A decade since the smartphone revolution kicked into gear, battery life is still the bane of the industry. But Huawei's latest breakthrough may have moved the goalposts slightly – and it's all down to graphene.
The buzz-building super-material, made of pure carbon in sheets a single atom thick, has been used by The Watt Laboratory (under Huawei's Central Research Institute) to allow lithium ion batteries to run at hotter temperatures at 60°C - roughly 10°C hotter than standard batteries.
Not only does this prolong the lifespan of the power pack, it also gives it the potential to hold charge for twice as long.
Graphene greatness
According to Huawei, the battery technique allows:
"[...] a special additive in the electrolytes [to] remove trace water and prevent the electrolytes from evaporating in high temperatures. Second, modified large-crystal NMC materials are used for the cathode, improving the thermal stability of the cathode powder. Third, graphene allows for more efficient cooling of the Li-ion battery.”
If it's viable to make the batteries at scale, it'll be a great boon for Huawei's increasingly-impressive phone lineup. While the company hasn't announced any consumer devices that will be employing the new battery system, it'll be interesting to see if next year's giant mobile phone show, MWC, offers a glimpse of the breakthrough in action.
While you're waiting for the tech to go mainstream, check out our gruelling test to see which of 2016's top phones offers the best battery life right now:
