The optimal operating case temperature (Tc) of nRF9160 ranges from –30°C to 65°C, achieving the best RF performance including output power transmission and receiver sensitivity.
nRF9160 remains 3GPP compliant in case temperatures that range from –40°C to 85°C. Case temperature is typically the main cause for degradation in RF performance and current consumption, but other factors, such as supply voltage and signaling parameters, may contribute to it as well.
Case temperature is affected by the ambient temperature combined with nRF9160's internal thermal dissipation originating from the LTE modem and application processor's activity.