A research team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, headed up by professor William P. King, has developed a new lithium-ion battery technology that they call “a new enabling technology” that “breaks the normal paradigms of energy sources”.

Batteries are one of the largest individual pieces on your phone but this new technology will shrink batteries down to the size of buttons, potentially shrinking your phone by up to thirty percent. You may think this will make your phone’s battery much weaker but it’s quite the contrary. The new lithium-ion battery is able to hold more power for a longer amount of time and recharges in mere minutes.

The biggest issue with modern batteries is that you have to choose between longevity and power. Fuel cells can store loads and loads of energy but have a very limited power output. Conversely, super capacitors can release tons of power but only for a brief moment. These are the inevitable trade-offs that companies have to consider when deciding which batteries to put in their devices.

This new lithium-ion battery technology, however, allows us to have the best of both worlds. Its vast capacity, longevity, and small size put it far above its current competitors. It’s essentially a super battery. Imagine a smartphone that stays powered for days, recharges in minutes, and is much smaller and lighter than current smartphones. Perhaps that extra space could be used to add even better hardware.

The new battery isn’t just limited to consumer electronics, though. First, the University of Illinois has to prove that they can make larger versions of the battery, and that the production of such batteries is affordable. If they can do this then we may very well see the new batteries being used in medical devices, lasers, vehicles, what have you.

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Via: Extreme Tech