According to Telegraph, an U.K. based company Intelligent Energy has invented a miniature hydrogen fuel cell battery for iPhone 6 that can power the device for a week.
Intelligent Energy has already created a modified version of the iPhone 6 that uses its patented hydrogen battery technology. The firm has added small vents to the back of the modified iPhone that let out water vapor waste produced by the battery. Telegraph states that the battery itself is runs on hydrogen gas that is “refueled via an adapted headphone socket”.
Based on initial tests it seems that their prototype was a success and that the iPhone 6 managed to last a week without charging. Given that getting your iPhone 6 to last beyond two days can be a bit of a challenge, a week without charging is no doubt very impressive indeed. So much so that the firm has apparently caught the attention of Apple. The Telegraph believes that the company is working closely with Apple on the project, so future iPhones could have long-lasting batteries that put current models to shame.
To our knowledge, this has never been done before. We have now managed to make a fuel cell so thin we can fit it to the existing chassis without alterations and retaining the rechargeable battery. This is a major step because if you are moving to a new technology you have to give people a path they are comfortable with.
This technology is not without its drawback as the hydrogen fuel cells need to be refilled. In the prototype that demoed, the battery is refilled via the headphone socket. However, the company states that for the commercial release they are planning some kind of cartridge that can be slotted into the bottom of smartphones. While it does sounds awesome, the idea of having to swap out batteries and the inconvenience of running out of cartridges is definitely a downside.
The company believes that the product is likely two years from being ready for the market but it is definitely worth to keep an eye to see if it really delivers on its promises.