Mobile phone batteries have improved notably in the last couple of years, however it still doesn’t mean that many can contend with a day of heavy usage without giving up the ghost.
Leaps and bounds in terms of processors, screen and connectivity as regards battery efficiency now mean that our devices last longer than ever before. However, there are times when even the most powerful battery needs a mid-evening boost to last the remainder of the day.
Fortunately, there are plenty of boffins out there working on ingenious solutions to the battery issues we face every day. In turn, we’ve seen some pretty amazing devices come to the fore in the last year or so and we’re going to look at some of the awesome, crazy and cool ones on offer.
Plan V
Yes, it may sound like the title for a very bad tribute act or even the fourth last strategy in an emergency - however it’s not. Plan V is an innovative charger that utilises the power of a typical 9V battery for a quick boost of power.
The little plastic Plan V adaptor is one half USB and one half battery connector and provides around 4 hours more phone usage. Simply, attach the device to your phone and a 9V battery to Plan V and then just juice up.
Body Heat Battery
Even crazier are the experiments from Dr Gang Chen at MIT in the US. Chen has created a prototype for a battery that doesn’t even need to be plugged in.
The self-powered device is able to generate power from low grade sources of heat, such as the human body. The device, which uses inexpensive materials harvest energy from the environment and converts it into electricity. Hypothetically this would mean that the heat generated by your body when your phone is in your pocket, could potentially charge the battery. The device could potentially deliver electricity at around 12% efficiency at temperatures between 20 and 60 degrees
Of course, the device is still in development, meaning it may take some time before we see it on the market. However, as a concept, it’s a quite exciting one.
30 Second Charger
Imagine being able to charge your battery in 30 seconds – now that would be amazing. Well, it seems that a start up in Israel has developed a technique that allows a battery to be charged in just that time period.
Storedot has revealed a nanotechnology based device that can charge a laptop, phone or tablet battery in under a minute rather than a few hours. The company showcased the device last year at Microsoft’s Think Next conference in Tel Aviv, demonstrating the super-fast charging tech on a Samsung Galaxy 4.
Battery charging is changing for the better and we hope to soon see an end to the mid-afternoon dead battery, meaning you will never have to be apart from your phone. Either way make sure it’s insured with us from only £1.49 per month, get a quote today.
*The information in this blog is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. Please seek a professional for expert advice as we can not be held responsible for any damages or negative consequences upon following this information.