Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to a hybrid design whereby a heat spreader arranged to reduce an external skin temperature on a handheld device may further enable the external skin temperature to be directly measured. For example, the heat spreader may be thermally coupled to at least one external surface and include at least one region in which a plurality of recesses are formed such that an electrical resistance is produced in the at least one region when a current is applied thereto. The heat spreader may be formed from a material having a substantially linear resistance-to-temperature correlation, whereby the electrical resistance produced in the at least one region may be measured and correlated to a temperature on the at least one external surface.

Abstract: An electronic device includes an integrated circuit, a flexible heat spreader, an actuator, and a controller. The actuator is coupled to the flexible heat spreader and the controller is configured to control the actuator between a first actuation mode and a second actuation mode. When in the first actuation mode, the actuator positions the flexible heat spreader with an air gap between the flexible heat spreader and the integrated circuit such that the flexible heat spreader is thermally separated from the integrated circuit to increase a thermal impedance between the flexible heat spreader and the integrated circuit. When in the second actuation mode, the actuator positions the flexible heat spreader in thermal contact with the integrated circuit without the air gap there between to reduce the thermal impedance between the flexible heat spreader and the integrated circuit.