[bostonnerd]

Originally Posted by yeria

..so the low temperature won't make any difference. I mean, blackberries are not like ice packs....it's not like their internal parts start to morph into something else in low temperature. It'll only help silicon chips to break sooner.

I was bringing circuit boards back to life with a blast from a Freon can decades ago. Low temperatures can indeed kick start certain failing components by changing various electrical properties. So, yes, at a high level, they do indeed "morph" into something else.

Low temperatures will not break "silicon chips" and can actually result in much faster electrical transmission. There are many supercooled processors in existence.

It is very possible that the OP did indeed bring his BB back to life for a short period. Possible condensation issues are another story but that wasn't his immediate concern.

Low Temperature Physics is a well researched field that has many current applications in electrical systems.

[the-economist]

The only reason the humidity strips are there is to ensure that the warranty provision does not get abused by hordes of people asking for replacements.

[ndub33]

Originally Posted by TJHAWLEY

The fact is, putting it in the freezer overnight did allow me to make a good backup of, recover a few critical files from, and then to wipe, a BlackBerry that was totally dead at room temperature.

I'm a little surprised that all the focus here seems to be on scrupulous compliance with the hypertechnical "moisture" provision of AT&T's warranty, which after all is just a device to extract a little extra revenue and promote the sale of "insurance".

It's an industry standard, and the conditions are set by the device manufacturers. If you left your Ford in a snowbank all winter, you would void it's warranty as well.