Smart devices and cold weather | What the Tech?

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — The biggest thing cold weather will do to smart devices is making the battery run down faster so here is some advice to heed.

Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers say smartphones do better in the temperatures we can tolerate — 32-95°. Anything outside that range will affect the phone.

It’ll be fine for a walk to the car or house. If you’re out for very long, turn on low-power mode. Your phone won’t get immediate updates and it may slow things down just a bit, but you probably won’t notice.

Make sure you have a good waterproof case to protect the phone in case of drops into snow or ice. That can easily happen if you’rE fumbling with it trying to open a door or making a call.

Rather than pulling your phone out to talk try using Bluetooth headphones. A wraparound set, like these from Anker, is perfect because you don’t have to keep the buds in your ears all the time and don’t forget Siri and Google will read and send text messages.

Even if the phone doesn’t get soaked, the cold weather can build condensation inside the phone. If it’s been out for very long, once you bring the phone back into the house, it’s a good idea to turn it off until the phone reaches room temperature.

That’ll keep those components from trying to fire up with moisture inside.

Below freezing temps affect the glass on smartphones and watches. If your screen or back is already cracked, moisture’s going to get inside and damage the components, potentially ruining it.

Smartphones and smartwatches can cost over $1,000 so it’s worth the time to protect those expensive devices in the cold.

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