Android phones are frequently criticized for having short battery life, but a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) startup may have just come up with the ideal cure. SolidEnergy Systems, an upstart company from the MIT, is introducing a rechargeable lithium metal battery alternative, which offers double the energy capacity of standard batteries.
According to an MIT public statement, the "anode-free" lithium metal battery boasts several unique advantages, making it twice as energy-dense yet is still as safe and long-lasting as the lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones, electric cars, wearables, drones and other devices.
The reason why Android batteries drain fast
"With two times the energy density, we can make a battery half the size, but that still lasts the same amount of time, as a lithium ion battery. Or we can make a battery the same size as a lithium ion battery, but now it will last twice as long," SolidEnergy CEO and co-innovator of the battery Qichao Hu said in a statement.
The standard batteries being used these days give off very limited energy because of their size, the statement said.
For a unit to have prolonged power capacity, more lithium ions are required, which would also increase the size of the battery as well as the phone. This explains why bigger devices, such as tablets and phablets, typically last longer than average-sized Android phones. To compensate for the unwanted bulk, the company used an ultra-thin lithium metal foil for the anode, which is about one-fifth the thickness of a conventional lithium metal anode.
The Solution to the Problem
By coming up with a material that is several times thinner and lighter than traditional graphite, carbon or silicon anodes, the company managed to shrink the battery size by half, without sacrificing the power's longevity. Despite the innovation, SolidEnergy Systems admitted that the team was still working on a slight setback before it releases its prototypes to the public.
