We’re one step closer to getting phone battery life that lasts a week after British firm Intelligent Energy signed a deal with an unknown smartphone manufacturer.
The firm claims to have created a working iPhone fuel cell which would let users go for a week without recharging.
Intelligent Energy has miniaturised a ‘fuel cell’ which works using hydrogen and oxygen – and has a working prototype inside an iPhone 6 casing.
The fuel cell uses layers of steel and breathable plastic to ‘burn’ oxygen and hydrogen, with small vents on the back to release water vapour.
Instead of topping up with electricity, users would top up with hydrogen gas via a specially adapted headphone socket.
The company already makes hydrogen-burning devices which can be used to ‘top up’ devices such as smartphones – but has never made a cell small enough to fit inside a smartphone.
An Intelligent Energy spokesperson said: ‘Once embedded, a fuel cell has the potential to keep a smartphone powered for more than a week without plugging into the wall socket.
‘With smartphones using an ever increasing amount of power as they become more sophisticated, consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the current limitations of battery life.
‘Embedding a fuel cell into the phone, means consumers can have off grid power for their phones when and where they want.’
