Solution Providers: Huawei Fast-Charging Battery Technology Could Drive New Smartphone Competition
Huawei has unveiled new quick-charging lithium-ion batteries that the company says can achieve a charging speed 10 times faster than those of typical batteries -- charging devices up to 50 percent in only a few minutes.
Partners say the new battery charging capabilities, revealed during last week's Battery Symposium in Japan, will herald a new wave of competition in the smartphone space.
"[Battery life plays] a big role, especially for our enterprise customers who travel and need their battery to last a long time," said Steve Kantorowitz, president of CelPro Associates, a Samsung and BlackBerry partner based in New York. "If these quick-charging solutions pan out, that could be a big plus for our enterprise customers. While battery life is not the first topic of conversation, it's one of the things that affects the buying ideas for customers. … If a device has short battery life, enterprises won't want it."
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According to Huawei, the charging technology is made through bonding heteroatoms to the molecule of graphite in the battery's anode, which form a catalyst for the capture and transmission of lithium through carbon bonds. This means that heteroatoms increase the charging speed of batteries without decreasing energy density or battery life.
The Shenzhen, China-based company presented two types of quick-charging lithium-ion batteries: a battery with a 600 mAh capacity that can be charged to 68 percent in two minutes, and a battery with 3,000 mAh capacities and an energy density above 620 Wh/L that can be charged to 48 percent capacity in five minutes.
According to Huawei, these batteries went through several rounds of testing and were certified by the company's terminal test department.
Robby Hill, founder and CEO of HillSouth, a Florence, S.C.-based BlackBerry partner, said that turbo chargers, such as Motolora's Qualcomm turbo-charging smartphone capabilities, and fast-charging technology are becoming more commonplace "even on the accessory market."
"Rapid charging is something I believe has to be experienced before it becomes a feature consumers will demand," said Hill. "The sacrifice of a lightweight smartphone is one that every consumer is accustomed to now as devices have grown larger screens, but consumers still want for the most part a one-handed operation of their devices. What we need to be focusing on is, when will wireless charging become so ubiquitous and standard across all device manufacturers so phones can be charging wherever they sit during the consumer’s day?"
In March, Samsung revealed that its Galaxy S6 smartphones can attain four hours of usage after just 10 minutes of charging. Meanwhile, Qualcomm's turbo-charging technology, Quick Charge, allows 3300 mAh batteries to charge up to 60 percent in just 30 minutes.
Huawei did not specify any future plans for its new fast-charging technology, such as when it will hit the market and whether it will appear in smartphones, tablets or wearable devices.
PUBLISHED NOV. 16, 2015