In the recent past, various learning institutions have done extensive research on how they can improve the time a battery can hold a charge. They have invested quite a bit of resources to reveal better battery charging and manufacturing technology. Some of the recent developments in this industry include the following:
Ultra-fast chargers; In most cases, a large number of smartphone batteries can retain the charger for a period of 5 hours while used on a 2G network and up to 6 hours while the device is used on a 3G network. On the other hand, the waiting time can range from 470 hours to 545 hours. This may be too short a time for a heavy user, and so getting some of the more efficient charging methods might be a viable option.
Manufacturers are working on ultra-fast chargers that have been called “smart” and “spontaneous” charging mechanisms. With this technology, a smartphone battery can be charged from 0% charge to full capacity in less than an hour.
Several people were surprised when an Israeli startup StoreDot unveiled a device that charged the Samsung S4 smartphone from 0% charged to full capacity in 26 seconds. At the moment, this technology is only available in prototype and could be fully incorporated into the smartphone manufacturing industry in 2017. Of course, this will automatically make waiting time irrelevant. This charging mechanism will also reduce the environmental impacts of the battery by extending its life.
Massive battery pack; There are quite a few battery packs that have been developed in the recent past. A good example is the 5,000 mAh battery pack that has the ability to charge an iPhone battery roughly twice. Another common example is the 290 watt-hour battery pack. This battery can charge an iPhone about 50 times before it runs out. You can also recharge the MacBook Air about five times. There is a high probability that even more sophisticated and efficient products will be developed in the future.
Supercapacitors; this is another technology that is likely to transform this industry. Supercapacitors fit between rechargeable cells and normal battery. These devices can charge quickly, are rugged, and can experience tens of thousands of charge cycles before giving up.
A very common example is the use of supercapacitor batteries in Blueshift Bamboo speakers. They can charge in a few minutes and play music for about 6 hours before running out of charge. When these batteries are fully developed, it will take about 30 seconds to charge a smartphone battery.
Optimized software; There are a number of software that have been developed in the recent past to speed up the loading process. A good example is Quick Charge 2.0 technology. Although this particular software does not extend the battery life of a device, it does speed up the charging speed. In other words, a device that could take about 270 minutes to charge to full capacity using conventional chargers will take about 96 minutes to charge to full capacity. However, both the charger and the device must have fast charging technology.
Screens with solar panels; In this technology, the touch screens of various smartphones are equipped with a thin layer of solar charge cells. These cells have the ability to add approximately 15% to the battery when exposed to light.
Wireless charging; This is another technology that is being explored by various smartphone manufacturers. A good example is the dipole coil resonant system that has been developed by researchers in South Korea, which has the capacity to charge about 40 smartphones that have been placed 5 meters away.
Developing a cost-effective, convenient and reliable mobile phone or smartphone charging system is very essential.
