Category: Cell Phone Batteries

Admit it, curved screen phones are well recieved.For example the new coming Samsung Galaxy S8 . You must have already been excited about this Samsung new flagship. It sounds fantastic, a curved, bezel-less infinity display, dual pixel 12MP rear camera, Bixby, the new intelligent assistant, a free Gear VR headset with Touch Controller (for those that pre-order), a pair of Harman AKG ear buds, the list goes on and on. Although, there might still be a shred of doubt about the reliability given what happened with the Note 7 battery debacle, seriously, we don’t want that happening again.

However, the fact is, the Samsung Galaxy S8 has broken all the pre-order records over the previous model, the Galaxy S7, in South Korea and it has also seen double digit growth in the USA.

The feedback and general public perception is positive regarding the S8 and it seems to be that the Note 7 problems are slowly becoming a distant memory.
As you can clearly see from the news headlines echoing around the Internet, Samsung is on the rise once more:
“What Note 7 recall? Samsung Galaxy S8 pre-orders see double-digit growth in the US” (ZDNET)
“Samsung says its new phone is selling well, showing consumers have gotten over the Galaxy Note 7 disaster” (CNBC)
“Maybe the Galaxy Note 7 Debacle Didn’t Hurt Samsung That Much After All” (Fortune)
samsung note 7 explosion1. The tremendous popularity of Samsung S8 and curved screen phonesOK, enough of the sorry tale of the Galaxy Note 7, let’s focus on the new world, the exciting world of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Before I sat down to write this blog, I went through countless online reviews about the Galaxy S8, watched dozens of YouTube video reviews and poured over magazine articles about the latest and greatest phone. The overall view shows that there is almost 99% satisfaction, amazing.
Now, to be fair, that is not surprising when you consider the number of firsts that this delivers phones, the latest display technology, the latest battery technology, Bixby the new AI assistant, the new Gear VR headset etc.
Of all of these new and exciting features, the one I want to focus on is the curved surface screen.

samsung galaxy S8 holds an infinity displayThe experts at DisplayMate Technologies described the Samsung Galaxy S8 as the best you can buy right now. They went on to say that the S8 is pioneering the very latest in full screen OLED displays.
“It has many major and important state-of-the-art display performance enhancements, features and functions, with mobile OLED display technology now advancing faster than ever. The Galaxy S8 is the most innovative and highest performing smartphone display that we have ever lab tested. So the Galaxy S8 becomes the Best Performing Smartphone Display, earning DisplayMate’s highest ever A+ grade.”
The Galaxy S8’s screen has been highly praised due to its curved design, higher resolution, more accurate color representation, HDR video support and strong Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

And the curved screen design does make a lot of sense. It’s built using AMOLED technology with better flexibility and less fragility, reducing the chances of screen cracking. Also, curved screen phones feel more comfortable to hold and offer up a better visual effect.
Thanks to the front and back curved design, the S8 instantly feels comfortable in the hand, easing itself perfectly into the palm of your hand.

“Better even than the LG G6, which has similar proportions but no curved screen, and sleeker than the iPhone 7 Plus, which puts a smaller screen on taller, wider body.” Jessica Dolcourt from CNET commented the S8 like this. It showed that it’s the curved 4K display makes the Galaxy S8 stand out. According to Business Insider, Apple and Google are forecast to borrow the curved screen design on their upcoming devices.
In just two days, from April 7 to 8, something in the region of 550,000 Galaxy S8 units were pre-ordered, consequently breaking the record previously set by the Galaxy S7. This solidified the overwhelming popularity of Galaxy S8 and has introduced the new era of the curved screen.
However…

The things that excite consumers can be monumental challenges for phone case manufacturers.
2. Curved screen phones: A growing headache for case makersA curved screen is wonderful to touch and to use, but from a case maker’s perspective, it’s an absolute nightmare. The design challenges are significant and difficult to solve without ending up with a bulky, ugly case, which is not going to appeal to the person who has just purchased a shiny new Galaxy S8.
implied, as reported by Nikkei Asian Review, Apple has ordered 70 million display panels from rival Samsung Electronics for the upcoming iPhone 8.
iPhone8-concept-graphiPhone 8 (Concept Graph)

And another report from South Korea’s Electronic Times, noted that Google has offered to invest at least $880 million in LG Display Co., so as to guarantee a stable supply of OLED screens for its next Pixel phone  .
And what you might be surprised to know is that before the Samsung Galaxy S8, there were other curved screen phones that were well received, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, the Huawei Honor Magic, the Huawei Mate 9 Pro, the Xiaomi Note 2 and the Vivo Xplay 6.

vivo xplay-6 vs. xiaomi note2 vs. huawei mate 9 proLet’s be honest here, curved screen phones are simply gorgeous. The Galaxy S8 is, in my mind one of the nicest android phones out there.
But the sad truth is, that you will find very few phone cases that fit the curved screen design perfectly.
To be fair, it’s not the phone case makers’ fault, most of them are frantically trying to solve the design constraints that a curved screen presents, although a lot of them seem to have just given up.

Just take a look at how many Galaxy S7 edge cases are out there and you will see my point.
Now, the biggest issue is how to strike the balance between protection and style so that it protects the phone in the event of a fall but doesn’t make the phone look fat and ugly.
Sadly, few have achieved this balance and if you look around at the phone cases out there, most of them are in fact fat and ugly, which completely ruins the design ethos that Samsung crafted into their latest baby.

curved screen phones will be a trendWhat is even more worrying when it comes to protection is that some cases out there do not leave enough room for a tempered screen protector. That means those seemingly most protective case will do interference on the tempered screen protector. As you can see the vast majority of Samsung Galaxy S7 edge tempered screen protector are full coverage ones to protect the beautiful curved screen fully. So those protective cases just don’t allow for a good tempered screen protector.

You’d either choose those bulky full covered phone cases or full covered tempered screen protector. In most occasions, I found  SmartphoneGalaxy S7 edge users used a bulky case and left the screen bare. That’s fine but I am jua bit of concerned about the gorgeous curved display.  

With one and half months away from that BIG day, news or rumors about the Apple iPhone 14 are circulating more wildly than before. 

No surprise. We’re excited about the new iPhone, too. And we’ve got some surprises this year for the iPhone 14 cases. 
Anyway, in case you’re too tied up with your routine and don’t feel like missing out, here’s what’s new about the iPhone 14 that we think would happen and what’s worth discussing. 

When is the iPhone 14 Coming Out?

For many, this could be most important question to answer. Most rumors said September 13 will the release date. But recently, we also heard predictions that September 6 will be the launch date for the new iPhones. We will soon find out by August. 
No More iPhone “mini”You’ve probably heard that the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini are not selling. So, it’s quite possible that Apple is doing away with the “mini” line this year. 

Still, there will be four models, a 6.1-inch iPhone 14, a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s definitely good news for fans who prefer large screens. 

Bathtub Notch is Going AwayThis could be the biggest and the most-welcomed design change coming to the newest iPhone. Since 2017, after Apple released the iPhone X with the bathtub notch, we’ve heard many drums banging for getting rid of the notch. 
Last year, we saw a smaller display cutout at the top of the iPhone 13 screen, which clearly shows that Apple knows how people are unsatisfied with the design and can change it. So, we can totally expect them to go further.

iphone 14 leaked picture
According to the iPhone 14 design leak on Twitter, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature the same thinner bezel that looks like an exclamation mark or a pill plus a hole, while the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max have similar notches like that of the iPhone 13. 
Bigger and Better iPhone 14 CamerasEvery new iteration of the iPhone comes with updates on some parts or features. Maybe it’s the display refresh rate, battery, or chip. But we can always expect a camera update. 

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that we will see a major camera improvement on the 2022 Pro iPhone lineup. They will feature a 48-megapixel rear camera, upgrading from the current 12-megapixel camera, and 8K video recording capability, which allows creators to capture higher quality video with more details and greater clarity. 
And the higher-resolution camera sensor will lead to a bigger camera bump. If that’s true, then you can’t use your iPhone 13 case for the iPhone 14.

As for the front camera on all four iPhone 14 models, it is said to have autofocus features and a wider f/1.9 aperture, which should make us all look better on those video calls. 
Bigger BatteryBattery capacity is another concern of many people. We heard all iPhone 14 models will receive bigger batteries, except for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The rumored 0.2mm increase in width may be dedicated to the bigger batteries. But looking at the rumored battery capacity , it’s hard to call that an “improvement”. The battery capacity of the iPhone 14 is said to be 3,279mAh, up 52mAh from its predecessor. And iPhone 14 Pro Max will feature a 4,323mAh battery, slightly less than the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s 4,352mAh. 

If you think the battery is not enough to last a day, you can always bring a portable wireless charging power bank with you. 
Titanium Alloy ChassisThe iPhones released in recent years use either aluminum or stainless steel for the chassis design. This year, however, Apple might shift to a stronger metal, titanium.

Apple uses titanium for the Apple Watch, apart from aluminum and stainless steel. And the titanium Apple Watch case is the most expensive. But Apple probably will use titanium alloys instead of pure titanium for the new iPhone. 
Titanium alloys, a mixture of titanium and other chemical elements, have light weight, excellent corrosion resistance, and high hardness, thus have been used in aerospace, transportation, and chemical industries. 

New Processor A16Traditionally, every new iPhone is equipped with a new chip. The iPhone 13 uses A15 Bionic chip, so presumably, the iPhone 14 will get the new A16 chip. 
The report has it that the A16 Bionic performs 11% better and 22% higher in energy efficiency than the A14, though it’s unclear how much better the A16 is than the A15 chip. 
But, again, only the pro models will get the newest processor, and the entry-level iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max models might still use the chip from last year. 
Lightning PortThere’s a widespread notion that Apple will eventually remove the Lightning port for a portless design. The question is when. 

Well, chances are it won’t happen in 2022. The European Commission announced a mandate that forces all smartphones to use the universal USB-C port for charging by 2024. So, there’s still time for Apple to figure out a plan to deal with losses once it gives ups its proprietary designn. 
We believe that at least some of the iPhone 14 models will continue to feature a Lightning port. 

Satellite Emergency Texting This feature was previously rumored to be available on the iPhone 13 last year. It didn’t happen. So, it’s reasonable to expect it on Apple’s best iPhone this year. 
Satellite connectivity lets users send texts or SOS distress signals to emergency services when there’s no cellular or Wi-Fi network, which sounds like a life-saving feature. 
Vaper Chamber Thermal SystemThis is another rumor starting to abolish last year. It’s said that Apple is “aggressively testing” a vapor chamber thermal system that can cool down the device when it gets warm due to heavy stress.
It seems to be a nice and necessary feature for the iPhone 14 Pro models as the high-end phone usually are equipped with more powerful hardware and more functions than the standard ones. But, is it ready in time for 2022? We’ll see . 

iPhone 14 Colors Color may not trigger too many discussions like other iPhone 14 features. But for some people (me included), the color could be the biggest thing to consider before pulling the trigger.
We know from leaks that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will come in black, white, white, blue, red, and purple. Also, one source indicates that we might see a green iPhone 14. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be available in graphite, gold, silver, and purple.

How much is the iPhone 14?According to a recent rumor from East Asia, the iPhone 14 is expected to be priced at $799, the same entry price as last year’s iPhone 13. On the other hand, some predicted that this year would see a $100 price increase for the iPhone 14 due to increased production costs.
SummaryGenerally speaking, the overall body design of the iPhone 14 models is identical to the iPhone 13, such as a flat-frame body and a speaker grill. The significant difference could be the smaller display cutout on the Pro models. 
And it seems that Apple is trying hard to differentiate the pro and the non-pro iPhone 14 models.

We will find out which rumor turns out to be true and which goes wrong on September 13th. Hopefully, we get the correct iPhone 14 release date.

You’ve probably heard some old wives’ tales about smartphone charging , like only charging when the battery is completely empty or leaving your phone charging overnight.
While we can’t pinpoint how these myths and misconceptions about phone charging came to be, we’ve all heard of a few that we probably believed at some point in our lives.
We’re here to debunk a few phone charging myths, answer questions you may have, and help you to practice safe phone charging habits.

1. You Shouldn’t Charge Your Phone Overnight

There are no risks involved in charging your phone overnight. Your phone won’t overcharge, and the power won’t kill your battery, destroy your charger, or start a fire. (We’re assuming over here that you’re not using a defective charger and that your electrical wiring system is in a top-notch state.)
Modern smartphones have lithium-ion batteries with built-in devices to stop your phone from absorbing power once the battery is fully charged. This means that, even though your phone is full and plugged in, it’s technically not in use. However, you shouldn’t ‘t leave your phone plugged in throughout the night, every night.
If your model isn’t built to withstand consistent heat exchange, you can overheat your phone and cause real damage. To be safe, read the manual and reviews. For some, the jury is still out on whether to charge your phone overnight or not .

2. You Should Only Charge Your Phone When It’s Completely Dead

charging a phoneNot true. You can charge your phone as often as needed.
Here’s an essential piece of information: Lithium-ion batteries have limited charging cycles; for an iPhone, it’s typically around 500. A cycle is a full charge from 0 percent to 100 percent. So, if you only charge your phone when it’s completely dead , you’ll exhaust the charging cycle pretty quickly. But if you charge the phone from 90 percent to 100 percent, you would have only used 1/10 of the cycle.
This is why experts recommend keeping the charge between 40 percent to 80 percent so you can charge your phone multiple times a day, getting the most out of one cycle. This practice extends your battery life and increases performance.

3. You Shouldn’t Use Your Phone While It Charges

While there are legitimate fears behind this myth, it’s not true. You can use your phone while it charges, as long as you’re using a manufacturer-approved or off-brand charger and battery. Of course, you must also have confidence that there are no problems with your electrical wiring.

Real-life stories of a phone exploding while plugged in and subsequently electrocuting the user or starting a fire have contributed to this myth. And while these unfortunate situations have occurred, the authorities revealed that, in most cases, the victims used unapproved third-party or defective chargers. External factors also contributed to the explosion.

To reiterate, using your phone while plugged in is completely safe. Just make sure you’re nowhere near water and are not using a sketchy third-party charger.

4. An Off-Brand Charger Will Destroy Your Battery

micro usb chargerNot true. Off-brand chargers by legitimate retailers, such as Vinsic, RavPower, Powergen, Anker, KMS, and Belkin, are not only inexpensive but perfectly fine to use.
We can’t argue that off-brand chargers are as great as the manufacturer’s, but they are, at the very least, safer and better than cheap brand knockoffs. So, if that’s what you want, feel free to purchase an off-brand charger from a reputable retailer. It will not destroy your battery or melt into the power outlet.

However, it’s the brand knockoffs you should be careful about. Unfortunately, they are sometimes marketed and packaged as the real deal, even though they can barely get the job done. Thankfully, there are a few ways for you to check if your smartphone charger is safe to use.

5. It’s Okay to Leave Your Phone on 24/7, 365

No, it’s not okay.
Most of us are guilty of leaving our phones on all the time, only turning them off when there’s a problem. While it’s not the biggest problem in the world, it can affect the lifespan and performance of your battery over time. You don’t have to turn off your phone every night. Once a week is fine. Rebooting your phone every now and then can help improve the performance of your device.

6. It’s Not Safe to Leave Your Charger Plugged inapple phone charging

To leave your charger plugged in or not is a personal decision. While we believe there’s no right or wrong answer here, we should point out that safety rules recommend unplugging chargers right after use to prevent a fire outbreak. But if you live where such situations Rarely occur, you shouldn’t have a problem leaving your charger plugged in.

To help you determine the best course of action, consider the following rules of thumb. You should unplug your charger if:
Your charger heats up rather quickly and/or makes rattling noises whether or not it’s in use. In this case, we recommend that you buy  a new charger.You or your neighbors have water leaks.Animals roam freely in your houses. They could bite through the power cord or trip over it when it’s connected to a device.You have power fluctuations and surges, or you don’t have lightning protection.

7. As Long as It Can Charge Your Phone, You Can Use It

If the charger is from the phone’s manufacturer or a legitimate off-brand retailer, we don’t see why not.
As previously discussed, you should always use the original charger if you have the option to choose. There are many benefits of using the original phone charger, but the most important of them all is that they’re the safest.
An original phone charger rarely explodes, melts into the power outlet, causes rattling noises, or even destroys phones.

The Most Crucial Points to RememberModern technology is so advanced that you don’t have to worry about the various myths and misconceptions about charging phones . However, unplugging your charger overnight never does any harm, nor does it when you’re leaving the house for a period.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s the mistakes of users and poor environmental conditions that are more likely to damage your phone , not the charger itself.

If your Android phone isn’t charging when it’s plugged in, follow these tips to figure out why and get it working again.

You probably don’t think much about the process of charging your phone; just plug in the cable and walk away. That is, until the day your phone doesn’t charge when you plug it in, at which point you could find yourself tearing your hair out trying to make it work.
Fortunately, you don’t have to rush to a chance service center when your phone stops charging because there’s a good you can fix it yourself at home. A lot of the time, the solution is pretty simple. So if your Android phone won’ t charge, try out these tips and tricks to fix it.

1. Reboot Your PhoneTo start, try turning your phone off and on again. Often, the reason your phone won’t charge when it’s plugged in because there’s been a connection hiccup. To rule out a temporary glitch like this, you just need to reboot your device. After all, restarting a phone can fix all kinds of problems.
Restarting your phone will kill all background services and could solve your mobile charging problem. A restart also refreshes your phone’s core components in case one of them has crashed while performing a task.
To perform a reboot quickly, simply hold the power button and tap the Restart option. Depending on your phone, you may need to press the power and volume up buttons at the same time instead.
2. Try Putting Your Phone in Safe ModeIf your phone doesn’t charge after a reboot, the next step it to try booting your phone in safe mode. Essentially, safe mode is a sandbox environment that restricts your phone to just the software it originally shipped with. This means any third- party apps you’ve downloaded won’t run in safe mode.
To enter safe mode on most Android devices, tap and hold the Restart button when powering it off. You should see a prompt offering to reboot to safe mode. To exit safe mode, just restart your phone normally.

Reboot to safe mode pop up in AndroidIf you’re able to charge your phone in safe mode, you know for sure that the culprit is a third-party service. Once you’ve confirmed that this is the problem, look at any apps you’ve downloaded recently. One of those could be the cause of your charging issues. Try uninstalling recently installed or untrustworthy apps. Then reboot your phone normally and see if it charges.

3. Switch to a Different Cable, Adapter, or OutletIf you’re still stuck and wondering why your phone isn’t charging, then it’s time to take a look at your charging cable. Your cable might have a loose wire, the adapter could have malfunctioned, or the socket it’s plugged into could be malfunctioning. To rule out faulty hardware, attempt to charge your phone through a different cable, adapter, or power source.
The easy way to check whether the cable is to blame for your troubles is to connect your phone to a computer via USB. If your phone can charge via a PC, you can narrow the troubleshooting down to the adapter and socket.

In case an alternative cable did the trick, invest in a new one. The best charging cables are either first-party accessories or those from trusted third-party names like Anker—avoid junky knockoffs.
4. Make Sure It’s Not a Software BugIf your phone isn’t charging even though it says it is, or if your phone is charging but says it isn’t, then this could be a software bug. Installing the free Ampere app will tell you once and for all if any power is making it to your phone.

Ampere is a simple app that allows you to view how much current your phone is discharging or charging at any one time. It also tells you whether your phone’s battery is in good condition, gives you the available voltage, and shows the current temperature.

2 ImagesAmpere App ChargingAmpere app Not Charging screenshotWith the Ampere app installed, connect your phone to a power source, then fire up the app and see if it says your phone is charging. If your phone is charging but isn’t displaying a charging icon, then this is probably a software bug You can either update your Android OS or try a hard reset to fix it.
5.Clean the Charging PortIf the Ampere app shows no charge getting to your phone, then the culprit could be debris in your charging port. Dust particles can quickly accumulate in the charging inlet and hinder your phone’s connection to a power source.

Inspect your phone’s charging port and if you notice a buildup of dirt or other grime, clean it. You can do this easily by gently scrubbing the area with a dry cotton swab. Keep a light touch and don’t go ramming anything too far into your charging outlet.

To get a better look at what’s going on inside your port, use a flashlight to fully inspect the area. If you notice any foreign debris stuck inside, you can do heavy cleaning using a SIM ejector tool or a toothpick. Just be extra careful not to damage any of the charging pins, which could permanently brick your phone. After giving your port a good cleaning, try to charge your phone again.

6. Check Your Phone Isn’t Water DamagedWater pouring on a smartphone’s screenWater and electronics don’t mix, and even highly water-resistant phones need special care to keep them watertight. If your phone has gotten wet, and you’re now wondering why it won’t charge, then it’s likely that water is the culprit.

You’t charge your phone at all if there’s a possibility of water damage. First, you have to make sure your phone’s internals are completely dry. Ignore all the other advice online, the only safe way to do this is to leave your phone in a well ventilated area and wait a day or so. Don’t put it in a bowl of rice.

After 24 hours of drying off, try plugging your phone in and see what happens. Once the connections are dry you may find that it starts charging again.

7. Visit a Service CenterIf all else fails, and your phone still isn’t charging, it’s time to go to a service center and ask a professional for help. They may be able to find a fault that you’ve missed or diagnose a hardware failure. Hopefully, your phone is still in warranty, so you don’t have to pay anything for the repair. Otherwise, it may cost you to replace whatever component has broken.

The Nothing Phone 2 is a brilliant smartphone, and its importance to the US market, in particular, can’t be overstated.
While Nothing does seem to be having fun, which is great, I’m concerned the unexpected diversification of the Nothing brand may lead to negative repercussions on the one thing I love about it most.At its core, the Nothing Phone 2 is simply a good piece of mobile tech, but it’s also wrapped up in a body that stands out in the crowd and refreshingly goes in its own direction when it comes to the user interface and its design too.

Design is a big part of Nothing. The Nothing Ear 1 in-ear Bluetooth headphones’ unusual transparent casing set the tone for the brand, and its understanding of ergonomics and appreciation of simple beauty shone through in the Ear Stick headphones cool, twistable, cylindrical case. Whether it’s the fun yet useful lights on the back of the Nothing Phone 1 and Nothing Phone 2 or its quirky, retro dot-matrix style font, Nothing’s branding and product line have quickly become clear and instantly recognizable.

Until now, because Nothing’s next product isn’t tech-related at all. It’s clothing. Nothing Apparel will launch in the near future, and it’s described as a range of “wardrobe staples” consisting of coats, tracksuits, caps, backpacks, and more. Apparently inspired by its hardware, it supposedly brings Nothing’s design ethos to textiles, but there’s no mention of batteries, flashing lights, or tech at all. It appears to be some clothes.
Just before Nothing Apparel was announced, Nothing launched Nothing Beer. It doesn’t come in a Bluetooth-connected can, and it doesn’t have a QR code for an exclusive Nothing app that only works with Nothing phones; it’s simply a beer available in a pack of six. Or at least, it was, because the limited edition product sold out very quickly. While I’m sure it was a fun time working with the brewery, it really was an odd and entirely non-techy move.

I’ll say at this point that I’m not a curmudgeon. I’m not suggesting fun should be banned, and I am not complaining about these launches or saying they shouldn’t have happened at all. I may not care about the beer, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be in the queue for a Nothing cap. Swag (ultimately because, that’s what all this is, whether it’s free or not) is also important to build brand awareness, something OnePlus also did well with its range of excellent backpacks and bags, plus some fun t-shirts I still have today.
But all these products really need to have something to do with the brand’s core business, which until now, I assumed was technology. Beer and shirts with zips on just don’t seem to have anything to do with tech or Nothing, outside of some loose connection with design or throwing some work in the direction of Teenage Engineering, the design house it has worked with on other projects already.

Launches like this mean there’s a real risk of brand dilution rather than brand building. It’s fine for YouTubers to have their “merch,” which I’m sure helps supplement income, but I can’t pick up a Samsung hoodie when I buy my Galaxy S23 Ultra or sip an exclusive Apple artisan coffee while choosing my Apple Watch Series 9. Looked at this way, clothes and beer align Nothing more closely with YouTubers than they do with its genuine industry competition

What is Nothing, then? Is it a tech brand? A lifestyle brand?

A brand throwing many things against the wall to see what sticks? The fact I’m asking this question at all means its recent choices are somewhat unusual and that perhaps the fun it is having isn’t doing its carefully curated and shockingly effective brand — which it has impressively built in double-quick time — much good.
Don’t lose sight of what makes you special

Nothing can launch what it likes, but there are two things I don’t want to happen. The first is I don’t want the tech brand to disappear in the process of diversifying. I’m concerned it’s happening already, as I am less aware of its CMF by Nothing sub-brand — which makes cheap earbuds and smartwatches — than I am of its beer and clothing, despite it having a whole lot more to do with tech and Nothing’s quickly established brand than either of them.

The second is far more of a worry. Nothing is still a young company, and making smartphones is a very expensive, time-intensive process. Spending time, effort, and resources on fun side projects really must not impact the development of future mobile hardware or its Nothing OS software.

It’s the earbuds, phones, and software that give Nothing its appeal, and they need to be the company’s primary focus. It hasn’t happened yet, and Nothing has recently released version 2.5 of its phone software and a preview of what it’s doing with Android 14, so it’s not like the end times are near. It’s just an unexpected directional swerve so early in the firm’s life.

Nothing launched with a compelling mission statement, saying it was a tech company committed to making intuitive, flawlessly connected products with no confusing tech-speak or silly product names — and how it didn’t want to make things complicated. Beer and clothes are making things complicated and confusing, especially because they seem to be more than just casual marketing stunts.

We could be witnessing the evolution of the Nothing brand, something it may need to do in order to survive in such a difficult industry, but I just hope it doesn’t forget to make and support fantastic smartphones, headphones, and other tech products in any attempt to secure its future.

The importance of mobile phones in the daily lives of human beings can’t be denied. Their prevalence is primarily due to their efficient utility and portability, which is enabled by a compact and strong battery. To satisfy the rising demands of smartphone consumers, its battery technology is continuously evolving. In recent years, there have been numerous advancements in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones leading to increased battery life and efficiency. 

A Brief History of Mobile Phone Battery TechnologyMobile phone battery technology has evolved tremendously throughout the years. A research article published in InfoMat (Willey) has presented a thorough overview of the technological evolutions of the battery. As per the research, 1983 was a significant year as it saw the release of Motorola’s DynaTac 8000X, which employed a Ni-Cd battery with a modest 500mAh capacity.

Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries substituted NiCd batteries in the 1990s. NiMH batteries had an improved power density and were more environmentally friendly than NiCd batteries. Nevertheless, NiMH batteries were susceptible to the memory effect, which diminished their efficiency over time.

The transition period between 1998 and 2000 led to the substitution of NiMH batteries with Lithium Ion batteries. The energy density of Li-ion batteries was significantly greater than that of NiMH batteries, and they were immune to the memory effect. Li-ion batteries are the most common form of battery used in mobile phones today.
Solid State Batteries – A Novel Battery InnovationSolid-state batteries have been viewed as prospective future technologies for energy storage mainly due to their improved energy density and enhanced safety when contrasted to commercial operations lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes.

Toyota, Samsung, and BMW are among the businesses that are developing solid-state batteries for cell phones. A United States startup Solid Power is among the top-notch manufacturers of solid-state batteries as well as Sulfide solid electrolytes for smartphones and electric vehicles Their batteries outperform traditional lithium-ion batteries due to the utilization of better-performing electrodes such as high-content silicon and lithium metal, so consumers may expect a 15-35% cost savings at the pack level.
Graphene-Based Batteries for Mobile PhonesGraphene is the 2-dimensional framework of graphite, in which one layer of planar carbon atoms is organized in the form of a honeycomb lattice. Even at absolute zero, graphene is regarded as a semi-metallic material. Graphene has four times the tensile strength of steel, is extremely adaptable, transparent, and an exceptional conductor of heat and electricity due to its bonds. These attributes of graphene make it a suitable material for both mobile phone batteries and supercapacitors.
Huawei, Samsung, and Graphene Flagship, a research project financed by the European Union, are among the corporations working on the development of graphene battery packs for cell phones.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells Based BatteriesThe utilization of hydrogen fuel cells presents a novel technological advancement with the potential to significantly transform the mobile phone battery landscape. These fuel cells function through the combination of hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in the production of water as a byproduct. Such a process renders hydrogen fuel cells an environmentally friendly and proficient energy source.

Various corporations are currently involved in the research and development of hydrogen fuel cells for mobile phones, including Intelligent Energy, a UK-based enterprise that has engineered a fuel cell that can power an iPhone for up to a week without necessitating a recharge. The organization is presently in the process of creating a commercial version of the fuel cell to cater to the mobile phone industry.
Sodium Ion Mobile BatteriesSodium-ion batteries represent an alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries for energy storage and release, utilizing sodium ions instead. The abundance and comparatively lower cost of sodium compared to lithium render sodium-ion batteries a more cost-effective choice. Additionally, sodium -ion ​​batteries demonstrate a higher energy density in comparison to NiMH batteries.

A research article published in the Journal of Physics: Energy has presented an overview of sodium ion mobile batteries. As per the research, Titanium-based oxides are regarded as highly potential and versatile anode materials for sodium batteries, given their affordability, facile processing, and lack of toxicity. These materials exhibit greater safety in comparison to carbon-based anodes due to their elevated operating voltage, which helps prevent the formation of metallic sodium plating.
Notably, a select number of corporations, including Faradion (UK), Tiamat (Europe), Altris AB (Europe), HiNa (China), and Natron Energy (USA), are currently dedicated to the development of sodium batteries.
Novel Thin Film Battery – A Game Changer for Mobile Phones

A company based in Rzeszów is aiming to revolutionize the global market with its latest thin-film battery, which is expected to have a lifespan of up to 68 years. Developed by The Batteries, this cutting-edge technology has already earned the label of ” a game changer” from the industry press, and the company plans to begin large-scale production once construction of their “pilot factory” is complete.

Polish scientists have created a battery that can charge from 0 percent to 100 percent in merely eight minutes, offering an alternative to the conventional lithium-ion batteries which have dominated the market for the past 25 years. The new technology developed in Poland obviates the requirement for supplementary chemical compounds, and as a result, the energy density of the battery has increased by almost twofold to 1,200 Wh/l.
Market Analysis and Future PerspectiveAllied Market Research has published a thorough report focusing on the market analysis and industry forecast of mobile phone batteries. According to the report, the global market for mobile batteries had a value of $21.2 billion in 2020, and it is anticipated to grow to $38.6 billion by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% between 2021 and 2030.

The report highlights that the Asia-Pacific region is projected to hold the largest market share, with China, India, and Japan emerging as major players in the mobile battery market. Nevertheless, North America and Europe are also predicted to experience substantial growth, debt to a surge in demand for superior battery technology fueled by the growing popularity of smartphones and other mobile devices.
The future of mobile phone batteries appears bright, with various promising new technologies currently under development. Notably, the advancement of flexible and stretchable batteries is an area of ​​active exploration. Such batteries can be easily integrated into wearable devices and possess the ability to bend and stretch without compromising their functionality.

This will facilitate the creation of novel types of wearable devices that are presently unfeasible.
In short, the recent technological innovations in mobile phone batteries will play a crucial role in the further commercialization of smartphonesand modern industrial infrastructure.

Smartphone manufacturers make their batteries hard to replace . Tough new EU rules will change that. 
The European Union will soon require smartphone manufacturers to let users replace their batteries.

The tough new rules – endorsed by the European Parliament this week – could save millions of phones from landfill.
Every year, more than 150 million smartphones are thrown away. Making batteries more easily to replace could stem this deluge of e-waste.
Existing phones seal away batteries within the tablet, meaning replacing them can be nearly as expensive as buying a new phone.
The new measures will help break that cycle of rampant consumption, MEP Achille Variati declared.

“For the first time, we have circular economy legislation that covers the entire life cycle of a product – an approach that is good for both the environment and the economy,” he said.
“We agreed on measures that greatly benefit consumers: batteries will be well-functioning, safer and easier to remove.”
What are the EU’s new rules?Under the legislation, consumers must be able to “easily remove and replace” portable batteries used in devices such as smartphones, tablets, and cameras.

This will necessitate a significant redesign.
The smartphone replacement rules are part of a broader system of rules.
All electric vehicle and rechargeable industrial batteries above 2kWh will need to have a compulsory carbon footprint declaration, label, and digital passport.
The parliament also passed new targets for collecting waste and recovering materials from old batteries.

By 2031, 61 per cent of waste must be collected and 95 per cent of materials must be recovered from old portable batteries.
What is planned obsolescence and why is it a problem?

Mobile phones sit in landfill, leaching toxic chemicals into groundwater and contaminating soil.
These take years to decompose. Worse still, these dead phones are a terrible waste of precious metals like cobalt and lithium.

Such metals have to be mined – often with hugely destructive consequences for local communities and ecosystems. As the renewable transition increases demand for batteries, reducing unnecessary pressure on existing stocks is a moral and economic imperative.
Unfortunately, many phones are built to stop working.
Ever felt your phone getting slower or rifled through a stash of old, unusable apple chargers for the right dongle? Then you’ve experienced the blood-boiling frustrations of planned obsolescence.

Manufacturers seriously limit the lifespan of their own devices in order to force consumers to buy newer models.
Public opinion is against this practice.
According to a European Commission study conducted last year, 77 per cent of EU citizens would rather repair their devices than replace them. In addition, 79 per cent think that manufacturers should make their digital devices easier to repair, with smartphone better access to individual parts.

Apple rarely apologizes when it messes up.But when it does, it’s usually followed by even more fervor and upset users.

Case in point: Apple finally admitted it did a poor job communicating to its customers about how and why it slowed down iPhones with older batteries.And while most people will forgive the company and accept its two upcoming solutions (a $29 battery replacement for applicable iPhones and a future software update that’ll better explain your device’s battery health), there’s an equal amount of people who are now slamming the company for not doing even more for its users, like designing iPhones with removable batteries.

Cute idea — but it’s a little short-sighted. It’s not that Apple can’t make an iPhone with a removable battery, but because it doesn’t make any sense to. Removable batteries had their time in the ’90s-00s.

There are other features that we prioritize over batteries that can be swapped out.
SEE ALSO: 5 easy tricks to help you free up storage space on your iPhone First, a little history lesson. Asking Apple to make an iPhone with a removable battery will never happen. I know…never say never… but I feel confident making this claim because Apple has never released an iPhone with a battery you could easily remove.
The battery’s always been sealed inside of the iPhone, and the only way to replace it has been to 1) bring it to Apple for servicing or 2) buy your own toolset and bust open the iPhone yourself (and void the warranty in the process) .
Long before Steve Jobs hopped on stage at Macworld in January 2007 to introduce the first iPhone to the world, the company already decided on its strong stance against removable batteries.

It was a jarring design choice at the time because just about all phones came with removable batteries, but it ultimately proved to be the right one.
While many Android phones touted removable batteries as a feature that distinguished them from the iPhone, you need only look around at the current Android landscape to see how that turned out.

Can you name a single flagship Android phone with a removable battery? 

I can’t, and I review these things for a living. (To be fair, there are still phones that have removable batteries, but they’re usually budget ones or come from no-name brands.)
Samsung ditched removable batteries in its two flagship devices — the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note — in 2014. And LG, one of the last companies to give up on them, held out until 2016 with the G5.

Prioritizing other featuresSo why did these companies stop making phones with swappable batteries?
You already know the answer if you’re a phone junkie or a tech nerd. And no, the answer isn’t: They’re all just copying Apple.
Whenever you make a decision not to do something, you’re simultaneously making the decision to allow room for something else. Perhaps, something that couldn’t have been done because of the tradeoffs that prioritized one thing over another.
In the case of phones with removable batteries, phone makers made the deliberate decision to go with sealed batteries for a number of reasons. Here are just a few of them:

More premium design: Removable batteries are convenient, but they also greatly limit the design of a phone. Take a look at the Galaxy S5 and Note 4. Notice any similarities? They both have plastic backs that can easily be pried off to reveal the battery .

And that’s a good thing, except people wanted better materials. Though the Note 4 had a metal frame, the S5’s plastic body and Band-Aid-like rear caught major flak for being tone-deaf to the metal and glass trend that was emerging. Samsung switched to a glass and metal “sandwich” design the next year with the S6, and the company has seen major success from all its phones since then.
Metal and glass bodies simply do not mix well removable batteries. It’s possible to make one — the LG G5 was an example of this — but it’s going to be greatly compromised. Sealed batteries have enabled slimmer designs and the use of new, more luxurious materials that wouldn’t have been aesthetically possible if they had to account for a removable back battery.

Water-resistance: You want your phone to survive a drop in the pool or toilet? Repel rain? 

Good, then you want a phone with fewer openings and more internal sealing that’ll protect its computer bits from frying.
Well, you can’t have that if you’ve got a cover that could easily pop off and cracks that could potentially allow water to seep in. And it’s not just water. Many phones are dust-resistant, too. Nobody wants tiny rocks or sand damaging the insides of their phone.
More room for other stuff: I’m not going to get into all the nerdy bits things about battery design, but a removable battery hogs up more physical space within the already tightly-packed confines of a modern phone.

Unlike a sealed battery, a removable battery requires an extra layer of protection to shield it from everyday impact. This adds extra thickness. On a phone where every millimeter counts and can be felt in the hand, there’s little competitive edge to go thicker when everyone is making their phones thinner.Instead of wasting space with extra padding for the battery, designers and engineers can fit in other features such as better — possibly even stereo — speakers, or wireless charging, or better gaskets for weather-resistance, or a fingerprint sensor on the back.

Weird-shaped batteries: Removable batteries are also limited to essentially being rectangles or squares for easy installation and removal. And if you know anything about battery design, you’d know that new phone batteries are built to squeeze more power with unconventional designs.
For example, the LG G2 used a “step battery” design that packed more battery into the curved corners, which would normally be wasted with a battery with straight edges. The iPhone X also uses an unique L-shaped battery made up of two battery cells.
Had these phones used a removable rectangle-shaped battery, they wouldn’t get the stellar battery life that they do in the same svelte designs. You’d have a phone that looks like something enclosed in an Otterbox. Basically, big, heavy, and ugly. And just eww. No thank you.

It’s time to move onI understand the reasons for wanting a phone with a removable battery. I really do.
Removable batteries are more environmentally friendly because it’ll lead to less e-waste since you won’t feel compelled to upgrade to a new phone if your current one works just fine.
They’d make situations like the one Apple’s caught in a lot easier for users because a fresh battery could fix handle new software updates that an older battery couldn’t. And you could probably get one for a lot less from a third-party.

Removable batteries also make it easier to carry a spare for when you really need it. Like when you’re out late or don’t have time to wait for a charge.
But much like the death of the PS/2 port, floppy disk, headphone jack, etc., it’s time to move on. Removable batteries were practical — and limited by old designs and technology — when phones were as thick as a Snickers and weren’t as feature-packed as they are today.

In a perfect world, you’d be able to get an iPhone X with a removable battery. But we don’t live in a perfect world. Ours is filled with tradeoffs. And we’ve all already decided we value all of the mentioned features more than a removable battery. If we didn’t, the iPhone would have died a quick death years ago.So wish all you want. But it’s not going to happen. The future of phones will be even more integrated with even more custom parts and more sealed than they are now.Raymond Wong is Mashable’s Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and stitches the tech industry.