Will The Cold Weather Damage Your Smartphone?

Winter blast could cripple UK smartphones as freezing temperatures bust batteries.

18:17 20 January 2016

Smartphones users across Britain could have connection problems this week as freezing temperatures forecasted for the UK could have a deadly effect on smartphone batteries. In sub-zero weather, modern smartphone can stop working together because the chemicals inside them start to malfunction.

 

The majority of phones in use today use lithium-ion batteries for power and inside battery is a substance called liquid electrolytes. During freezing cold weather, the electrolytes become thicker and slow downs ions, which deliver energy to the phone. This means the battery can’t produce enough power to keep the phone going.

 

To combat this problem, smartphone users should warm up their smartphones by keeping the battery charged, using a case that will keep the phone not just warm but also dry, and making sure that the phone is not left in a cold place for a long time, such as inside a vehicle overnight.