PSA: Left my phone out in freezing 20 degree temps.

[GoodEnough]

This could cause a problem for someone needing their phone for an emergency.
Interesting outcome. Phone now acting wonky.
Battery level says one thing, yet phone keeps powering down.
I charge it, it still draws down. Like it can't hold a charge.
I am sure it will be fine in a few hours, good thing I don't need to use it.

 

[Oyeve]

The only phones that I know of that have issues in cold weather are iphones. Is your phone an iphone?

 

[Nashemon]

Funny this topic gets made. Yesterday, I was recording a video out in the snow with my iPhone, and it just shut off and wouldn't power back on until I took it home and let it warm up. I thought it was strange because normally the phone gets really hot when recording video, so I thought that would offset the cold external temperature.

The video I was recording at the time seemed to not have been saved when I went to transfer what I had onto my computer. I transferred what was there, and deleted the rest, but today when I looked at my videos on my phone, the last video I was recording was there again.

 

[Yuriman]

I've had a few phones do weird things when brought in from the cold. I always assumed it was from condensation forming inside.

Cold can also affect battery voltages, and how screens work (if it's extreme enough). We usually get a few days per year where it gets around -40, and my car's LCD display cluster doesn't work right.

 

[GoodEnough]

Brought my phone outside in 33 degree weather.. the battery was at 45% but the phone still kept shutting down.

 

[Red Storm]

I left my iPhone 7 in the car one night. When I got it the next morning the battery said 1%, which I thought was odd. After it warmed up a bit from the freezing cold temperatures it said the battery was at 45%, which made sense.

 

[tsupersonic]

PSA, seriously? I don't think this belongs in Anandtech of all places.

 

[Ratman6161]

I live in Minnesota. I've left my phone in my truck in the winter many times...no problem. I also carry it in the pocket of my snowmobile jacket when I'm out riding, also no problem other than that the battery doesn't last as long.