This post is part of my partnership with the US Cellular Blogger Brigade Ambassador Program.
The flakes fell lightly at first. Fluffy little puffs, which twirled and swirled in the wind like dandelion seeds in summer. Only it wasn’t summer. It was nowhere near summer, and the fluffy little flakes grew and grew. Eventually turning into a screen of ice and flakes that blocked my view and impeded my progress home.
Walking to the car I realized my gloves weren’t compatible with my touch screen, and I had to expose them to the frigid air in order to text my husband I would be later than usual due to the falling flakes.
The drive home was done silently with white knuckles and a sigh of relief could be heard for miles as we safely pulled in the driveway.
This is Iowa in winter. One minute it’s 50 degrees and sunny, the next it’s -20 with a windchill and blizzard conditions.
I’ve learned to be prepared from the sub-zero down park, to the emergency kit in the trunk to ice scrapers in the backseat. However, not once did I think of preparing my phone for the Polar Vortex.
Here are six ways from U.S. Cellular to help your wireless device survive this year’s Polar Vortex.
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 you 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.
Thanks to these helpful tips me and my phone won’t be left in the cold.
*Did you buy your kids a new phone for Christmas?
Then download this.
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Disclosure: Through the rest of the year I’ll be sharing some more of My BETTER MOMENTS as a US Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade Ambassador. All opinions are my own and an honest view of my story as a US Cellular customer.