These new longer-lasting smarter batteries will land next year
Xiaomi took to Weibo yesterday to announce a “breakthrough” in its battery technology. And unlike most of the hyperbolic news we usually hear about battery science, these gains sound realistic. The company even says production will start as soon as next year.
According to a machine translation of the Weibo post (via Google Lens), the new battery technology promises a 10% increase in capacity for the same given volume thanks to an increase in electrode silicon content and improved packaging technology which shrinks and bends the control circuits to sit flush with the top of the battery, rather than projecting out. In short, this fits more power in a smaller package.
See the difference? The controller (that black flap) is now flush with the top, saving a bit of space.
That means a phone with a battery that is, say, 4,000mAh might be able to squeeze 4,400mAh into the same physical space in the future. On top of that, some kind of “fuel gauge chip” (that’s a machine translation, it might have another name) provides enhanced battery safety and longevity, with built-in functionality to support intelligent overnight charging. Many recent smartphones can keep a battery from hitting 100% until just before they expect you’ll take it off the charger in the morning to reduce unnecessary wear on the battery overnight, but Xiaomi is bringing this tech directly to the battery controller itself. It also has other safety features, like built-in temperature management and other connected analytics.
Other battery technologies like graphene are finally starting to appear in consumer products, though they’re not all very good. Charging technology to top them up is also improving, though. A couple of months ago, Xiaomi rolled out its new 120W charging technology — that’s pretty fast, but not all Xiaomi phones supported it at that full speed. We also have The new USB Power Delivery standard coming that can deliver up to 240W over a USB-C cable.
Every couple of months, we hear big promises and scientific papers explaining how some new tech will offer ridiculous battery density and power. Rarely do these technologies actually pan out. Though battery technology has improved a lot over the years, it’s been a slow and steady series of improvements. Xiaomi’s 10% gains here aren’t huge, but they might actually end up in something you’ll buy. Xiaomi says manufacturing for its new batteries will begin in the second half of next year.
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