had Note 5 in front of car air vent, when I got out of the car, the Note 5 had condensation inside,

[badkitties]

I'm driving a rental car because I'm down here in Orlando.(yes, the obligatory annual Disney pilgrimage)

I normally just leave my phone in the cupholder or something, but I got a free air vent mount thingy from Verizon last month, so I brought it with me. On my own car, I have a dedicated mount on the dash, just right of the factory navigation screen.

Anyway, I left my Note 5 in the air vent mount yesterday during a 2-hour drive to the coast. When I got out, I took my Note 5. A couple of minutes later, I noticed the front was all fogged up. I wiped it with my shirt, but it wouldnt' go away. That's when I noticed the condensation appeared to be inside, under the screen glass. The back side of the phone also had a lot of condensation, but that appeared to be just the outside. There was also condensation on the inside of the rear camera lens that couldn't be wiped off. I pulled the S-Pen out and it was also covered in condensation.

All the condensation went away after about 30 minutes and the phone appeared to function just fine as of now.

I suppose it was because the weather was warm and humid. Is this normal? Should I be worried? Like I said, I've never had any of my phones mounted on the air vent before. But so many people do it, so it's not an issue... or is it?

 

[SpookDroid]

It's normal for SOME condensation to form, especially on the outside... but I don't think it should happen if the phone is properly sealed. I mean, it's not water resistant, but that seems a bit extreme.

Have you dropped the phone before by any chance? Case or caseless?

 

[badkitties]

It's normal for SOME condensation to form, especially on the outside... but I don't think it should happen if the phone is properly sealed. I mean, it's not water resistant, but that seems a bit extreme.

Have you dropped the phone before by any chance? Case or caseless?

no.. phone is only a couple of weeks old and never dropped. let's put it this way... if I was holding a baby and a Note 5, then someone bumps into me, I would let the baby drop before I let the Note 5 drop.(yes, I know how horrible that sounds, but I take care of my phones. )

just to be scientific about it, I tested the temperature of the air coming out of the air vent and it was 41 degrees(AC set at 72 degrees and fan at 50% speed). the outside temperature was probably 84 or 85 degrees and very humid.

the phone did have condensation on the outside as well.. actually more like beads of water. but it as only the condensation inside that cause me to worry.

 

[SpookDroid]

Well, babies do heal on their own... usually...
(Maybe that's why I don't have kids haha)

If the humidity outside was too much and at that temperature, especially when compared to where you usually use the phone, then it's probably normal that there will be some condensation as you cooled down the phone so much as long as the fog goes away entirely and doesn't come back when you get home. If it does when you're not in Orlando, then I'd go get an exchange unit. Just hope they don't take the humidity as water damage. I don't think that would be enough to 'trip' the water damage indicator, but you never know.

 

[badkitties]

Well, babies do heal on their own... usually...
(Maybe that's why I don't have kids haha)

Baby has insurance. (only health insurance, no drop/water/theft insurance)

Note 5 doesn't have insurance. (only because I have two extra Note 5 bought at no-contract price of $269 each as insurance)

JUST KIDDING!!!

 

[badkitties]

I don't think that would be enough to 'trip' the water damage indicator, but you never know.

unlike my previous Note 2/3/4, there's no way for me to look at that water damage indicator sticker near the battery. based on the amount of condensation that I saw, I'm pretty sure that sticker inside has already changed color.

with the Note 2/3/4, all I had to do was to buy the OEM Samsung water damage sticker from eBay, 4-pack for $1.. and... well... let's just leave it at that.

 

[SpookDroid]

:-!

 

[rmzalbar]

I know this is a few weeks old, but for the sake of others:

If it was 84+ out and very humid, and your phone had been sitting in air conditioning so long, it is absolutely expected that there will be condensation inside the phone, and it doesn't matter if the phone is waterproofed or not.

You are starting with an atmosphere which, if it "feels very humid" to you, is nearly at the saturation point for carrying moisture in a vapor at that warm temperature. The phone, riding in your 41-degree AC stream, was thoroughly chilled by more than 40 degrees relative. In the car, the phone had been riding in a air-conditioned, and therefore dry, environment, which mostly protected it from condensation even though the phone was cold. Step outside, and as the warm humid air flows through the phone (and it does, through every speaker, microphone, sim card, headphone, usb port, etc.) carrying its load of water as a molecular vapor, it gets chilled by the still-very-cold internal surfaces of your phone to well below the point it can carry that amount of water. (warmer air can hold more moisture.) The water must fall out, and boom - you have condensation, like the outside of a frosty glass of beer on a summer's day.

As an astronomer, I always have to be careful about bringing optics from a cold outdoors into a warm house to avoid condensation which can spot the glass on the inside. I generally take them into the garage for a while first to warm up a bit.

Most likely, condensation occurred mainly on surfaces with more thermal conductivity and mass - glass, metal. Less so on plastic and, hopefully, the paper moisture stickers.

Even a waterproof phone (which the Note5 is not) will have condensation on the inside. It sounds strange, but waterproof phones are not airtight. They have permeable membranes to allow airflow as well as tiny gaps, and although liquid water can't penetrate them at shallow depths due to the surface tension of water, water vapor in air is not impeded.

TL;DR:
Be conscious of temperature differences when you use vent mounts. Turn the vents off behind the phone. Cold phone = internal condensation if you step outside with it like that. Hot phone = possible thermal protection shutdown.

 

[badkitties]

As an astronomer, I always have to be careful about bringing optics from a cold outdoors into a warm house to avoid condensation which can spot the glass on the inside. I generally take them into the garage for a while first to warm up a bit.

I learned the hard way when I was able to afford a pair of Leica 10x50 binoculars 20 years ago. I think I paid close to $2000 for them. (1994 Dollars) Yes, I knew they were ridiculously expensive. My previous pair was a pair of al-cheapo Tasco 7x50 from Price Club (now Costco) that I had used for 10 years. The Leicas weer always on my Christmas wishlist but I have never been a good boy, so Santa never showed up. I decided to treat myself instead.

The Leicas were supposed to be air tight, but they didn't stand up to the Florida heat and humidity. Didn't help that I was always taking them in and out of the house with AC on full blast most of the time during the summer. I also didn't know hot to take care of expensive optics at that time. Yes, young and dumb and stupid. After about 6 years, I started to notice condensation on the right... then it got worse and turned into abut a full drop of water. I contacted Leica. They replaced it with a new pair within a week. I don't know any other company with a better warranty. I I still have that pair today and they are still serving me well.

 

[khal2244532]

Re: ote 5 in front of car air vent, when I got out of the car, the Note 5 had condensation insi

It's normal for SOME condensation to form, especially on the outside... but I don't think it should happen if the phone is properly sealed. I mean, it's not water resistant, but that seems a bit extreme.

Have you dropped the phone before by any chance? Case or caseless?

Hey, well i know this is a bit too late but i left my note 5 in the car and degrees here often reach 100 degrees and i left it overnight, and until afternoon. so, is there any chance for it to blow up or anything? i dont know a lot about phones but please i need and answer!:-

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! As long as the phone doesn't feel swollen, I don't think you have to worry about it blowing up. But leaving the phone in a hot environment can affect the battery, possibly shortening its lifespan.