As smartphones become more powerful, heat dissipation has become an increasing concern. Some phones tend to get hot with heavy usage, while others stay relatively cool. For many users, a phone that doesn’t get hot is an important consideration when choosing a new device.
Overheating phones can cause discomfort during use. Excessive heat can also lead to throttling, where the phone’s processor slows down to prevent overheating damage. Throttling results in laggy performance which can be frustrating for users. Additionally, heat stresses phone components and can reduce the lifespan of the device. So which phones tend to stay the coolest during demanding tasks like gaming or navigation?
What causes phones to heat up?
There are a few key reasons why smartphones produce heat:
– The processor – This is usually the biggest heat source in a phone. More powerful processors allow for better performance but also generate more heat. Intensive tasks like 3D gaming make the processor work especially hard.
– Battery – Batteries produce some heat when charging and discharging. Fast charging, in particular, can cause the battery to heat up rapidly.
– Screens – Display panels give off some heat, especially at higher brightnesses. Screens with higher resolutions also require more energy and produce more heat.
– Cellular modem – When using mobile data, the modem generates heat communicating with cell towers. Downloading data over 5G produces the most heat.
– Other components – The camera, RAM, and any other component being used will give off some heat due to electrical resistance. More use means more heat.
So in general, phones with the newest, fastest processors, most cellular bands, and highest resolution screens require the most power and run the hottest. Well-designed cooling systems help dissipate the heat so it doesn’t build up and throttle the device.
How phone design affects heat
There are a few aspects of a phone’s physical design that impact how hot it gets:
– Materials – Plastic, glass, and metal are commonly used in phones. Plastic traps the least amount of heat, followed by glass, and then metal. More metal results in higher exterior temperatures.
– Heat pipes – Some phones have tiny heat pipes that help transfer heat away from components to the external case where it can dissipate. More heat pipes improve cooling.
– Vents – Vents along the edges or back allow heated air to escape to prevent heat building up inside. Larger and more numerous vents improve airflow.
– Insulation – Insulative materials between heat-producing components and external surfaces keep the exterior cooler. Effective insulation prevents excessive exterior heating.
– Overall size – In general, larger devices have more internal space for ventilation and cooling. Compact phones pack components more tightly causing more heat buildup.
So plastic or glass-backed phones with lots of vents, heat pipes, and insulation tend to stay cooler during intensive workloads. But efficient processor design is most important for limiting heat production in the first place.
Processors that produce less heat
The processor, or system on a chip (SoC), has the biggest impact on heat production. Here are some characteristics of cooler running processors:
– Newer manufacturing process – Newer fabrication methods like 5nm or 7nm result in chips that are more power efficient and produce less heat than older 10nm or 12nm chips.
– Efficient CPU and GPU – The latest CPU and GPU architectures are optimized for performance per watt. This allows them to provide power while generating less excess heat.
– Lower clock speeds – Running the CPU cores at lower clock speeds results in exponentially less power use and heat generation. Underclocking improves cooling.
– Fewer cores – Using fewer CPU and GPU cores reduces overall power consumption and heat production. Disabling unneeded cores helps minimize heat.
– Custom silicon – Custom processors tailored to a smartphone’s specific thermal environment can be more optimized for heat dissipation.
Qualcomm, Samsung, and Apple design some of the most efficient mobile processors. Their latest generation flagship chips perform very well while running cooler than many competitors.
Cases that help disperse heat
Using an appropriate phone case can help keep temperatures lower during intensive use. Here are characteristics that allow cases to aid in heat dissipation:
– Metal or plastic – These materials allow heat to disperse through the case better than insulating materials like rubber or leather.
– Openings – Openings around ports and speakers allow air circulation to carry heat away. Completely sealed cases trap heat inside.
– Passive cooling – Some cases have built-in heat spreaders, contact cooling plates, or heat sinks that dissipate heat. These use no power and have no moving parts.
– Active cooling – Uncommon in phone cases, active cooling uses powered fans and other methods requiring electricity to cool down phones. These can add bulk and be less reliable.
– Thin profile – Thin cases that don’t provide much insulation allow the phone to dissipate heat better through the external surfaces.
So in general, thin plastic or metal cases with generous openings and some passive cooling elements provide the best cooling potential. But they offer less drop protection than bulkier cases.
Phones that stay cool – Top picks
Taking into account processor design, thermal management, and real-world use, here are some current smartphone models that are best at resisting heat buildup:
iPhone 13 Pro – Apple’s latest iPhone flagship packs the efficient A15 Bionic chip. It handles demanding games and apps without getting hotter than 95°F in most tests. The matte frosted glass back helps dispersion.
Google Pixel 6a – The budget-friendly Pixel 6a uses Google’s well-optimized Tensor processor. It withstands extended gaming sessions and rapid charging with temperatures staying under 100°F.
Asus ROG Phone 5 – Designed for gaming, the ROG Phone 5 uses top-shelf specs in an enclosure tailored for cooling. Large vents, a fast fan, and internal heatsinks keep temps from ever rising too high.
Samsung Galaxy S22 – An improvement over the S21, the S22 houses the latest Snapdragon processor in a less cramped design for better airflow. Gaming temps reach around 105°F at most.
Motorola Edge 2021 – Undemanding specs coupled with an airy design and large internal graphite sheet make the Edge 2021 hard to heat up. Temps observed are usually around 95-100°F.
Here is a comparison table summarizing the approximate maximum temperatures observed when using these phones intensively:
| Phone | Maximum Temperature |
|---|---|
| iPhone 13 Pro | 95°F |
| Google Pixel 6a | 100°F |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | 105°F |
| Samsung Galaxy S22 | 105°F |
| Motorola Edge 2021 | 100°F |
So while no phone remains completely cool, these models do the best at heat mitigation for providing a comfortable user experience even with heavy use.
Tips for keeping your phone cool
Beyond choosing an already cool-running phone, here are some usage tips to help prevent overheating:
– Don’t use in direct sunlight – Sunlight and high ambient temperatures make cooling more difficult. Using a phone in the shade keeps temps lower.
– Reduce screen brightness – Lower brightness levels require less energy and produce less heat from the display panel.
– Disable unneeded features – Turn off WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular data, and other connections when not in use as wireless activity generates heat.
– Close background apps – Apps running in the background drive processor usage leading to more heat, especially during other demanding tasks.
– Limit gaming and AR – 3D games are one of the biggest heat producers. Take breaks during long gaming sessions. AR apps can also overheat phones quickly.
– Use airplane mode – This disables all wireless functions which often allows the phone to run significantly cooler. Great for gaming or media binging.
– Don’t charge while using – Charging generates heat which combines with usage heating. Only charge when the phone is idle to avoid compounding heat.
– Remove protective case – Bulky cases that insulate can cause heat buildup. Remove the case periodically if your phone seems too hot.
Keeping your phone from thermal throttling and overheating will provide the best user experience. Utilizing the overheat prevention tips while choosing a phone designed to run cool can let you enjoy stable peak performance.
Conclusion
With the processing demands of smartphones continuing to increase over time, controlling heat dissipation is an important factor for device makers. A variety of designs and component choices result in some phones staying cooler than others when under intensive workloads.
For users, choosing a phone made to resist overheating provides benefits like sustained performance, longer component life, and comfort during use. Features like high-end processors, thermally optimized construction, and software enhancements all contribute to keeping temperatures low.
Using any phone within its thermal constraints provides a smoother experience. But selecting an already cool-running model to start with frees you to fully utilize demanding apps and games without slowdowns, while also prolonging your phone’s usable lifespan. Models like the iPhone 13 Pro, Google Pixel 6a, and Asus ROG Phone 5 show innovation in balancing top performance with effective heat management.
