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macmahon70

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 23, 2008
82
13
Brussels
Hello,

I have experience last winter that my Iphone 6 shuts down when I try to take pictures during winter vacations. Only when powering it again from a charger it will come back. I called Apple Support who suggested me to upgrade from 10.1 to 10.3 and see what it does from there. The problem is that it is now spring and I cannot verify if it solved the problem! Any suggestions?

Thank you!
 

Stefan johansson

macrumors 65816
Apr 13, 2017
1,294
607
Sweden
Another reason to use better cameras. I used my Sony nex in ski slopes many times,and also on winter mountain hikes,it work well down to -28 degrees centigrade,even if the battery life gets shorter in cold temperatures.
Try using a dedicated,high quality DSLR with one or two fully charged spare batteries in a pocket inside your clothes.
 

0007776

Suspended
Jul 11, 2006
6,473
8,170
Somewhere
That's just the nature of Lithium batteries. No software update is going to change chemistry.
Battery life gets shorter, but it shouldn't just shut down. I use my iPhone in subzero temperatures all the time through winter.
 

NT1440

macrumors G5
May 18, 2008
14,723
21,356
Battery life gets shorter, but it shouldn't just shut down. I use my iPhone in subzero temperatures all the time through winter.
Mine shuts down like clockwork after plummeting below 30% in the cold. That's been my experience with every iPhone I've ever owned.
 

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
1,372
I'm guessing it depends on where your phone is stored. I keep mine in my pocket while I'm not using it. It has never shut down like that, even when I was plowing snow in -11 F / -24 C on a tractor with no cab.
 

macmahon70

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 23, 2008
82
13
Brussels
The strange thing is that there was a lady skiing with an Iphone as well which seemed to work even if it was freezing cold! Do you think I can ask Apple for a HW replacement (it was bought at a retailer shop with 2 years warranty)?
 

addamas

macrumors 65816
Apr 20, 2016
1,127
1,206
From my experience it shuts down when battery temperature drops under 7 or so °C. It's good to have phone close to your body (that's why inner pockets are made in jackets). But I had never this issue with Android devices so it's just Apple problem.
When phone temperature drops under limit screen is shuttering and this might be also a problem... not battery itself.
 

BenTrovato

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2012
3,035
2,198
Canada
As others have said.. this is lithium ion technology. Apple itself rates the phone from 0 to 35 degrees I believe. But as you get closer the zero mark, the capacity of the battery nearly falls to 50% of what it's rated to and falls quickly.

That's one issue. However your symptoms sound very similar to the iphone 6/6s battery issues where the phone shuts down randomly and Apple was offering to replace those. However if it doesn't happen anymore it's likely the battery has degraded and in cold temperatures it becomes even more pronounced.
 

nieks

macrumors 6502
Apr 7, 2016
399
304
The Netherlands
I go skiing twice a year, and my phone never shut down. Meanwhile, I am checking weather conditions, taking photo's, record videos, and continuously use the SkiTracks app. Never had any problems at all. Coldest temperature in which I went skiing was -13°C (which equals 8,6°F), and I could still use my iPhone 6.

edit: typos
 
Last edited:

Stefan johansson

macrumors 65816
Apr 13, 2017
1,294
607
Sweden
I go skiing twice a year, and my phone never shut down. Meanwhile, I am checking weather conditions, taking photo's, make videos, and continuously use the SkiTracks app. Never had any problems at all. Coldest temperature in which I went Skiing was -13°C (which equals 8,6°F), and I could still use my phone 6.
Obviously,a healthy phone battery can survive for a while even in cold weather. I had problems with battery drain in clod temperatures too,but then it was -25--35 degrees centigrade.
 
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