signs of the harmful effects of cold on a mobile phone, there are others that may go unnoticed, but that will also end up affecting its condition and operation.
When low temperatures have taken their toll on a smartphone, they will appear errors of the most varied: difficulties reading the SIM card, applications that start to crash, etc. In fact, in countries where there are very low temperatures in winter, phone insurance claims skyrocket when there are polar cold waves or heavy snowfall. And this does not happen by chance.
How to protect a mobile phone from low temperatures
Is our smartphone really unprotected when the cold weather arrives? Although the danger is there, lurking, there are many things we can do to avoid greater evils. More than practical tricks, it is simply about applying common sense. Here are some suggestions:
- Limit smartphone use when it is very cold. Use it only when necessary.
- Store it in a pocket, jacket or bag all the time (where it will also receive a dose of body heat), and only take it out of there when we have to use it.
- Observe the manufacturer's operating temperature recommendations. Between 0º C and 35º C is usually the general recommended standard.
- Use headphones with built-in microphone to listen to music and answer phone calls. This is a way to use your smartphone without having to take it out of its warm shelter.
- Don't leave your phone in the car for too long if we know it is going to be very cold, especially at night.
- Use a good protective case or a case that allows us to create a layer of thermal insulation around our device.
- Forget about your cell phone if we are going to practice activities on ice or in the snow.