Iphone 5 Shutting down, Cold Weather? or defective battery

pdx_biker wrote:

I have experienced this many times when skiing. I don't have experience with other phones but the iPhones 4,5, and now 6s SUCK in cold weather.

They work as advertised.

From the iPhone tech specs:

iPhone 6s - Technical Specifications

To clarify, it would be a very much appreciated change if the iPhones were improved to work below 32F. There are many times I do activities in weather below 32F and would like to use my smartphone. While this may be listed in the tech specs it is not a limitation that customers like me expect or are completely happy with. As my body temp stays warm I'm going to try a t-shirt with a zippered pocket as a ski solution next...

Try a Lifeproof or Otterbox case.

Tell Apple: http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

We are having a blizzard here today in New Jersey with a wind chill of 11 degrees. I just finished a run and the battery cut out. I wonder if I put a heavy sock in the dryer and (after I take it out of the dryer) put the iPhone into the sock and put it in my jacket pocket, that would prevent it from shutting off. I will try it tomorrow and let you know.

For others, who are out longer, maybe skiers, walkers, a battery operated heated sock?

There has to be a malfunction going on here with iPhones that is not standard for all Lithium Ion batteries. I had an LG phone (regular flaptop non-smartphone from the previous decade) for about 8 yrs (and still have it here to confirm battery type) and not once did it ever shut off or have any major issues in freezing weather. I used this for a few weeks every year in the mountains where it was between -10° to 30° F and there was no major difference in performance that i ever noticed, and i'm one to usually notice every minor detail when it comes to technical glitches. The cold may have drained the battery slightly faster, but it wasn't something i tested b/c it still gave me enough juice to not be a non-issue. Also, for the rest of the winter I was in NY so the LG phone barttery definitely got put to the test with cold weather performance.

My iPhone 5 i had out tonight for only a few minutes to take some photos, the temp was 30°F and it had a 38% charge left, yet it shut off with no warning. This made me recall a situation from a couple months ago where i was trying to take a group photo and it was somewhere between 40-50°F. I used one person's iPhone 6 and just as i was about to hit the button it shut off. I thought the battery had died as i wasn't even aware of the cold weather issue. So another person gave me their iPhone 6 and the exact same thing happened - i was just about to hit the button to snap the photo and it just blacked out with no warning. They said it had to be the cold weather, but 40 something being too cold to use a phone?? I was shocked that the iPhone 6 models would have battery problems this severe, as this hadn't even happened yet with my iPhone 5. Are they only compatible with California weather? 🙂

The problem with relying on a warm pocket is that it only keeps it warm in the pocket where it can't be used. It has to be taken out of the pocket into the cold when you need it and that's when it fails miserably, very quickly. And yes for an emergency situation your lifeline could easily turn a situation into a nightmare. This isn't right.

My iPhone5 will routinely suddenly shut down in 11 degree (Celsius) weather, with a 90+ % charge.

When I plug it into power at home, it comes back to life with the full charge still on it.

So, even within operating specs, it's very fussy about weather, which makes it problematic for emergencies.
And keeping it in a pocket isn't much help if I actually have to use it in cold weather.

I'll be contacting Apple about it, but it's helpful to hear from others about the problem here.

Keep on posting your experiences please.

My 6 Plus also shuts off when it's cold, but not as often.

My iPhone 5c keeps shutting off. The temperature is above freezing, I keep it in an inside pocket, though it's still cool to the touch when I take it out after I get inside. Today, for example, after an hour's walk, I used it in a store for less than a minute before it shut down with around 65% battery. I was wondering whether to replace it (it's 2.5 years old) with a 6S, but I'm not so sure that will help any after reading (some of) this thread. With another four months here in Finland with cold weather, will I have an inside-only phone?