Gone are the days when phones were so power-efficient that you only needed to charge once a week. Mobile technology has moved far beyond the need to text and call, and with all the innovations that have come, power requirements have become far more demanding. Nowadays, you always need a battery pack or charger on hand to make sure you manage to stay connected.
These days, the majority of smartphones use some kind of lithium-ion cells for power. Everything, from tablets and laptops to portable battery packs, is powered by these cells. However, it is quite likely that the evolving and increasing power demands, coupled with more complex user habits, are likely to leave lithium-ion cells in the dust. Luckily, the revolutionary material, graphene, might just be the key to future power needs.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a carbon-based material that follows a honeycomb structure on the atomic level. It organizes itself into layers upon layers of hexagons the thickness of a single atom. This unique atomic structure gives it plenty of incredible properties that make it useful for so many things.
This type of structure was speculated as early as 1947, but scientists proved it was in 2004. For that feat, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Graphene, as a material, is incredibly strong, lightweight, and capable of storing electrical energy efficiently, making it the perfect material for batteries.
What are its advantages over lithium-ion cells?
One of the biggest problems with lithium-ion batteries is how quickly they degrade. Depending on the power capacity, they can also be quite large, as seen in the many large battery packs some people have to carry. While modern technology can allow quick charging both ways, it can take a toll on battery health and longevity.
Graphene defeats lithium-ion cells on all these fronts. It is lighter, more-quickly charged, sturdier, and can hold greater power capacities. That means you could make batteries smaller or make them hold more power to require less frequent charging. They also produce significantly less heat, posing less of a threat to the rest of your phone’s components.
When will graphene be on the market?
Graphene has already been introduced in two phone models: the Huawei Mate 20 X and Mate 30 Pro. While it is only used as a cooling system, it can still provide promising leads for future uses.
On the other hand, the first fully graphene-powered smartphone is rumored to arrive in 2020 or 2021 as a key component in Samsung’s Galaxy line. After all, they’ve already incorporated it in their lithium-ion batteries to improve capacity. Fully graphene-powered smartphones are the inevitable next step.
Companies such as Elecjet have also produced battery packs that contain graphene composite, enabling a full recharge in as little as 18 minutes.
In conclusion
We are already on the cusp of widespread adoption of graphene. Pretty soon, every device you own might just have a graphene battery. Just a little more patience, and you could have that power-efficient phone of your dreams.
In the meantime, you might need a good battery pack to stay powered. Send us a message at Chargeasap, as we have a great selection of products to keep you powered and on the go.
