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Nice, when can we use them for phones and laptops lasting 72% longer and without fire risk? Genuine question, because optimistic battery articles have been pop

Nice, when can we use them for phones and laptops lasting 72% longer and without fire risk? Genuine question, because optimistic battery articles have been popping up for decades, but here we are still with lithium ion in practice.

jeffalyanak 4y ago
News about news battery chemistry is interesting, but it's not meaningfully correlated with our ability to produce practical batteries at scale. If there are existing manufacturing processes that can be leveraged to build cells with this chemistry—and do so economically—then commercialization could happen very rapidly. Otherwise, it's likely to be filled away until future manufacturing technology comes along, which may be "too late" if even better or more economical options exist at that point.
tomxor 4y ago
If you read the article to the end it does actually offer reasonable perspective on this, pointing out that there are many other challenges left to solve before even getting to a prototype scale. TL;DR It's a promising step in the direction of solid state batteries.
jrockway 4y ago
> here we are still with lithium ion in practice Lithium ion batteries are actually amazing tech. I certainly remember the world without them; laptops had an hour of battery life, mobile phones were "car phones", everyone was running around paranoid about the "memory effect", and electric cars were an interesting curiosity always ten years away. Here we are today with pocket computers that last for days and electric cars buzzing around the city. In 30 years, some of this new tech we read about will be widely adopted, but in the meantime, it's not like things are that bad. I think that electric airplanes will be the thing that new battery technology unlocks.
- ezconnect 4y ago
  It's not all batteries, the electronics got less power hungry.
  - dougmwne 4y ago
    Drones are a good example of something that couldn’t exist with the old battery tech. Hobbyist RC aircraft always ran on small fuel engines. And the laws of physics around energy required to lift a craft are not changing anytime soon.
    - ezconnect 4y ago
      I agree Lithium batteries can't be beat on power density compared to other battery technology.
hgomersall 4y ago
I have a genuine question too. I've never been worried about phone battery life; I charge once a day and I almost never run out, nor do I consciously conserve battery. Is worrying about phone battery life a problem relevant to certain phones, or is it a problem with usage styles?
- RivieraKid 4y ago
  I have a Pixel 4a and it doesn't last a whole day if I use the phone a lot. So basically, if I wanted the freedom to have occasional heavy-usage days, I would have to buy a larger, heavier phone.
- ibejoeb 4y ago
  It certainly depends on network quality. Do you stay mainly in one area, or do you move around all day? I use my phone for communication only--practically no browsing or app usage, no games--and in some places I can get away with a full day, others I need a recharge.
panick21_ 4y ago
Lithium ion is not one thing. The 'Lithium ion' from 10 years ago is very different from it now. 'Lithium ion' is an umbrella term that contains lots of things. Just as 'solid state' is not really what anybody is talking about. What actually matters about 'solid state' is lithium metal anodes. There are also companies who are doing lithium metal anodes without being solid state. If 'solid state' ever make it into the market, they will just be the new 'Lithium ion'.

jeffalyanak 4y ago

News about news battery chemistry is interesting, but it's not meaningfully correlated with our ability to produce practical batteries at scale. If there are existing manufacturing processes that can be leveraged to build cells with this chemistry—and do so economically—then commercialization could happen very rapidly. Otherwise, it's likely to be filled away until future manufacturing technology comes along, which may be "too late" if even better or more economical options exist at that point.

tomxor 4y ago

If you read the article to the end it does actually offer reasonable perspective on this, pointing out that there are many other challenges left to solve before even getting to a prototype scale. TL;DR It's a promising step in the direction of solid state batteries.

jrockway 4y ago

> here we are still with lithium ion in practice Lithium ion batteries are actually amazing tech. I certainly remember the world without them; laptops had an hour of battery life, mobile phones were "car phones", everyone was running around paranoid about the "memory effect", and electric cars were an interesting curiosity always ten years away. Here we are today with pocket computers that last for days and electric cars buzzing around the city. In 30 years, some of this new tech we read about will be widely adopted, but in the meantime, it's not like things are that bad. I think that electric airplanes will be the thing that new battery technology unlocks.

ezconnect 4y ago
It's not all batteries, the electronics got less power hungry.
- dougmwne 4y ago
  Drones are a good example of something that couldn’t exist with the old battery tech. Hobbyist RC aircraft always ran on small fuel engines. And the laws of physics around energy required to lift a craft are not changing anytime soon.
  - ezconnect 4y ago
    I agree Lithium batteries can't be beat on power density compared to other battery technology.

hgomersall 4y ago

I have a genuine question too. I've never been worried about phone battery life; I charge once a day and I almost never run out, nor do I consciously conserve battery. Is worrying about phone battery life a problem relevant to certain phones, or is it a problem with usage styles?

RivieraKid 4y ago
I have a Pixel 4a and it doesn't last a whole day if I use the phone a lot. So basically, if I wanted the freedom to have occasional heavy-usage days, I would have to buy a larger, heavier phone.
ibejoeb 4y ago
It certainly depends on network quality. Do you stay mainly in one area, or do you move around all day? I use my phone for communication only--practically no browsing or app usage, no games--and in some places I can get away with a full day, others I need a recharge.

panick21_ 4y ago

Lithium ion is not one thing. The 'Lithium ion' from 10 years ago is very different from it now. 'Lithium ion' is an umbrella term that contains lots of things. Just as 'solid state' is not really what anybody is talking about. What actually matters about 'solid state' is lithium metal anodes. There are also companies who are doing lithium metal anodes without being solid state. If 'solid state' ever make it into the market, they will just be the new 'Lithium ion'.