Smartphones have definitely changed the way most of us live our lives. There’s probably one in your pocket right now. You may even be reading this on your iPhone or Galaxy.
But while smartphones offer unprecedented access to information, shopping, entertainment and more, there’s still one thing that’s very, very stupid about smartphones: Their batteries.
Frustration of ‘Low Battery’
One of the most frustrating popups on any device is the one that says “Low Battery, 20% battery remaining”. It comes when you least expect it and, for many people, leads to a mad scramble for an outlet they can use to recharge — if they remembered to bring a charger with them, that is.
According to a recent survey, nearly half of all smartphone users say they need to recharge their devices at least once per day. Another 10% said they have to plug in their smartphones multiple times per day.
7 Days without Charging
It’s one of the most frustrating things about owning a smartphone. But now a company in the UK is developing a new type of fuel cell that can power a smartphone for seven days or longer without recharging.
Loughborough-based Intelligent Energy is working with the new smartphone maker OEM to develop the new technology. The device would fit on an existing smartphone to provide a continual supply of power to its battery without having to recharge, according to Julian Hughes, acting managing director of the company’s consumer electronics division.
“We believe embedding fuel cell technology into portable devices provides a solution to the current dilemma of battery life and with consumers demanding more and more from their phones, battery innovation has not kept up,” Hughes said in a news release announcing the partnership. “What we offer is a solution that is clean and efficient and means consumers could be truly mobile and free from the constraints of the grid.”
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
Fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity, leaving only water vapor as a byproduct. The clean technology currently is being used to run commercial generators at such companies as Ikea and Morgan Stanley.
Smartphones with fuel cells that allow them to be used for a week or longer between charges could be available within the next two years, according to Intelligent Energy.
While the technology would allow Millennials and others to use their smartphones longer without having to seek out outlets to plug into as frequently, it also could help facilitate the use of smartphones and other devices in remote areas like the Amazon jungle basin or central Africa, where power grids aren’t as readily accessible.
Working with Apple?
Intelligent Energy has already modified an iPhone 6 with the new technology. And there are rumors that the company is working secretly with Apple to enable the iPhone 8 — reportedly slated for release in 2018 — to include the ability to last longer than a week without recharging.
That won’t come too soon for many smartphone users, 10% of whom reported in the survey that they have hijacked a co-worker’s or relatives charger without asking out of desperation for a charge. Another 13% said they used wall outlets in airports or train stations because there weren’t any other options.