You may have numerous concerns regarding what could potentially harm your phone or disrupt its regular functioning. Moreover, the circulating misconceptions can add to the confusion. One common question you may have is whether an electrical storm can impact your phone and potentially cause damage.
If you’re someone who feels apprehensive about using your phone during a storm or worries about potential consequences, this information will be helpful. We will address what occurs during a storm and even discuss an experiment conducted by Xiaomi that provides further clarification on the matter.
This is what happens with your mobile if there is a storm
The majority of lightning comprises low-frequency electricity, whereas your mobile device operates on high-frequency electricity. The likelihood of lightning affecting your phone’s signals and causing malfunctions is extremely low—almost non-existent. It is highly unlikely that a thunderstorm would impair the normal functioning of your phone or pose any danger to you. Hence, even during a storm, you can continue using your mobile without experiencing any failures or issues.
Another prevalent misconception we need to debunk is the belief that smartphones attract lightning. This is simply untrue. Lightning typically targets taller objects in open spaces. While it is true that lightning strikes can occur outdoors, the likelihood of being struck by lightning does not depend on whether or not you have your mobile phone with you. It is merely a matter of unfortunate circumstances if you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Although some people claim that mobile phones can attract lightning outside and advise exercising caution, there is no concrete evidence to support this. In fact, having your mobile phone with you can be advantageous if you utilize a storm detection service to be aware of when it’s time to seek safety and prevent potential lightning exposure.
Regarding concerns related to charging your phone during a storm, any issues typically arise from using low-quality, very old, or damaged chargers or cables. These factors can affect proper charging, potentially damaging the battery or causing other problems. However, such issues are unrelated to lightning, storms, or weather conditions. It is advisable to use high-quality chargers and cables to avoid any charging-related difficulties. Therefore, when you are at home using your mobile, a storm will not impact your ability to use it, make calls, connect to the internet, or perform any other tasks.
Xiaomi has verified it, and this video shows it to you
To further illustrate the points mentioned, Xiaomi has produced a video showcasing what happens when a thunderstorm occurs. In order to determine the impact on Xiaomi smartphones and assess their usability without risk, the company conducted an experiment using a Xiaomi 12S.
For the experiment, they utilized a Tesla coil, which is a transformer circuit designed to generate low-current alternating electrical currents. This coil was originally developed by Nikola Tesla in 1891 and serves to simulate lightning. In the experiment, the simulated lightning strikes the Xiaomi mobile device, although the same could be done with any other brand of phone.
As depicted in the video, the smartphone continues to function flawlessly, playing a video without any issues or interruptions. Additionally, phone calls remain unaffected. Xiaomi’s demonstration conclusively proves that electrical storms do not impact the usability of their smartphones. However, it is essential to exercise extreme caution to avoid coming into direct contact with lightning, even though the likelihood of such an event occurring is highly improbable.
