Technology
iPhone owners warned cold weather can kill battery life and force it to suddenly turn off
CHILLY weather can cause major woes for iPhone owners – slashing battery life and even forcing the phone to turn off.
If you’ve got dodgy iPhone battery life, Britain’s wintry cold snap might be to blame.
Using your Apple iPhone in cold weather can cause major problems for your mobile’s battery
After a toasty summer, Britain is now enduring a sudden cooling.
Forecasters say temperatures will dip to lows of -4C on Halloween, with snow sweeping Britain next week.
Weather-watchers have said Friday will lead into a weekend of very unsettled weather as strong winds sweep the country.
And frosty weather always leads to complaints from iPhone users that battery life isn’t up to scratch – but you shouldn’t worry too much.
Cold weather can wipe out your iPhone battery life very quicklyTwitter
Avoid letting your iPhone get too cold as temperatures plummetTwitter
It’s not uncommon for this to happen. In fact, Apple even has a special support page dedicated to explaining the problem.
“Low- or high-temperature conditions might cause the device to change its behaviour to regulate its temperature,” the iPhone maker writes.
“Using an iOS device in very cold conditions outside of its operating range might temporarily shorten battery life.”
Apple adds that very cold temperatures “could cause the device to turn off”.
Why does cold weather affect phone batteries?
It’s simple, really…
iPhones and other smartphones use lithium-ion batteries
These batteries contain an electrolyte liquid
If it gets very cold, this liquid can crystallise – like honey in a chilly pantry
If this happens, the electricity can’t properly flow through the battery
That means you can end up getting significantly worse battery life
In some rare cases, it can mean your phone shuts down altogether
Fortunately, your phone should work as normal once you get somewhere warm
iPhone users are complaining over battery life dropping in the coldTwitter
The chilly weather is playing havoc with batteries for iPhone ownersTwitter
The official Apple Support account on Twitter is warning users that cold weather can affect your iPhone battery lifeTwitter
The support page continues: “Battery life will return to normal when you bring the device back to higher ambient temperatures.”
The good news is that the real problem isn’t cold weather – which only temporarily affects your iPhone – but hot weather instead: “Using an iOS device in very hot conditions can permanently shorten your battery life.”
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In other news, the latest iPhone 11 update lets your camera take better photos.
You can update your iPhone right now to get 398 new emojis.
And read our gadget reviews for the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.
Has your phone ever turned off in the cold? Let us know in the comments!
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