In a recent test performed by the Technical Research Center of Finland, a wide range of consumer phones were put in a “cold room”. Many phones, particularly Apple’s iPhone, performed poorly at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. At 14 Fahrenheit, over half of the consumer devices tested shut down and refused to power back up.
The two major places your phone will fail in extreme cold weather: the screen, and the battery.
As the temperature drops, the touchscreen glass becomes more fragile. It has been reported to crack very easily and shatter more readily. The battery, when exposed to cold weather, begins to behave erratically. It will begin to discharge far faster than normal, report the wrong charge level remaining, or simply shut off without warning.
Take extra precautions when you have to use your device in cold weather. If you must leave your phone somewhere cold, it’s better to turn it off completely instead of just putting it to sleep. This will help ensure that you have a charge remaining when your device warms back up and you need to use it.
