Battery technology seems stuck in the dark ages. Nicole Kobie examines its limitations and reveals the research that could cause a power revolution.
Smartphone screens are getting bigger and sharper, processors are ever-more powerful, but battery life continues to be the bane of our ongoing mobile existence.
No wonder, then, that a recent pair of surveys showed battery life as one of the key considerations when buying a smartphone. Global Market Institute found that 89% rated a phone’s battery life as “important” – far more so than the 68% who chose by the brand of the handset – and said extending time between charges was so crucial to users that some turned off key features or turned down screen brightness in order to extend battery life. A separate study by uSwitch revealed that 89% of Britons would be more likely to buy a smartphone purely based on longer battery life, rather than more flashy features such as voice controls, flexible displays or even 3D graphics.