New technology could make users charge phones every week

Mobile phone battery. File Photo

Smartphones have definitely made our lives easier, but on the downside it consumes a lot of battery power and requires frequent charging. Thus, the demand for portable battery chargers have risen through the years.

A new technology may possibly cut down charging periods to just four times a month.

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Cornell have come up with a special material called “magnetoelectric multiferroic,” which can possibly prolong the power of various electronic devices.

The groundbreaking technology uses a few quick pulses of electricity rather than a constant stream—contrary to the semiconductor-based devices that we use today, according to reports from Thrillist.

Once implemented, smartphones and other devices will require 100 times less energy to operate, and will last way longer before they need a recharge.

“Basically, the material ‘sandwiches’ together individual layers of atoms to produce a thin, magnetically polar film that can be switched from negative to positive using a tiny pulse of energy,” the scientists behind the invention said in a statement.

However, some technology limitations have yet to be addressed by the group, which admitted that they’re still a few years away from making it a possibility.

The group is also currently working on a solution to make higher-capacity batteries that are smaller and lighter, while also working on a form of wireless charging online through Wi-Fi connection.  Khristian Ibarrola

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