Monday, October 13, 2014

Batteries and Charging Technology

Battery technology has not changed drastically in many years, but charging technology has improved a lot compared to a few years ago. One of the ways many mobile devices use much of their battery power comes mostly from the high-resolution screens, but this usage can be reduced slightly by turning the screen brightness down. The main battery killer is having multiple apps running at one time. As more and more apps run at the same time, the quicker the battery life is used up. Altogether batteries are still not as good as they could be and need to improve as mobile devices and apps advance, continuing to suck up more battery life. 

One of the companies that make portable chargers for many mobile devices is Mophie. Their smartphone case with a built in battery is a great product they produce for various cell phone models, especially when your phone is dying. On the bottom of the cell phone case there is a switch that either charges or turns the battery pack off. The battery pack has lights to show the battery’s power level. Mophie cases are compatible with iPhone, Galaxy, and HTC. Since these cases have a built-in battery pack, most people expect them to be big and heavy, but engineers designed the Mophie it to be light weight and thin. The technology to have a charger with your phone at all times is amazing in how straightforward and small engineers have made batteries in this day and age.

Mophie makes powerstations as well as charging cases. Powerstations are made to be durable and have an extreme amount of power available for multiple mobile devices recharging anywhere. The powerstation device can charge any electronic device that is USB powered. The simplicity of recharging any device quickly, even on the go, shows that scientists have made strides to improve battery functions while keeping things simple and easy to use. If you were looking for a large amount of power to use with various devices, then the Powerstation would probably be best suited for those needs.

Batteries in mobile devices have not drastically changed in over 15 years. Recently most battery companies have switched to lithium ion polymer batteries, which are power cells that the anode and cathode are bundled with a solid, gel-like electrolyte. (The substance that makes the battery conduct electricity.) The efficiency of battery life has not kept up with the rising energy demands for smartphones and other mobile devices.

If you think that because you’re getting a new smartphone and the battery will be much better, then you may be in for a rude surprise. The reason why batteries have not improved by much on new technology devices is because the battery industry has not pushed to advance their current battery technology. On the other hand, phone companies have soared in their technology without necessarily realizing battery companies cannot keep up. Therefore, it is really both of their faults for not paying attention to one another’s businesses. Over 100’s of years we still have not had a big increase in battery life technology. The power technology being built into mobile devices today are growing at twice the rate as battery capacity advances.



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