Do you also feel that the world of batteries is stagnating? Although iPhones last up to almost thirty hours and Macs exceed twenty, for the most part This is due to the efficiency of Apple chips. and add essentially larger batteries. In fact, this will be done with the iPhone 16, which will have larger batteries thanks to a new manufacturing method. The Apple Watch is also about to take a big step forward thanks to the advances of the Japanese manufacturer.
However, no matter what changes are made to the cell distribution, the battery material remains the same for decades. We are talking about lithium ions. Lithium-ion batteries were a revolution compared to the first cell phone batteries. Do you remember that phrase you were told: “the first charge must be complete”? Lithium-ion batteries lack “memory”This practice has therefore become obsolete, even recognized by Apple itself in its battery charging manuals.
A step forward in batteries: goodbye lithium, hello potassium
Nail American company based in Texas is making historic strides in the world of batteries. The company is called Group1 and has been defining the future of potassium-ion batteries for several years, a material to which current lithium batteries could make the big leap. They started by a potassium battery in flat format, then they managed to make the battery with flexible cells and now they have been able to give it a cylindrical shape. Yes, as if it were a traditional battery.
Cylindrical potassium battery
This is a very important step because, thanks to the fact that it is a malleable material and batteries, it opens the door to can be used on portable devices such as an iPhoneiPad, Mac, external batteries… and yes, also electric vehicles. This last application is the most complicated because of the large amount of energy required by a car.
The advantages of a potassium battery
As stated by Group1 company, the advantages of using a potassium battery are the ability to offer faster, safer and more energy-dense charging. We can thus store more energy and charge it in less time while maintaining the current safety of lithium batteries.
This is not only the first advantage, it is that a potassium battery eliminates the need to use other metals such as nickel, copper or cobalt, being less polluting and simpler batteries manufacture while relying on fewer components.
Benefits of Potassium Battery
Eventually, Potassium is up to a thousand times more abundant on Earth than lithium. Its extraction would be simpler and, since there are more places to obtain it, the price would gradually decrease as the demand for potassium batteries increases. If we learn more about them technically, The battery operates at 3.7 volts. A figure similar to the battery consumption of an iPhone. Regarding the maximum density, it reaches 160-180 Wh/kg. This is more than enough for mobile devices and laptops, but a bit far from the 200 Wh/kg that can be found in electric car batteries.
The company began distributing samples to various companies and manufacturers. Including Apple does not manufacture its batteries as such.but entrusts its manufacturing to external companies such as TDK. These manufacturers will therefore first have to apply potassium technology to batteries and then offer them to manufacturers (Apple, Samsung, LG, etc.).
Something similar happens with components like processors or displays; original manufacturer (OEM) first gets the advance and it is the company that concludes a contract (sometimes exclusively) with the manufacturer to implement it on its devices. As recent examples, we have the tandem OLED screens of the iPad Pro M4 or the manufacturing method of the M3 and M4 chips.
Given the good progress they have made in Group 1 with potassium batteries, one would expect about two years to see if they are finally integrated into a device like the iPhone 17. Or to go further, who knows if they will be the key to a future foldable device in the form of a MacBook or an iPhone.
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