It's a beautiful, clear day, it's freezing outside, and you and your friends are going skiing. After going down the hill twice, you look at your phone and it says: "The battery is almost dead." How is this possible, even though your smartphone was on the charger before you left? The culprit is the low temperature. We have tips for you on how to properly care for your phone's battery not only in the cold, but also in the summer heat.
Smartphone technology has come a long way in the last decade, giving us capabilities that people never dreamed of before. But mobile phones still have two (yet) unconquerable enemies: cold and heat.
Regardless of the manufacturer of your smartphone, your phone's hardware takes a beating in both cold and hot weather. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure your device maintains an optimal temperature even in extreme weather , keeping your battery not only charged but also in good condition for a long time.
Battery care in the cold: keep your phone close to your body and protect it from temperature shocks
Did you know that low temperatures are often more damaging to phones than sweltering heat ? As soon as the thermometer shows a value significantly below 0 °C, stay alert, because with each degree below zero, the likelihood that your phone's battery will start to drain faster increases.
The most affected are the lithium-ion (Li-on) batteries, which are used in most smartphones and other mobile electronics. You can notice problems at temperatures as low as -5°C, especially if you use your device "in the fresh air" for a long time. If your phone is left exposed to frost for several hours, there is a risk of more permanent consequences for the battery's condition.
Are you planning to go skiing or other winter fun? We recommend packing a power bank with you . If your phone starts to drain faster despite all the precautions, you can "recharge it" with a power bank. From our offer, you will find the FIXED MagZen power bank with wireless charging and MagSafe support (capacity 6,000 mAh) or the FIXED Zen 5 Plug- in pocket power bank useful .
So how to prevent problems?
- Wear your phone on the inside of your jacket , or anywhere else close to your body under your outer layer of clothing. While it may seem like a trivial tip, body heat combined with clothing can do a great job of protecting your smartphone from the cold.
- Protect your phone from temperature shocks. For example, after coming home from a skiing trip, let the device "rest" for a while in a room where it's not too hot so that it can adapt to the temperature change.
- Before you start charging your phone (whether from an outlet or with a power bank), let it warm up for a while.
- In cold weather, use a slip-on case to provide extra warmth to your phone. You can find a number of these in the FIXED range. We recommend the FIXED Lucca leatherette case or the FIXED ProFit "book" case .
- Don't leave your phone in a frozen car in a parking lot. The longer it stays there, the worse the battery will be.
- Use your smartphone in the cold only when necessary . It's not a good idea to take it out of your pocket often in the winter so that it constantly has to get used to a different temperature.
Unfortunately, sometimes even your best efforts don't help and your phone starts to drain faster. If you have a power bank on hand, you don't have to worry about it.
Battery care in hot weather: beware of direct sunlight and charging in hot weather
If you go to the seaside and use your phone while relaxing on the beach, you probably know what heat and sun can do to your phone and its battery. Similar to when it's cold, your device will start to drain faster, and in more extreme cases, you'll even feel it turning into a hot potato in your hand. This is when your smartphone will usually warn you about overheating.
Even though protecting your phone from heat is often more difficult than from cold (it's hard to escape high temperatures on hot days), you can still take a number of preventive measures and avoid common mistakes.
- Do not expose your mobile phone to direct sunlight . This is the most important of all tips, because if you leave your device exposed to sunlight, the battery can run down or even be damaged in just a few minutes (this also applies to other components of the phone).
- Never leave your phone in a closed car . If the car is parked in the sun on a hot day with temperatures above 30 °C, the vehicle becomes a complete sauna in which the phone will quickly “bake”.
- Don't charge your smartphone in the sun or when it's hot , as this could damage the battery. Fortunately, modern phones can stop charging when they detect that the device is not at the optimal temperature.
- Let your phone "breathe freely" . In the summer, the opposite rule applies to winter - if possible, try not to heat your phone with your body. For example, if you carry it in a pocket of tight jeans all day, it may get hot after a while.
- We know it's easier said than done, but try not to use your phone for long periods of time (like an hour or more) in the heat, especially if you have multiple apps open at once. It's running at full speed, and combined with the hot weather, the battery level will drop quickly.
TIP: Do you use your mobile phone while driving in a car, for example for navigation? To prevent it from draining so quickly and to keep it at an optimal temperature, we recommend getting a holder for the ventilation and placing your phone on it. The air from the air conditioning will at least partially cool the device and make the heat in the vehicle much more bearable for it. Take a look at the FIXED Icon Air Vent magnetic holder or the FIXED Iconiq Lock universal holder . If you want to take the comfort of your phone to the next level, reach for the FIXED MagCool holder with its own cooling.
When the going gets tough, go for low power mode
Whether you're heading out on an adventure in winter or summer, you'll now know how to protect your phone and its battery from extreme temperatures. However, we have a few more useful tips for you to finish off.
- If you can't prevent rapid battery drain in winter or hot weather, switch the battery to low power mode (for example, on an iPhone) and reduce the display brightness to minimum. This will at least partially extend the battery life.
- Is your phone running low on battery? If you don't have a power bank handy, try not to use GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth , and other battery-draining features.
- Ideally, charge your phone at temperatures between 10–25°C , which is approximately the recommended charging range for most smartphones.
Do you have any additional questions? Just let us know at any time. You can write in the chat here on the website . We will answer you as soon as possible.
