One of many largest upgrades coming to 2025 telephones is silicon-carbon batteries. These batteries nonetheless use a lithium-based cathode, however use a silicon carbide anode, unlocking a collection of benefits, together with the flexibility to face up to excessive climate a lot better, and elevated sturdiness.
Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all issues {hardware}, together with telephones, audio merchandise, storage servers, and routers.
However the purpose that ought to get you excited is the upper density; manufacturers can leverage this tech so as to add greater batteries with out rising the scale or weight of their telephones, and that is all the time a very good factor. The truth is, just a few 2025 telephones which have launched globally — together with the Discover X8 Professional and Vivo X200 Professional — make the most of silicon-carbon batteries to nice impact, delivering two-day battery life.
Whereas different producers are switching to silicon batteries now, Honor began doing so two years in the past with the Magic 5 Professional. This yr’s Magic 6 Professional utilized the identical tech, with the model showcasing how the gadget holds up in freezing climate. the Magic V2 and Magic V3 foldables additionally benefitted with this tech, and the model’s Magic 7 Professional additionally makes use of a silicon-carbon battery, with the scale going as much as 5850mAh.
The silicon-carbon tech is very fascinating, so I talked to the model that is truly making it. Honor is utilizing Group14’s SCC55 silicon-carbon materials within the Magic 7 Professional, and I talked to the model’s VP of World Technique, Grant Ray, to get a greater understanding of how these batteries are totally different.
Principally, SCC55 is an artificial silicon-carbon compound that is manufactured by Group14 at its facility in Woodinville, WA. The fabric is then despatched to the battery producer; on this occasion, that’s Amperex Know-how Restricted, a large Chinese language group that is one of many main producers of cellphone batteries.
Ray talked about that the benefit with SCC55 is that it may be an easy various to graphite that is historically used, and all that wants altering is the inclusion of the fabric whereas mixing the cement. There is no want to change any manufacturing traces, or make any modifications to manufacturing plans.
That is one of many the explanation why cellphone producers are capable of slot in silicon-carbon batteries at scale. Ray revealed that the Group14 facility within the U.S. produced two million batteries’ price of SCC55 to this point, and {that a} new facility goes stay in 2025 that ought to improve manufacturing functionality threefold.
One other good thing about utilizing a silicon-based anode is that it reduces reliance on graphite, which finally is a internet optimistic. Manufacturers can select the combination of silicon carbide and graphite they will use within the cells, and this permits higher customizability — greater the silicon, higher the density. Ray famous that the tech continues to be in its nascent phases, nevertheless it’s already seeing loads of curiosity within the EV business in addition to shopper tech.
Along with telephones, these batteries may make their approach to smartwatches, XR glasses, and different wearables, and I feel there is a higher potential in these classes. Silicon-carbon batteries have barely higher sturdiness, and the perfect half is that there isn’t any change with quick charging; I examined the Magic 6 Professional, Discover X8 Professional, and Vivo X200 Professional extensively on this regard, and the charging instances are in keeping with commonplace batteries.
The subsequent huge revolution in cellphone batteries will probably be after we can lastly transfer away from lithium-ion cells altogether, however till then, silicon-carbon tech is proving to be a very good choice to offer higher density and longevity. Within the case of Honor, the model clearly has a sizeable benefit on this space, and having used the 2 earlier iterations of its silicon-carbon batteries, I am unable to wait to see how the Magic 7 Professional holds up towards its rivals.
