How cold can the iPhone 4S operate?

[havpilot]

On iPhone Live! 178 the panel wondered how cold can the iPhone 4S operate. Here are the Specs from Apple: Environmental Requirements
Operating temperature: 32? to 95? F (0? to 35? C)
Nonoperating temperature: −4? to 113? F (−20? to 45? C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

So according to Apple the iPhone 4S will not operate below -4? F or -20? C.

Let us know if you've experienced a cold message on your iPhone 4S.

 

[takeshi]

The battery will probably suffer first. Cold is bad for batteries in general.

So according to Apple the iPhone 4S will not operate below -4? F or -20? C.

No. What they're saying is that if the iPhone is off it can handle a wider range of temperatures. Note the nonoperating range −4? to 113? F (−20? to 45? C). It's typical for electronics to handle a wider temperature range when they're not in operation.