A method for managing one or more thermal policies of a portable computing device, comprising: determining if the portable computing device has achieved a first predetermined thermal state based on detected temperature of the portable computing device falling in a first temperature range; if the portable computing device has achieved the first predetermined thermal state, then initiating one or more first thermal mitigation techniques in order to reduce temperature of the portable computing device; determining if the portable computing device has achieved a second predetermined thermal state based on detected temperature of the portable computing device falling in a second temperature range, wherein the second temperature range and the first temperature range are disjoint and the maximum temperature of the first temperature range is less than the minimum temperature of the second temperature range; and if the portable computing device has achieved the second predetermined thermal state, then increasing a frequency in which temperature readings for the portable computing device are detected and initiating one or more second thermal mitigation techniques, in order to reduce temperature of the portable computing device, wherein the one or more second thermal mitigation techniques are more aggressive than the one or more first thermal mitigation techniques; the method further comprising: detecting a change in temperature of the portable computing device by a thermal sensor (157A1, 157A2, 157A3, 157A4, 157A5, 157B1, 157B2); and entering into the second predetermined thermal state, thus increasing the frequency in which temperature readings are detected and initiating the one or more second thermal mitigation techniques, based upon a magnitude of the change in temperature over a certain amount of time exceeding a threshold, even though the detected temperature of the portable computing device does not fall within the second temperature range. determining if the portable computing device has achieved a first predetermined thermal state based on detected temperature of the portable computing device falling in a first temperature range; if the portable computing device has achieved the first predetermined thermal state, then initiating one or more first thermal mitigation techniques in order to reduce temperature of the portable computing device; determining if the portable computing device has achieved a second predetermined thermal state based on detected temperature of the portable computing device falling in a second temperature range, wherein the second temperature range and the first temperature range are disjoint and the maximum temperature of the first temperature range is less than the minimum temperature of the second temperature range; and if the portable computing device has achieved the second predetermined thermal state, then increasing a frequency in which temperature readings for the portable computing device are detected and initiating one or more second thermal mitigation techniques, in order to reduce temperature of the portable computing device, wherein the one or more second thermal mitigation techniques are more aggressive than the one or more first thermal mitigation techniques; the method further comprising: detecting a change in temperature of the portable computing device by a thermal sensor (157A1, 157A2, 157A3, 157A4, 157A5, 157B1, 157B2); and entering into the second predetermined thermal state, thus increasing the frequency in which temperature readings are detected and initiating the one or more second thermal mitigation techniques, based upon a magnitude of the change in temperature over a certain amount of time exceeding a threshold, even though the detected temperature of the portable computing device does not fall within the second temperature range. detecting a change in temperature of the portable computing device by a thermal sensor (157A1, 157A2, 157A3, 157A4, 157A5, 157B1, 157B2); and entering into the second predetermined thermal state, thus increasing the frequency in which temperature readings are detected and initiating the one or more second thermal mitigation techniques, based upon a magnitude of the change in temperature over a certain amount of time exceeding a threshold, even though the detected temperature of the portable computing device does not fall within the second temperature range.