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"Battery empty" in the cold (< 5°C)

asked 2016-12-03 02:00:47 +0300

schmittlauch gravatar image

Since it became colder I encountered sudden "battery empty" situations, resulting in a forced reboot, when the phone has been exposed to cold (about < 5°C), but not necessarily freezing, temperatures. This didn't happen last winter. I am able to reproduce the issue by exposing the phone to the cold for 5-10min with a battery level of approx. 70% or lower. This happened with both original Jolla batteries I own. I already tried cleaning the contacts or repeatedly pushing them in, both didn't help.

I assume there's something wrong with the software measuring it: How can it be that although the voltage is still 3.43V the reported energy values is 0.00Wh? For that to be the case, the current has to be 0.00A which obviously can't be the case as the phone was still working at that time and the screen was on.

CSD tool screenshot

CSD tool screenshot battery 2

I suspect a software issue introduced this year as this didn't happen last winter. Any ideas?

(I'm using SFOS 2.0.5.6)

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same here - polarcell battery - sudden reboots or shutdowns when the phone is in an outer pocket and the temperature is near zero degrees - changed the battery again to a new one (different supplier) and it worked for four days now - fingers crossed

elastic ( 2016-12-03 11:02:15 +0300 )edit

What you are describing happens to any phone or any battery for that matter. Just keep the phone in an internal pocket close to your body heat. IMO this is chemistry, not software.

gabriel ( 2016-12-03 11:46:23 +0300 )edit
1

What you are describing happens to any phone or any battery for that matter.

I can't remember having these problems in the last 2 winters. Furthermore there are many phones that can deal with cold, but not freezing, temperatures. 5°C are not an issue for iPhones, Moto X etc. It's ok if a phone doesn't work at -25°C, but warmer temperatures shouldn't cause these issues.

schmittlauch ( 2016-12-03 23:25:35 +0300 )edit

this sounds like a software bug, if the battery otherwise functions well and the change happens quickly but is fully reversible, additionally can you can an alternate or new battery and reoeat the steps above?

DarkTuring ( 2016-12-23 04:13:32 +0300 )edit
1

Same here. The phone shows ~4% battery soon after it was at ~43% and it shuts down very soon. This must be due to wrong calculations or wrong logic in phone SW. I don't remember seeing this problem with the previous SW versions. Anyone from Jolla/SFOS team to comment?

onurati ( 2016-12-31 21:36:44 +0300 )edit

2 Answers

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answered 2018-06-11 22:17:01 +0300

lazart gravatar image

Those batteries are designed for about room temperature. You have this sudden discharge-effect on all of them, how strong might vary from the battery model. You should just keep them warm enough, like gabriel commented.

More information here: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/discharging_at_high_and_low_temperatures

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Jolla1 devices are getting older and older, and there is a design flaw in the battery connectors on the device side, so I really don't wonder there are issues with the device in cold temperatures, with condensation very likely to occur...

Edit: I have those symptoms, too. It is slowly degrading, but works fine in.room temperature, still...

Direc ( 2018-06-13 00:37:40 +0300 )edit
2

answered 2016-12-22 21:14:27 +0300

ApB gravatar image

Just to chime in here. Had this happen to me on two occasions on ~-2°C maybe less. Put the phone on a warm pocket and it worked -booted and showed a remaining battery at about the level that it was before the shutdown- after a while.

Also what seems to happen is that the measurement of remaining battery, after the phone shows the empty battery nottification and after it warms up again, gets stuck. In my case it was stuck to 43%.

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Asked: 2016-12-03 02:00:47 +0300

Seen: 804 times

Last updated: Jun 11 '18