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Can we talk about phone batteries dying in the cold? I had a weird debate about this.
I was out walking my dog last December around 8pm when my phone dropped from 40% to zero in like 5 minutes. It was maybe 15 degrees out. My buddy says that's normal for lithium batteries in cold weather, but my sister claims I just need to close background apps. I tried keeping my phone in my inner coat pocket for a 10 minute walk and it held at 30% the whole time. So which is it? Is it the cold draining the battery or is it poor app management? Has anyone else tested this themselves in freezing temps?
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taylor.phoenix4mo ago
Heard some battery engineer on a podcast say cold temps basically slow down the chemical reactions inside lithium batteries so they can't deliver power as fast. That lines up with your test. Keeping it warm in your pocket kept the battery working correctly. Background apps definitely drain power but that's more of a constant drain, not a sudden drop like you saw. The cold is the real culprit there. I had the same thing happen with my phone ice fishing last year, died at 35% in like 2 minutes.
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