Does Cold Weather Affect Cell Phones?
You probably know that water and drops can be the end of your love affair with your phone, but what about cold weather? Can cold temperatures damage your phone? Do they affect performance? How do you protect your phone from the weather?
How Cold Weather Affects Cellphones
We hear it often about our beloved pets. "If you are cold, they are cold.” This also applies to your electronic devices, including your cell phone. If it's too cold for you or you require special clothing to be comfortable, it's cold enough to damage your phone.
Battery Damage
The biggest risk to your phone from cold weather is damage to the battery. You may have noticed that your battery loses its charge in cold temperatures. A cell phone battery is composed of two metal plates and chemicals. One plate has negative electrons, and the other has positive ions. Extreme cold temperatures create more resistance, which reduces the amount of electrons and ions available. This is experienced as battery drain.
What Causes Damage to the Battery
Experts still don't fully understand how cold temperatures affect the balance between chemicals, ions, and electrons in the battery, so they aren't able to design batteries that can compensate for it. Attempting to charge a battery that is below freezing can permanently damage it. It will charge very slowly or not at all. It can also cause lithium plating, which isn't reversible and makes the battery much more susceptible to damage from shock or vibration.
LCD Phone Screen Freeze
The screen on your phone can literally freeze. This can mean that it stops working until it’s warm. However, it also makes it much more prone to cracking. If your screen already has a small nick or crack, the cold can make it much worse. If you've ever had a small crack in your windshield that grew exponentially over the winter, it's the same basic principle. The cold itself can also cause permeant damage to your screen.
Moisture and Cell Phones
When an object goes from the extreme cold into a warm environment, it's at risk of condensation. You may notice condensation on your home's windows on a cold day. When it comes to your electronics, condensation can get inside your phone and cause damage.
Let the Cold Phone Warm-Up Slowly
If your phone is exposed to cold temperatures for a significant period of time, do not turn it on or attempt to charge it. Bring it inside and let it warm up first. It's wise to wait a few hours before trying to power your phone on. This extra time helps prevent damage from moisture and battery damage. Of course, these problems can be avoided with the right protective pouch.
Protecting Your Phone in Cold Temps
Some people dream of hibernating through the winter months, while others enjoy outdoor winter activities. Regardless, there's no getting around it. You will have to go out in the cold, and you will be taking your cell phone with you. So how do you protect your phone?
Phones all have different optimal operating temperatures. Some are designed to withstand colder temperatures than others. If you don't know the specs for your phone, it's safe to assume that anything below freezing puts your phone at risk. The simplest way to protect your device is an insulated waterproof pouch from ugo.
The waterproof feature of the ugo case also offers protection from condensation. However, the ugo™ 2.0 phone case isn't just waterproof, and it’s also airtight. Air might not be what comes to mind when you think of insulation, but it's used as insulation in many ways. One of the reasons layering your clothing in cold weather is effective is the air between the layers. Birds fluff their feathers in winter to trap air, so they are insulated from the cold. The ugo pouch uses the same air insulation concept to prevent heat loss to keep your phone warm and functioning properly.
You have enough to worry about in the winter months, and you shouldn't have to worry about your phone as well. The ugo™ 2.0 phone pouch allows you to keep your phone safe from cold weather, so you can use it worry-free. The phone is fully functional in the pouch, so you can use it anytime, anywhere without exposing it to the elements.
