Although batteries are hardly likely to be the most stimulating component of your smartphone, they are undoubtedly the most important, as most of us will have suffered an ill-timed battery failure at some point.
However, there have been a few recent developments that could mean that it should soon be easier to charge our devices up, and take much less time too. This year has seen the advent of wireless charging for a range of smartphones including the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google’s Nexus 4. These work through the user placing their mobile device on a special charging mat which then powers the device as normal.
Although this new technology is eye-catching, many have disputed whether it is really is ‘wireless’ as the charging mat still has to be plugged into the wall socket. Furthermore, there are also concerns as to whether the speed of charging has been limited by the wireless technology.
But with the introduction of quantum dot materials, it’s been speculated that our smartphones could soon be charged within 30 seconds. The quantum dots have unique electrical properties that means that they are able to significantly speed up charging times when used as the core component of a smartphone battery.
However, the developers still have a few obstacles to overcome, as the quantum dots can only be charged a few times. But there’s room for further optimism with the developments in hydrogen-powered batteries that means that our phones could be charged for a week.
This would undoubtedly prove extremely handy as many of us use our mobiles for a wide range of purposes from navigational tasks to even playing Coral’s online casino that provides an easy and entertaining way to pass the time with your mobile, providing the power doesn’t run out.
The hydrogen-powered batteries seek to offer an extended life thanks to the way in which they create electricity through combining water and oxygen. And what’s best is that the only by-products of using the technology is the emission of a little water vapour.
However, there have also been interesting developments with the news that sodium-ion batteries could soon make our current lithium batteries redundant. The lithium batteries are manufactured from relatively rare raw materials, and as a result, many are hoping that these salt-powered batteries could provide a much cheaper way of keeping our devices charged.
And with the further news that we could soon be seeing foam batteries emerging out of our 3D printers, it seems that we’ll shortly be enjoying a greatly extended battery life.
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