Mobile Technology

Chevy gives smartphones their own air conditioning vent

Chevy gives smartphones their own air conditioning vent
Chevrolet's Active Cooling feature gives your phone its own air conditioning vent
Chevrolet's Active Cooling feature gives your phone its own air conditioning vent
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Chevrolet's Active Cooling feature gives your phone its own air conditioning vent
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Chevrolet's Active Cooling feature gives your phone its own air conditioning vent
Active Cooling is available in vehicles that offer wireless charging
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Active Cooling is available in vehicles that offer wireless charging
Overheating can cause damage to smartphone batteries
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Overheating can cause damage to smartphone batteries
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Hot cars and smartphones don't mix. It’s not uncommon for our phones to be warm to the touch during summer months, especially when charging them up or using them for intensive tasks like navigation. This can slow down your phone’s processor and suck the life out of your battery, or even do permanent damage.

To help combat the issue, Chevy is introducing an "industry first" Active Phone Cooling feature in some of its 2016 vehicles that sees an air vent right placed next to the charging bin. When you have the air conditioner on, the vent will direct air at your phone, bringing its temperature down and improving its performance, and possibly its life span as well.

The feature will initially be available in the 2016 Impala, Mailbu, Volt, and Cruze equipped with wireless charging.

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3 comments
3 comments
Derek Howe
hmmm, interesting. But I'm happier about the wireless charging, then a cold air being blown at my phone.
Craig Nowakowski
I'm sorry, what again?
Some peoples think multi-tasking is less productive but, come on.
Bruce H. Anderson
As one who regularly uses a smartphone for navigation while on business travel, I know too well how warm a phone can get and have experienced the automatic shutdown of the phone when it gets too hot. I developed a small rig to keep my phone in a place with a combination of airflow and good line-of-sight. The idea of a dedicated vent is a good one. For me, the line of sight piece may be the Achilles heel of the Chevy proposal.