Have you ever noticed that your cell phone battery seems to last less time when it’s cold or during the winter months? You are not imagining things; Batteries are really affected by temperature, especially cold. But why, exactly?
The principle that explains why cell phone batteries last less in the cold is the same one that causes electric car batteries to discharge faster in winter.
The explanation lies, above all, in the chemical composition of your phone’s battery, as most use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries contain electrolytes, usually in a liquid state, and work by transferring ions, or charged particles, between electrodes inside the battery, explains .
When charging a traditional battery, the ions — in this case, lithium — move from the cathode to the anodeand in reverse when the battery is in use. This movement is what generates electrical energy. When it is cold or the temperature drops, the cold interferes with the movement of ions.
At low temperatures, ions move more slowly and, therefore, they no longer interact correctly with the electrodes, accumulating at the anode instead of passing to the cathode, which impairs the flow of electricity — and the battery no longer able to supply as much current before downloading.
And the problem is twofold: when using the device, you are discharging the battery, which is no longer able to generate so much electrical charge, forcing it to work harder — which ends up causing it to discharge even more quickly.
What are harmful temperatures?
Experts point out that the recommended temperature range for discharging lithium batteries varies between -20°C and 60°C. Any value outside this range not ideal for using the devicewith the optimum range being between 19°C and 25°C.
On the other hand, the ideal temperatures for charging are a little different, varying between 0°C and 45°C. Outside these values, charging is no longer as efficient and It can even be harmful to the battery.
Furthermore, charging the battery at temperatures below 0°C may cause damage, so although these are the theoretical intervalsdoes not mean that you should expose your cell phone and its battery to these conditions.
Artificial Intelligence may have already discovered new materials to replace lithium in modern batteries, but even if that happens, it will still take time until there are alternatives available on the market. So it makes sense adopt some strategies to take better care of your batteries, especially when venturing out in the cold.
One of the best ways to protect your device’s battery is to keep it warm, naturallyand. If you have to be outside, keep your phone inside your jacket or in a warm pocket — even your pants pocket. Alternatively, you can use a own winter pocket or a hand warmer.
It doesn’t need to be too hotyou just need to keep it at a comfortable temperature inside your clothes. You can also activate your phone’s power saving mode to conserve power, or even turn it off when you’re not using it.
