Leaving a phone out in the sun for extended periods will almost certainly lead to overheating.
This is especially true of high-end phones, which usually opt for glass and metal over plastic.
This can be a problem in the sunlight.
Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek
When the only heat is from the phone itself, everything typically works as it should.
Heat from external sources like the sun changes the dynamic, though.
Plus, the glass used on a smartphone touchscreen is typically pretty thin.
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
There’s simply too much heat for your phone to deal with.
Just like computers and other electronics, a smartphone works best in a relatively cool environment.
The reason for these temperature ranges is battery degradation.
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
The hotter a battery is, the harder it has to work to convert chemical energy into electricity.
Thankfully, most smartphones will alert you if temperatures get outside safe operating ranges.
You’ll probably notice it yourself, too, if you touch the rig.
Anything over 99F will feel warm to the touch.
Battery degradation is just one of the things that can happen with an overheated battery.
Even worse is battery swelling and battery failure.
When your phone can’t dissipate heat fast enough and the battery begins tocatastrophically break down.
But high temperatures from the sun accelerate the process, which can lead to gases building up more quickly.
A noticeably swollen battery is much more susceptible to tearing and combustion.
Battery integrity is not something to take lightly.
Just like batteries don’t like hot temperatures, they also aren’t fond of cold temperatures.
As mentioned above, the ideal temperature for electronics is 32F to 95F (0C to 35C).
Let the phone cool down slowly on a cool surface.
Don’t rush it or you’ll replace the overheating problem with another problem.
Heat is generally not great for electronics, and smartphones are no different.
Keep your phone in a bag under your chair or somewhere else shaded from the sun.
