Are you struggling to keep your phone charged when it’s cold outside? There’s good reason for that – and you should pay attention, especially if you live in one of the coldest parts of the country or have to deal with frigid temperatures on a regular basis. Cold temperatures are bad news for your phone’s battery and ultimately affect your day-to-day life as a result. But there are steps you can take to avoid battery failure in extreme weather conditions and even extend your phone’s overall lifetime! The Icy Truth About Your Phone’s Battery
Conventional Lithium Ion Batteries
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These conventional batteries are at their best when they’re kept between 30 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If temperatures dip below 30 or rise above 95, you can expect to see your battery’s overall lifespan shortened, as well as a decrease in your phone’s performance. In addition, if you plan on using an older lithium ion battery while out in frigid temperatures, consider picking up a protective case for it before your trip. Just like with human health, extreme cold can affect your device in many ways and cause permanent damage if its exposed to subzero temperatures for too long.
How Lithium Ion batteries work
Lithium ion batteries are one of two common types of rechargeable batteries. They’re made up of three components: a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte. Lithium ions travel between these components when charging and discharging, creating a flow that allows electrons to move in and out of your phone as it charges. The lithium ions don’t stay static throughout either; they have a tendency to move toward areas with more energy or voltage, meaning they’ll accumulate on negative electrodes (the cathode) during charge and positive electrodes (the anode) during discharge.
How Electric Vehicles Work
Let’s take a look at how an electric vehicle works. An electric vehicle is powered by a rechargeable battery. This battery gets charged whenever you plug in and charge it, but it can also be charged from regenerative braking and through on-board solar panels (see How Solar Works for details). There are two types of EVs that you’ll find on today’s market: (1) hybrid vehicles, which have both an electric motor and internal combustion engine and (2) all-electric vehicles, which use only batteries for power. There are more than 20 models of EVs available in North America. Learn more about how hybrid and electric cars work with How Cars Work.
Ambient Temperature Impact on Batteries
Like you, your phone needs to stay warm. That’s because cold temperatures can have a big impact on your smartphone’s battery life. With prolonged exposure to low temperatures—5°F or below—your lithium-ion battery could take twice as long to charge or last only half as long on a single charge. This is due in part to temperature-dependent behavior of internal battery components like electrolytes and lead-based additives, which help keep anodes and cathodes apart inside cells. And don’t think you can get away with keeping your phone cozy all winter. As soon as it warms up, it could go right back to draining faster than usual.
Common Problems, Issues and Solutions
For most people, their phone is something they rely on for both business and pleasure. Whether it’s using your phone to complete a report for school or checking in on your business from afar, it’s important that you have access to your device when you need it. While more and more phones are coming with longer lasting batteries, there’s still one area where battery performance suffers: cold weather. In fact, manufacturers even use phrases like sub-zero resistance to describe their devices! So what’s going on? Why do devices perform worse in cooler weather? And how can you fix it? Follow along as we break down everything you need to know about your phone’s battery in cold weather…
Things You Can Do to Improve Your Device’s Battery Life in Cold Weather
These tips apply to all sorts of mobile devices, including tablets and even a laptop or two. Rather than list one after another in no particular order, here are a few key things you can do to improve your device’s battery life in cold weather: Avoid using your device while it’s charging: Whether it’s on your desk or in your backpack, don’t use it while it’s charging. If you absolutely must make a call, you may be able to get away with using a Bluetooth headset but that depends on what model of phone you have.
What We Need Next
Smartphones today all have one thing in common: lithium-ion batteries. You might not think too much about it, but modern smartphones are actually capable of communicating with battery manufacturers to learn a bit more about their health and performance over time. However, batteries don’t always tell their owners everything. Many lithium-ion batteries have a built-in operating temperature range of roughly 20°C (68°F) to 60°C (140°F). As temperatures fall below freezing or climb above hot, you might notice a dip in your phone’s performance—but most consumers don’t realize that each phone battery is different, as every manufacturer handles ambient temperatures differently.