Innovations in microchips and semiconductors keep pushing advances in mobile computing devices, yet the battery technology that helps power those same devices remains stagnated. By some accounts, lithium-ion batteries haven’t changed much over the past 15 years.
That could change soon with developments in next-generation solid-state batteries. Vacuum manufacturer Dyson’s recent investment in a solid-state battery research lab has raised the profile of the emerging technology. And academic researchers and industry heavyweights such as Samsung are working to develop better batteries.