Handheld systems like the 3DS and the PlayStation Vita are invaluable for travel, providing hours of gaming on the go. Being packed with so much tech, they drain their built-in lithium ion batteries quickly, leaving these handhelds with a mere 3-4 hour battery life—not exactly ideal for a portable device.
But new developments being made at Northwestern University show promise of creating new battery technology that will extend current battery life.
"We have found a way to extend a new lithium-ion battery's charge life by 10 times," said Harold H. Kung, in a statement released by the Northwestern University. "Even after 150 charges, which would be one year or more of operation, the battery is still five times more effective than lithium-ion batteries on the market today".
The process isn't easy to understand, and involves sandwiching (mmm, sandwich) silicon clusters between graphene sheets, which allows for more lithium atoms per silicon atom; thus, a greater charge is produced.
This is still in the research stages, but with the speed by which technology improves, I wouldn't be suprised to see this being implemented into smartphones in two years time. Maybe not in time for the 3DS and Vita, but it's possible for the next gen of handhelds.
[Source]
