Numerous smartphone users encounter issues with charging their devices properly, especially during the summer season in India. While some observe a rapid drop in charging speed, others experience complete charging interruptions. Here’s a comprehensive explanation of why these issues occur and a few tips to maintain your smartphone during the hottest season of the year.
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Common smartphone issues during the summer season
Buying a mid-range device in 2024 can be confusing with all the different chipsets and gimmicks companies use to advertise smartphones.
Just like humans, smartphones also perform best when they are at an ambient temperature. In summer, due to the hotter temperature outside, their ambient temperature also rises to room temperature, this means, that even a simple task like browsing the web will make the phone heat up, especially if there is no way to dissipate the heat.
As smartphones have gotten more powerful over the years with brighter displays, this also means, that a device in summer will get hotter quickly, and most phones take a few minutes to cool down and get back to their normal condition.
This is why, if you continuously use a smartphone under direct sunlight, the display will get dull, as increasing the screen brightness also causes the phone to heat up. And when the phone is hot, performance will take a hit, especially if you try to play high-fidelity games like COD: Mobile or BGMI.
What causes smartphone charging issues in summer
The data, shared exclusively with Reuters, showed that the share of the top five brands, which also include Chinese firms Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, had fallen to a three-year low.
If a smartphone stops charging in the summer, then it is most likely due to a defence mechanism and to prevent the phone from heat damage. Charging speeds on Android smartphones have gotten a lot faster these days, this means, a large amount of electricity passes through the device, and as a process, heat is also dissipated. When the integrated sensor on a smartphone senses a rapid increase in the temperature, most smartphones are smart enough to either cut down charging speed or completely stop charging, until the phone cools down and comes back to its normal state.
If you are charging your phone with a case on, you can try removing the case to improve heat exchange with the environment, and if you use a wireless charger, try charging with a wired charger, as a wireless charger will also generate a lot of heat. Taking out the case while charging the device can also help with heat dissipation, and help the phone maintain the higher charging speed.
On top of that, never play games while charging a smartphone. In some phones, there is an option called bypass charging, which will bypass the battery charging and deliver direct power to the processor. However, in most cases, playing a game while charging will definitely overheat the device.
Heat might not be the only reason why your smartphone will charge slowly during summer. If you have a smartphone that’s a few years old, the battery might not be in its best shape. When a faulty or degraded battery is combined with excess heat, charging speeds on a smartphone can easily take a hit.
If the back panel of your phone is swollen, then it is probably the battery’s fault. However, in some cases, there would be no physical deformities, but still, the battery might have gone bad.
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Apple does offer tools on iPhone to identify the battery health and battery status, which makes it easy to identify if your smartphone needs a battery replacement.
A faulty battery also means, the smartphone might not deliver the best possible performance, as it won’t be able to deliver the power required to the processor to run at its best capacity. Most smartphone batteries can easily retain about 80 per cent of their original charge capacity for over 500 charge cycles or over 2 years, and if you want to continue to use the same phone, a new battery could rejuvenate that device.
Why your phone overheats and how to prevent
If a smartphone heats up, then it is not a significant issue, unless, it gets really hot. Smartphones can overheat if you push the performance envelope of the device, and as mentioned earlier, a faulty battery can also make a smartphone overheat.
Using a third-party charger can also make a smartphone heat up. This is why it is always advised to use first-party accessories, as there are several reported cases of smartphones not just getting hot, but also catching fire. Not just the charging brick, we also recommend using only the official data capable provided with the device or one that has been certified to be compatible with the phone.
How to take care of your smartphone
Here are a few simple actions, which can further extend the life of your battery life
Always use first party charger
If your device is overheating, let it rest for a while
Don’t let the battery drain fully
Don’t overcharge (although it’s quite safe these days)
Make sure there are no physical damages on the device
Removing the case can also help the device cool down quickly
Don’t put any sort of external stress on the smartphone
If there is water spillage, make sure the phone is completely dry before trying to attempt charging.
Hope you find these tips useful in keeping your smartphone in a top-notch shape!
