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Well, it’s March already and that means summer will be here before we know it.
Here’s something you need to remember as you’re out and about enjoying the summer heat: If you get really hot, your devices and gadgets will too. And as you probably know, heat is the number one enemy of electronic items.
Here are a few tips for keeping your expensive smartphones, tablets and other devices cool and running smoothly all summer long:
1 – If at all possible, charge the battery in your phone or tablet indoors where it’s nice and cool.
Charging any battery will cause both the battery itself and the device it’s in to heat up, and if the ambient temperature is 90 degrees or above it could possibly cause the entire device to over-heat and fail.
2 – Try not to use your device in direct sunlight for extended periods on hot summer days, especially if it has a black or dark colored case.
The sun’s hot summer rays can quickly turn most any electronic device into a hunk of molten plastic and silicon, and the damage can be done before you even realize that it’s happening.
3 – Install a quality anti-malware app on your devices to prevent viruses and malicious apps from over-working their CPUs and other components.
iPhone and iPad users don’t have to worry all that much about malware, but I recommend that you protect your Android devices by installing the free AVG for Android security app. And if you want the best protection possible, you’ll never go wrong by installing Malwarebytes.
4 – Remove any apps from your device that you know you’ll never use.
Some apps are constantly running in the background, causing the device’s CPU to work harder than it needs to. And the harder the CPU works, the hotter a device will get.
5 – Don’t leave your devices sitting in a hot car all day, even if they are sitting in the shade when you leave the car since the temps inside automobiles can reach as high as 170 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
Always remember that the sun will move across the sky and possibly end up placing your now shade-covered car fully in the sun.
If you have no choice and simply must leave your device(s) in a hot car, place it/them in an insulated bag (#ad) and leave it in the trunk, never in the passenger compartment.
Bottom line: While you can’t control the outside temperature on a hot summer day, the steps listed above can help keep your smartphones, tablets and other gadgets running as cool and efficiently as possible.
Bonus tip: If you’re planning to spend time at the beach or any other destination where the risk of having your expensive phone get lost, stolen or damaged is high, you might want to consider leaving it at home and taking a cheap burner phone with you instead.