For years, smartphones have been asked for something that didn’t seem so complicated: that their battery last more than two days. It turns out that it was complicated, and that manufacturers have had to wait for the only technology that, for the moment, makes this possible to mature. This technology is the silicon-carbonand companies like Honor were pioneers in its implementation in commercial phones.
He Honor Magic5 Prolaunched in 2023, was the first high-end smartphone to incorporate it. Three years later, the industry trend leaves no room for doubt: –this is the way– that is the way. After the launch of Honor 600at Xataka we have had the opportunity to speak with Lun Lu, one of the engineers in Honor’s battery department. And yes, he told us little things.
Just because
One of the greatest limitations of the human being has to do with the “what ifs”, followed by a negative consequence. In the case of silicon-carbon batteries, no manufacturer dared to implement them commercially. Until Honor decided to accompany her “what if…” with a positive consequence. I ask Lu when it was clear to them, when they knew it was the right time to make the jump to silicon-carbon.
He tells me that a year before, in 2021, they felt that they were ready and were clear that the technology was mature. They began to allocate resources to design the architecture and start talking to their partners for mass production.
This is precisely one of the keys that makes the process so slow. The chemistry of these batteriesthe changes that need to be made at the design level, the security measures that its implementation requires… it is a slow and delicate engineering process. And this answers my question why do you think that some of the Western manufacturers (Apple, Google) They are not yet on the boat.
But… what exactly are we talking about?
We are clear that Honor was the pioneer in introducing silicon-carbon but… what exactly are we talking about? How could we explain to someone who has no idea about technology what these types of batteries are and what they provide?
Lu explains it without any complications: we are facing a great advance through which we can introduce batteries with much more energy in the same size. In other words, where certain mAh used to fit, now many more fit. Much more lithium per gram can be stored in silicon-carbon batteries than in traditional batteries, up to ten times more on a theoretical level.
In the new Honor 600, without going any further, they have introduced a 6,400mAh battery in a body of only 7.8mm. It is much thinner than most of its direct rivals with 5,000mAh batteries, and in our analysis it has reached three days of use.
Yes, but
If the path to silicon-carbon was only surrounded by flowers, there would be no doubts about its implementation. But everything has fine print. We asked about the biggest challenges when implementing this technology. And the answer is clear: your safety, without room for discussion.
Introducing silicon greatly complicates the internal stability of the cell, since its volumetric expansion when absorbing lithium ions is considerable and The fear of possible fans is present in the industry. Zhua says that designing this type of battery is a challenge, but that the department takes into account each of the limitations and possible problems of this technology with a view to the long term, since Honor knows that the trend in the industry is towards maintaining the same mobile phone for a few years.
Another fairly recurring doubt with these batteries has to do with the cycles they support. In recent years, one of the obsessions has been to ensure that traditional batteries do not degrade excessively. after 1,000 cycles (about what we would do in a couple of years of heavy use).
Although he does not reveal all his secrets, Lu says that Honor has been researching for years how to alleviate the early degradation of silicon-carbon, optimizing manufacturing processes to keep them to a minimum. The E1 and E2 chips, implemented in the Magic family and responsible for energy management (co-processors that accompany the main CPU), are responsible for controlling charging and discharging in real time, adjusting consumption according to temperature, voltage and use, and trying to improve cold performance.
The last big limitation has to do with what Lu considers “a big problem,” and answers my question of how a manufacturer like Honor deals with having to make a device with one battery destined for China and another destined for Europe. The European Union has strict controls and restrictions with battery imports, and this is slowing down the advances that China is developing.
“We would like to provide batteries with the most advanced technology and the highest energy density all over the world, but regulations cannot be discussed. What we can do right now is somewhat limited, because regulations are a red line that we cannot cross.”
From the bar counter
The phone battery is one of the components most subject to bar counter conversations.
- “Fast charging is bad.”
- “It is better to charge up to 80%.”
- “Silicon carbon batteries have almost no silicon.”
Claims that are sometimes made without knowing the scientific support that supports them (or not). So I take the opportunity to ask Lu about some recurring myths and the direction in which these batteries are going.
To the first question, it makes it quite clear to me that today there is no difference between charge quickly and charge slowly. There is some truth to the myth: uncontrolled fast charging is harmful, but current battery and charger design takes this issue into account.
Regarding the famous 80-20% ruleit is something totally proven. There is no problem in charging to 100%, but keeping the battery in this range helps to extend its useful life. It is risky to give specific information on how many cycles we can gain, since it will depend on use, but this range is the lowest stress sweet spot in a silicon-carbon battery. In fact, the trend in recent years has been to limit the charge by software so that the device does not reach 100%.
Some glimpses of the future
Ending the interview, I ask about the future. Although we are at the best point in recent years, there is always room for improvement. The clear direction for the next few years is to increase the amount of silicon. We are currently, at best, hovering around 30% on the densest batteries, so there is still work to be done.
Furthermore, although silicon-carbon is bringing us so much joy, the industry continues to look for new materials that improve what is present. When asking Lu what the unboxing of the best Honor mobile phone would be like in five years, looking at what battery it has, his desire is clear: a solid state battery.
Image | Xataka
In Xataka | Just when batteries were breaking all records, ultra-thin mobile phones arrived. China has a lesson for them
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