YourLifeChoices member Edward uses his smartphone while outside on extremely warm days and wants to know if the weather is affecting the performance and lifespan of his device.
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Q. Edward
Living in Queensland, where we can regularly get temperatures well over 40°C in the sun, I find my phone gets really hot really fast while I’m out and about in the sun. It seems as though the charge goes very quickly on warmer days, so am I damaging my phone’s life expectancy and hurting the performance of the phone?
A. Your standard computer, smartphone and tablet batteries have a working temperature between 10°C and 30°C, and according to many different sources, including prominent UK technology website TechAdvisor, the optimum temperature range of your battery really depends on the type of battery in use, and the extreme temperature to which you’re exposing your battery.
If using a lithium battery (common in most smartphones), then the optimum temperature range for battery is between 0–45°C range. Charging a battery at above and below this temperature range is considered dangerous and could cause significant damage to the battery. Operation within these temperature limits can occur, but it is not recommended.
Use of your phone at below –20°C or above 60°C will see a significant discharge of your battery, and it is advised that you turn off your battery and remove it from the elements. It is important to realise that exposing your phone, tablet or computer to the sun on a 40°C day can easily push the temperature well over 60°C in a matter of minutes, so be careful not to use your device for long periods of time while exposed to the elements.
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