U. S. Cellular - Better Moments Blogger Brigade - 6 Tips for Winterizing Your Phone

Winter is here!!  I have only had to deal with the freezing temperatures.  Thankfully, no snow or ice yet.  I wouldn't complain if we had a white Christmas.

Most people winterize their camper, garden, home lawn and sprinklers before the snow flies and temperatures falls.  No wonder ever thinks to winterize their phones or tablets or at least I never have until now.   There are wireless winter steps you can take in an effort to keep your smartphone or tablet from freezing up during cold temperatures.   I have winterize my Samsung Galaxy and am now prepared.

Accessorize: A LifeProof case is rugged and waterproof and can protect your device through inclement weather such as frigid temperatures, ice and snow.
App-etizing:  AccuWeather, MyRadar Weather Radar, The Weather Channel and WeatherBug are among the leading free apps available on iTunes and the Google Play store to help keep people ahead of winter storms.

Battery Blues: When cellphone batteries are exposed to cold temperatures, their performance dips like the winter mercury. Cellphone batteries that would provide 100 percent capacity at 80 degrees will typically only deliver 50 percent when it’s 0 degrees outside. 
Cover Up: Prolonged exposure to the cold may affect a cellphone’s display screen. The display cover can become brittle when exposed to cold temperatures for an extended period of time, which causes the liquid crystals within the display to start freezing.
Don’t Fret When Wet: If a cellphone gets wet from condensation or an encounter with snow, power it down right away and remove the battery. You should grab a towel or napkins to get as much excess water off the phone as possible. You should leave a wet cellphone powered down for a day or two to give the internal circuitry a chance to completely dry out. 
Phone for Cold and Snow: The Kyocera DuraForce is an ultra-rugged smartphone that is certified to operate all the way down to negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also certified IP68 waterproof, so it can be fully submerged up to 6 feet deep for up to 30 minutes, and with its “Wet & Glove Touchscreen Operation,” you can use the phone while wearing your winter gloves and the touchscreen will continue to operate when the phone gets snow or rain on it.

Additional Information: Did you buy your child a phone for Christmas?  If so, U.S. Cellular has developed a Parent-Child Agreement that can guide the conversations parents and children have about cell phone usage.  The agreement is customizable so that families can make it work for their specific needs.  You can find the agreement here.

Disclosure: I am a compensated member of the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade. All opinions are my own.