Keep Your Phone Cool

July 2016 — Tip of the Month

It's summertime, and that means hot summer days. While most of us love to get out in the sun, our electronics don't enjoy it as much. Extreme heat can harm and even destroy electronic devices.

Most of us bring our smartphones with us wherever we go (except to the gym, I hope), but it's important to be aware of where we leave them. If you're playing volleyball at the beach, for example, throw a towel over your phone instead of leaving it in the direct sunlight. This will keep the phone cooler and hide it from thieves. Also, don't leave your phone in the car on a super hot day with the windows rolled up. You might as well bake your phone in the oven.

So why fear the heat? Excessively high temperatures can cause the metal contacts in your phone to contract or bend, causing short circuits. They can even cause plastic on the outside or inside of your phone to melt. Either of these events could permanently ruin your phone.

Even if the heat doesn't destroy your device, it can negatively impact its battery life — both for the current charge and the overall life of the battery. High temperatures cause chemical reactions to occur more quickly, draining the current charge faster. Extreme heat can cause fluid inside the battery to evaporate, reducing the battery's capacity.

The good news is most smartphones are designed to handle extreme temperatures — both on the low and high ends of the thermometer. But even the highest quality phones can be affected by extreme temperatures. So be kind to your phone this summer and keep it cool.

- Per Christensson