The majority of smart phone users are now accustomed to charging their phones every night before going to bed, otherwise the use of the next day will definitely be affected. Since lithium-ion batteries cannot keep up with the growth of smartphones in screen size and performance, few flagship phones can sustain frequent use for more than a day. Why has battery technology become a shortcoming of smartphones? How much room for improvement can it have in the future?

　　The majority of smartphone users are now accustomed to charging their phones every night before going to bed, otherwise the use of the next day will definitely be affected. Since lithium-ion batteries cannot keep up with the growth of smartphones in screen size and performance, few flagship phones can sustain frequent use for more than a day. Why has battery technology become a shortcoming of smartphones? How much room for improvement can it have in the future?

　　In the current rechargeable batteries of smart phones, lithium is present in the electrolyte rather than the anode, which limits the energy efficiency and life of the battery. If lithium anodes can be developed, our batteries can become lighter, smaller, more durable, and charge faster.

　　The anodes of lithium-ion batteries are currently made of graphite. Scientists believe that the capabilities of this material have now reached the limit. Both silicon and lithium metal are potential substitutes for graphite, and some R&D teams are observing the possibility of using sulfur as an anode.

　　However, the replacement of anode material is not as simple as it seems. Some materials are potentially dangerous, while others can only last for hundreds of charging cycles. The fact is that the lithium-ion batteries we use today are actually the highest level of modern science.

　　In addition to mobile phones, this problem is also dragging down the development of electric ships, cars, and airplanes. Because even if the volume increases, lithium-ion batteries are not very efficient.

　　As for the next step in the development of battery technology, this question is still difficult to answer. Scientists in cutting-edge fields are trying to keep learning, which is why many super battery technologies come and go every year.

　　In short, battery technology is a very complex subject. Even if it brings together the brightest minds in the world, its development is still very slow, and we will not see groundbreaking battery projects appearing out of thin air.

　　Many of the reports and literatures about battery technology breakthroughs that we have seen contain some kind of chemical adjustment, the purpose is to obtain more electricity from the same battery in a longer period of time. Such small-scale innovations will not attract much attention, but their importance is much higher than that of flexible mobile phones or smart watches.

　　Amprius is a company that is studying this issue. Due to the addition of silicon to the anode, the battery they developed can store up to 50% more energy than current batteries.

　　At the same time, researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) are using innovative nano-scale materials to increase the battery's life and size, and shorten its charging time. UCR introduced a very interesting project last year: using sand to extend battery life by 2-3 times. However, this technology is still in its infancy, and there is still a lot of research to be done.

　　Sakti3 is also a well-known technology company in the field of battery research. They have recently gained a reputation for getting investment from James Dyson, but the details of their technology are still unclear to the outside world. It is reported that Sakti3's technology will replace certain liquid chemicals inside the battery with solid ones, thereby achieving a significant increase in energy efficiency.

　　Looking for balance

　　Even if scientists have made progress in a certain area of battery design, this may be restricted or denied by other aspects of the technology, which is why the development of battery technology is so slow. Before the battery technology itself obtains any substantial development, we can only extend the battery life by improving the energy saving of software and hardware.

　　But Microsoft has another way of thinking. Their research team split the smartphone battery into two, and made one of them responsible for the sudden increase in power consumption, and the other for normal use. According to early tests, this method can increase battery life by 20-50%.