Summer Heat Might Be Quietly Killing Your Phone's Battery
You might not be imagining it if it feels as if your phone is not holding a charge for as long as it used to. The dog days of summer could be doing more than just making you uncomfortably hot. The weather may also be frying your phone. Here is a look at how the heat impacts smartphones, as well as what you can do about it.
How the Heat Accelerates Smartphone Battery Degradation
It has been a brutally hot summer for much of the U.S. In addition to all of the other hazards associated with extreme heat, the sizzling temperatures may also be impacting the life of your smartphone's battery.
It is not uncommon for smartphones to become victims of the heat. Leaving the phone out in direct sunlight or in a hot vehicle are two of the most common ways to cook its battery. Just a few hours in the intense heat can translate to months of battery degradation.
Other things that tend to speed up the battery degradation process include using the phone too much while it is charging or using a faulty charger. Wireless chargers also make phones more susceptible to battery demise when compared to traditional charging methods. Leaving the phone charging overnight under a blanket or pillow is another sure-fire way to speed up the battery loss.
The experts at Chargie offer several tips to keep your smartphone cool and extend its battery life. The first tip is to resist the urge to fully charge your phone. While it may sound counterintuitive, a battery sitting at 80% degrades much more slowly than one that is at a full 100% charge. Chargie says that this is because the temperature combined with the percentage of charge are "multiplicative in their damage."
It is also recommended to charge the phone in a cool spot closer to the floor rather than on a warm surface. Taking the phone out of its case when charging will also help to preserve the battery. Never stick the phone in a freezer to cool it down or use third-party chargers that could cause damage.
Lastly, be sure to keep your smartphone and its apps updated using the most recent software upgrades.
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