iPhone working in sub-zero temperatures

okay here is the deal with ipods and iphones they use a capacitance technology to recognize the touch of a finger in comparison with other things so if you are gona use gloves you have to use gloves that have a capacitance such as the tavo gloves, there are others as well look for ipod gloves, stylus's with capacitance are coming out as well soon.

It goes down to below -50C in Alaska, and phones generally continue to keep chugging along.

The two things you have to watch out for are the screen (response time will be 'glacial'), and the battery, which will lose its charge much more quickly than usual.

All in all, I doubt you'll permanently damage anything as long as you don't heat it or cool it too quickly.

Bah--there aren't too many phones I could use with gloves. Dang tiny buttons...

I am glad someone did this, as I was to scared myself. I asked this same question on witz.org a few weeks back:

http://www.witz.org/archives/iphone_sure_it_works_now_but_what_about_in_the_cold.html

wouldn't a stylus work with the iphone?

You'd have to leave the iPhone sitting outside for the internals to reach a non-operational cold temperature. Even then, if you could just get it powered up, the CPU would bring it well within the operating range pretty quickly. And, given the external materials, it'd warm very quickly in indoor temps.

Presumably, you don't plan on leaving it outside at night!

Presumably, shouldn't the iPhone work with Tavo's Gloves?
http://www.tavoproducts.com/TavoGloves.html (warning: obnoxious Flash site)

They're not too expensive, either.

I am not at all surprised that the iPhone can function outside of the range of temperatures Apple lists; companies will tend to err on the side of caution in giving such guidelines, after all.

That said, I would think that the battery would function with less-than-optimal efficiency at those temperatures. But that is the case with any lithium ion battery; you'll see battery performance issues at extreme temperatures with other phones, too.

I can understand the scientific curiosity, but um...generally even if you're gonna be weathering the freezing cold out there, you're gonna have your phone in your pocket or in your bag (which is likely to trap warmer air inside and keep it relatively warm compared to the outside air).

If the army uses Toughbooks to get the job done, why can't the general population understand that wearing a hip-holstered iPhone in sub-zero climes ain't such a good idea? Neither is dropping it in a toilet.

I'm glad i live in the hot Las Vegas weather. No gloves here.