Your phone is not meant to survive Odisha’s heat wave? Know why and how to protect it

If you have been outside these past few weeks in Odisha and had your phone in your pocket or, even worse, in direct sunlight, you may have noticed it getting incredibly warm. Further, if you have tried taking outdoor photos or videos amid consistent 40 degrees Celsius temperatures across most parts of Odisha, you may have felt your phone feeling like burning. Turns out that most smartphones were never designed to work well in this scorching heat.

Odisha reeled under extreme heat on Monday, with Angul district recording a blistering 42.7 degrees Celsius, the highest in the state. As climate patterns grow erratic, such heat waves are becoming more frequent, posing risks not just to humans but also to everyday gadgets like smartphones.

Why Your Phone Can’t Take the Heat

Most smartphones are engineered to operate optimally between 0 and 35 degrees Celsius, according to industry standards.

While some high-end models can tolerate up to 45 degrees Celsius, prolonged exposure beyond this threshold risks irreversible damage.

At temperatures exceeding 60  degrees Celsius, common in parked cars or direct sunlight, internal components like batteries, processors, and screens can suffer catastrophic failure. Lithium-ion batteries, critical to phone functionality, degrade faster under heat, leading to reduced lifespan, sudden shutdowns, or even swelling.

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The Science of Overheating

Heat accelerates chemical reactions within phone batteries, increasing internal resistance and reducing efficiency. Additionally, processors throttle performance to cool down, causing lagging apps and unresponsive screens.

Prolonged heat exposure can also melt adhesives holding screens in place or warp delicate circuitry. In Odisha’s current conditions, leaving a phone idle in direct sunlight for just 10–15 minutes can push its temperature beyond safe limits, as per standards set by a 2023 study by the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative.

How to Protect Your Device

Avoid Direct Sunlight: Refrain from using your phone outdoors during peak heat (10 AM–4 PM). Even taking photos or videos in direct sunlight strains the device.

Close Background Apps: Unused apps drain battery life, generating excess heat. Use settings to restrict background activity.

Remove Protective Cases: Thick cases trap heat. Opt for minimalist covers or remove them temporarily in hot environments.

Use Shade or Cooling Tools: Store your phone in a bag or under a cloth. Avoid sudden cooling (e.g., refrigerators), as condensation can damage circuits.

Power Down if Overheated: If your device feels hot or displays a temperature warning, turn it off immediately and let it cool in a ventilated area.

Apple and Samsung explicitly advise against exposing devices to temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius. Xiaomi’s 2023 user manual notes that heat waves can reduce battery health by up to 20% faster.

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A Silent Crisis in Plain Sight

While Odisha’s heat wave dominates headlines for its human toll, the vulnerability of everyday technology remains overlooked. As climate change intensifies, adapting gadget usage to extreme weather isn’t just advisable but rather essential.

Simple precautions today could save your phone from becoming another casualty of the rising mercury.