One of many greatest 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 set of benefits, together with the power to resist 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 larger batteries with out rising the scale or weight of their telephones, and that is at all times a superb factor. Actually, a couple of 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 machine 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 extremely fascinating, so I talked to the model that is really 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 telephone 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 isn’t any want to change any manufacturing strains, or make any modifications to manufacturing plans.
That is one of many the reason why telephone producers are in a position to 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 reside in 2025 that ought to enhance manufacturing functionality threefold.
One other good thing about utilizing a silicon-based anode is that it reduces reliance on graphite, which finally is a web optimistic. Manufacturers can select the combination of silicon carbide and graphite they’ll use within the cells, and this permits better customizability — larger the silicon, higher the density. Ray famous that the tech continues to be in its nascent phases, however it’s already seeing loads of curiosity within the EV trade in addition to shopper tech.
Along with telephones, these batteries might make their technique to smartwatches, XR glasses, and different wearables, and I feel there is a better potential in these classes. Silicon-carbon batteries have barely higher sturdiness, and the perfect half is that there is not 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 occasions are in step with customary batteries.
The following huge revolution in telephone batteries can be once we can lastly transfer away from lithium-ion cells altogether, however till then, silicon-carbon tech is proving to be a superb 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 can not wait to see how the Magic 7 Professional holds up in opposition to its rivals.
