Will it freeze? i-mate JAQ takes a chilly beating

We won't say it's for certain just yet, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that the now-infamous Will It Blend series of destruction videos has created a monster. In a zany spinoff of the violent series, an i-mate JAQ is dealt a chilly beating as a presumably deranged individual ponders if it will "pass the freeze test." The snazzy smartphone was placed in frigid waters and then frozen block solid, only to be bashed repeatedly once it returned from the freezer. As with most of these cases, the JAQ didn't exactly perform admirably, and in fact, it failed to ever turn on again. So if you don't mind seeing perfectly good electronics go to waste, or you'd just like another bright idea to try yourself, be sure to hit the read link for the ominous video.

[Thundernad @ Apr 18th 2007 4:24AM]

Wow, more than a little surprised it still worked after being submerged for 2 hours.

Water + Powered-On Device = Death

[Paul @ Apr 18th 2007 6:15AM]

The guy must sound like a dolt if he has to resort to cheesy voice disguising.

The phone probably survived the freezing itself but not the genius smashing with a baseball bat method they used to get it out of the ice.

They weren't very thorough with the alive test either, one attempt at the power button and they gave up. The battery could be damaged from the freezing but the device might still be fine, or since it was fresh out the box the battery might have simply drained from the device being on for several hours. Waiting an hour for the device to properly thaw once out of the box might have produced different results as well.

[wabguard-email @ Apr 18th 2007 7:35AM]

Its the battery + water that = death. Similar to why taking the battery out of a cell if its dropped in water can save it. I wonder if they removed the battery before doing that?

[Charles D @ Apr 18th 2007 8:39AM]

A sensible test would've been to try to operate it in sub-zero temperatures (without dunking it!). My Nokia cell phone behaved strangely outdoors all winter in temperatures as low as -30'C, the display faded and the keylock feature was disabled, though the settings told me otherwise. This would actually be a useful test for manufacturers.

[Standingfast @ Apr 18th 2007 8:49AM]

It COULD still be working. He did not charge the battery initially. After all that "freezing" time while still on, the battery surely went dead, especially since batteries do not hold charge well when cold. To see if it still works, he needs to thaw it out, charge the battery, THEN try to turn it on.

[Kichigai Mentat @ Apr 18th 2007 11:42AM]

Uhh, I don't think so. Lithium Ion batteries (I'm going to guess the JAQ uses LiIon) actually hold a charge BETTER when they're cold.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_batteries#Guidelines_for_prolonging_Li-ion_battery_life

[jvvv @ Apr 18th 2007 10:59AM]

What a complete idiot. This isn't even funny..

[macona @ Apr 18th 2007 11:53AM]

Storage of LiPos is one thing, but operating temp is another, LiPos want heat. They become almost useless at low temps. In fact up to a certian limit the warmer you keep them the more current you can pull out at one time.

A friend is building a backpack plasma cutter based off of heated LiPo batteries.

[Standingfast @ Apr 18th 2007 1:02PM]

Um I DO think so. According to your wikipedia article, quote

"According to one book,[10] lithium ion batteries should not be frozen (should not be stored under -40 °C), because most lithium-ion battery electrolytes freeze at approximately −40 °C (this is much colder than the lowest temperature reached by household freezers, however).".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_batteries#Guidelines_for_prolonging_Li-ion_battery_life

Even so this article is talking about battery aging over time, not battery performance in one charge. My Sony HDR-HC1 HD camcorder has a sony M series lithium battery, and it usually runs for an average of 1hr (or less) recording time. However, when I was shooting at 24 degrees F, the battery lasted less than 15min.

[Kichigai Mentat @ Apr 18th 2007 11:42AM]

You know, I once considered doing a semi-regular thing I nicknamed the Minnesota Test. When I was in high school, the winters were brutal cold, and I liked to listen to music on my 20 minute (I think it's a mile and a half) long walk, uphill both ways (I'm not even kidding). Things I used were a 1st Gen iPod, iPod Mini, HP Jornada 525, Sony MiniDisc player/recorder (NetMD series), and a third-party MP3 CD Player (when they were new). The only difference between my "Minnesota Test" and thise "will it freeze" test, is applicability. How does the device PERFORM when cold (not when it's a super-condensed ice block), how easy is it to work when wearing gloves, how functional is it when stowed in an internal jacket pocket?

Oh, and those of you worried about senseless abuse (yeah, it's getting gratuedous now) the only devices that never had an exceptional life span under my care was my 1st gen iPod (stolen), the NetMD device (optical drive failed to read disks after it was dropped on the ice from my hand, four feet, tops), and the Audiophile MP3 CD player (it fell apart, due to poor production value). And all of them were treated casually (no beatings, rubbing snow in them, blending or katana-ing).

Not totally sure of just how on-topic my comments are, but I'm tired and cranky, and I want to say things.

[Lewis @ Apr 18th 2007 12:18PM]

No fair! We already did that with some liquid nitrogen and a generic Chinese MP3 player, an FM transmitter, and a USB hub.

The vids are on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LbRF20d6TE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aene_SW2kNo

[RickDom @ May 24th 2007 8:50AM]

A lot of devices are tested at extremely low temperatures. For instance, some components have to function all the way from -30°C(-86°F) all the way up to 80°C(176°F).