Our smartphones are becoming smarter and smarter everyday. However, with the sheer amount of features and tasks our handhelds can perform, its only a matter of time until even the best of phones starts overheating.
Wireless charging gears have become a highly desired feature most people would love to have in their cars, if they don’t already have it. But as it turns out, our phones have become our navigators, media systems, communication hubs and whatnot. With all these tasks at hand, smartphone batteries start to overheat and thus this can dramatically slow down or completely halt the charging process in many cases.
To counter this, Chevy has just announced a new technology it will be implementing (along with wireless charging) in a select few models of its 2016 releases. The system is called Active Phone Cooling, which is basically a dedicated A/C vent for your phone.
The upcoming Impala, Malibu, Volt, and Cruze are each getting the option. The tech is as simple as it has been named. The cool air from your car’s air conditioning will essentially be shared with the charging bin of your smartphone (where your smartphone will be resting), cooling down your device eventually. For the system to run, the main hub air condition should be turned on, which is the only condition required for switching on this cooling system.
Impala engineer Dan Lascu said,
Innovation doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. Sometimes simplicity offers the most elegant solution to a problem.
Here’s what Chad Lyons of Chevy’s Malibu and Impala had to say about the new technology in a press release:
An air vent connected directly to the car’s air conditioning and ventilation system is directed to the charging bin where the phone rests for wireless charging, sending cool air to help lower the phone’s temperature. Active Phone Cooling operates only when the HVAC system is turned on by the driver.
An air vent connected directly to the car’s air conditioning and ventilation system is directed to the charging bin where the phone rests for wireless charging, sending cool air to help lower the phone’s temperature. Active Phone Cooling operates only when the HVAC system is turned on by the driver.
After pairing their compatible phones with the available MyLink radio, Impala and Malibu customers can access phone features such as streaming music or making phone calls through steering wheel controls or voice commands.
Active Phone Cooling will also be available in the 2016 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze equipped with available wireless charging.
