Smartphones get Cool

General Motors Co. is introducing a new cooling function to help prevent smartphones from overheating while stowed in vehicles. The system will bow this autumn on select Chevrolet models, starting with the 2016 Impala and Malibu cars outfitted with wireless-charging pads.

The so-called active phone cooling system directs cool air to the in-vehicle wireless charging bin via an air vent connected to the car's air-conditioning and ventilation system. The system is automatically activated when the HVAC unit is switched on.

GM says it identified a need for the technology during routine hot weather vehicle testing. Engineers noticed that a built-in thermal protection function designed to safeguard batteries also could suspend charging or shut off the phone altogether after being exposed to high temperatures inside a car's cabin for a few minutes.

Regular exposure to extreme temperatures can do permanent damage to a phone's lithium-ion batteries. GM also notes that overheating can slow the phone's processing speed. The effects can be aggravated during charging or if a device's data and graphics processors are strained.