Summer 2024 is in full swing and the heat settles down already in some French regions. A situation that affects the human body, as well as our precious electronic devices. Indeed, summer is a risky period for electronic devices. Laptops, smartphones, internet boxes or game consoles are not spared and do not tolerate the heat well.
They also have their own thermal limit that must not be exceeded and risk heat stroke in very hot weather. Summer also means beaches and swimming, which are not your smartphone’s best friends. Repair specialist iFixit gives us some tips and best practices to adopt to take care of your device. We sprinkled them with our own comments.
The number 1 enemy of the smartphone is salt water
Your smartphone sports a nice IP67 or IP68 certification, enough to go to the beach with confidence? Big mistake. A device may be able to resist splashes, water and dust, but the beach remains hostile terrain. Salt water can quickly cause irreversible damage to the components of a smartphone, salt being extremely aggressive.
If your device falls into the sea or a saltwater pool, iFixit recommends turning it off, quickly rinsing it with clean (or demineralized) water, removing the battery and as many components as possible (SIM card, microSD, etc.) before letting them air dry for several hours. The auto-repair specialist also recommends cleaning the components with a soft toothbrush and isopropanol or performing a deoxidation. This removes all traces of salt and removes the beginnings of corrosion.
Overall, it is best to avoid swimming or bathing even in fresh water. Despite the progress made by manufacturers, most recommend avoiding this risky practice. However, we recommend opting for a smartphone with a high protection rating such as IP68. It will benefit from better resistance to water and dust.
Sand, the other major risk at the beach
Your smartphone has avoided the waves and salt water, but it still has another enemy to resist: sand. It gets into every nook and cranny, whether it’s the charging port, speakers and microphones or the jack. Sand causes significant damage and even the smallest grain can disrupt the operation of your device or damage it. Indeed, grains are likely to damage the screen and cause scratches.
To protect yourself from sand, the best thing to do is to place your device in a hermetically sealed bag. You should avoid taking it out as much as possible to limit the risks. The advice is a bit easy, but a trip to the beach is also an opportunity to disconnect and leave your smartphone at the bottom of your bag.
If sand does manage to get stuck, it is recommended to do a thorough cleaning using a soft cloth or cotton swab. At the beach, a straw can do the trick! We can also advise you to use a can or a compressed air blower. Then, you can vacuum up the remaining grains using a vacuum cleaner with a very fine nozzle.
Sun and heat? What to do in case of overheating
Heat can disrupt the proper functioning of your smartphone at any time during the summer. Unlike salt water or sand, it is not necessarily the result of “risky” behavior. Simply using your device for a long time can cause it to overheat and damage components. Note that some models can go into safety mode if it heats up too much.
The screen and battery are among the elements most at risk in case of high heat. However, these two elements are essential for the proper functioning of a smartphone.
In the car
On the road to your holiday, using your smartphone in the car presents a major risk. In fact, it is often used for GPS navigation and this practice causes significant heating. When it is stuck to the windshield and therefore exposed to the sun, the risk of overheating becomes even greater. If you have to use it to find your way, we advise you to use a hanging system at the ventilation level. With air conditioning, your smartphone will stay cool.
If you can, the best thing to do is to put your smartphone in the glove compartment and use the manufacturer’s onboard navigation system. Finally, don’t forget your smartphone in a vehicle, especially if it’s behind a window. In addition to the risk of theft, it will be much too hot.
Daily
It’s not just in the car that your smartphone is put under a lot of strain. Overheating can occur if you expose your smartphone to the sun for too long, so prefer a shady spot even if your device remains perfectly readable in full sunlight.
Your smartphone may have a case and this is a good thing to preserve it. However, some cases are too thick and prevent the smartphone from “breathing” by retaining heat. Consider changing it for a light protection or removing it if you see that your device is heating up. In addition, it is best to avoid storing your device in your shorts or pants pocket.
Ever more powerful and versatile, the smartphone has many features that you don’t use all the time. To avoid overheating, it is possible to deactivate the functions that you don’t use (GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, etc.) and only reactivate it when necessary. You can even sometimes switch to airplane mode, because searching for a network and sustained use cause the components to heat up. Also keep in mind that heavy applications or certain uses cause a smartphone to heat up more. Using GPS, games or filming in high definition put a lot of strain on the components.
Be sure to limit these uses in case of very strong or hot weather or think about adapting. Do not chain uses that put a lot of strain on your precious device, otherwise it will heat up… and turn off. In fact, some models go into safety mode or turn off to prevent overheating.
Also, don’t hesitate to clean up the applications that are running in the background. You should also avoid charging a phone (or any other device) in a place exposed to heat and where air circulation is poor. At the same time, take a look at your app store (App Store, Play Store, etc.) and your Settings to update the system and applications. Software updates may include fixes that improve heat management.
And, if your smartphone heats up, do not put it in a place that is too cold (refrigerator, freezer, etc.). Thermal shock is clearly not a good idea for such a device. It is better to let it rest at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.
With the high temperatures, it is therefore advisable to adapt and adopt new reflexes to preserve your devices. Moving away from the smartphone can also be a good thing during the holidays, for you as well as for your phone.
Source: www.journaldugeek.com
