For a long time, just about every smartphone used the same type of battery – a lithium-ion one, and while these do the job just fine, they have meant that most phones need charging daily, with battery life being something companies have struggled to improve much, even as other elements of phones get vastly better.
That’s starting to change now – silicon-carbon batteries are now being used in a growing number of handsets, such as in the OnePlus 15 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. This tech is heralding batteries with a capacity in the range of around 7,000-9,000mAh in a standard-size smartphone, while more conventional lithium-ion batteries rarely go above about 5,500mAh without manufacturers having to resort to a chunky device.
But while silicon-carbon batteries allow for the biggest battery jump we’ve seen in the history of smartphones, there are other battery technologies in the works that could deliver even more impressive life, or other advantages. So below, in no particular order, we’ve detailed five battery technologies that might one day power your phone.
1. Solid-state batteries
Of the many battery technologies currently being developed and explored, solid-state batteries look to be among the closest to finding their home in smartphones, as already we’re seeing companies reveal other types of products with them.
We’ve recently, for example, seen the announcement of the Kuxia S3 – a power bank with a semi-solid-state battery – and electric vehicle manufacturers are also experimenting with solid-state batteries.
But their use in power banks is most relevant here, as these are small-size devices much like a smartphone. This would suggest that solid-state batteries could also work well in phones.
Solid-state batteries use a solid or gel electrolyte, rather than the liquid electrolytes used by lithium-ion batteries, and this change allows for greater energy density, so you can have a higher capacity battery without increasing the footprint.
These batteries also degrade slower, with the Kuxia S3 for example promising to keep over 80% of its capacity until at least 1,000 charges, where most lithium-ion batteries will fall below that level after around 300-500 charging cycles.
2. Nuclear batteries
Nuclear batteries aren’t something that we’re likely to see powering smartphones any time soon, but one day they might, and these have the potential to keep your phone running for 50 years without needing a charge.
This would mean there would be no need for chargers or power banks, and as the battery wouldn’t be getting charged, it also wouldn’t see its capacity degrade through repeated charges.
This might sound like the stuff of science fiction but in fact nuclear batteries already exist. However, they’re typically used for things like spacecraft and automated scientific stations, as current designs are large, heavy, expensive, and generate lots of heat.
But some companies are working on solving those issues, with for example Betavolt Technology claiming to have successfully miniaturized these batteries, with plans to one day use them for phones.
3. A proprietary battery from Apple
While most of the technologies in this list could potentially be used by any or all phones one day, we might also see companies develop proprietary technologies to help their own handsets stand out.
Apple is one example of this, as back in 2023, industry sources claimed Apple was working on exactly this. While these sources were light on specifics of how these batteries might work, they did say that carbon nanotubes could be used as a conductive material, to improve performance.
That said, this report suggested these batteries would appear in devices in 2025, which obviously hasn’t happened. So perhaps the sources were wrong, or Apple hit a snag. As such, it’s unclear if or when we might see these.
4. Structural batteries
Structural batteries are a kind of battery where the battery could double as a phone’s frame or case, allowing handset makers to make better use of the available space, while reducing the weight of phones, and potentially making them far thinner, as they won’t need a separate battery component.
So far, researchers are primarily looking at using structural batteries in vehicles such as electric cars, but they could one day lead to mobile phones that are as thin as credit cards; though that might require the slimming down of some other components too.
5. Graphene batteries
Graphene batteries use a combination of graphene and solid-state materials, and they promise faster charging, increased capacities, and – like the solid-state batteries detailed above – slower degradation, so they can withstand more charging cycles.
These batteries already exist, but right now they’re prohibitively expensive for most use cases. However, research from Focus – via Energy Monitor – suggests that by the mid 2030’s, prices could fall enough that these batteries might start seeing widespread use in EVs.
There’s no mention of smartphones, but it sounds like their advantages could make them a good fit for phones if and when they become affordable.
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