Tired of your smartphone battery dying? The solution could be on its way

THE dreaded black screen could be a thing of the past thanks to designers who’ve cracked the code to doubling smartphone battery life.

Smartphones that last longer are on their way, thanks to researchers at MIT.

THE secret to doubling your smartphone’s battery life has been discovered by researchers connected to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

A group of former students working under the banner of SolidEnergy Systems plan to commercialise a new battery they say will help users avoid the dreaded black screen for longer.

The secret, they say, is a rechargeable lithium metal battery that could soon replace traditional lithium ion batteries used in most smartphones.

MIT alumnus Qichao Hu explained the breakthrough to the university’s news site, MIT News.

“With two-times the energy density, we can make a battery half the size, but that still lasts the same amount of time, as a lithium ion battery,” he said.

“Or we can make a battery the same size as a lithium ion battery, but now it will last twice as long ... It’s kind of the holy grail of batteries.”

Generic photo of an iPhone / smart phone. Picture: iStock

Lithium metal has been trialled before but comes with its problems, including safety. Researchers have previously found dendrites, or small metal bumps, began to appear, leading to short circuits and overheating.

Developers used an “ultrathin lithium metal foil ... about one-fifth the thickness of a traditional lithium metal”, according to MIT News.

They then coated the foil with a thin solid electrolyte that prevented overheating.

The new batteries are in the development phase thanks in part to a $100,000 Entrepreneurship Competition’s Accelerator Contest awarded to its creators and $12 million in investments.

So, when can you get your hands on one? The company says the SolidEnergy battery could be available to smartphone manufacturers as early as 2017 and, from there, to manufacturers of electric cars.

Watch this space.