The technology that promises rapid smartphone charging is called FlashBattery and it has been created by an Israeli start-up StoreDot. The company first demonstrated its rapid charging technology in 2015, at the Consumer Electronics Show in in Las Vegas. At the time the inventors were uncertain just how long their invention would take to come to market. Now they are sure and have announced, to the BBC, a 2018 launch.
The company states: “StoreDot’s FlashBattery is emerging as the safest and only way to instantly charge any mobile device. This unique high-power technology has the potential to become the ultimate fast-charging standard in such industries as mobile devices, electric vehicles, power tools, electric toys, home appliances and others.”
The technology, which takes the form of a charger and a new battery, aims to recharge a device about 100 times faster than any device can presently manage. The battery contains specially synthesized organic molecules. Exactly how the battery works has not been announced (the technology remains proprietary); however it would appear the battery contains materials that enable “non-traditional” reactions allowing for an atypically fast transfer of ions from an anode to a cathode (the electrical process that charges a battery).
The following video offers some more clues:
The drawback with the new technology is that it cannot be retrofitted and will only be available for new devices (where the manufacturer elects to adopt the new technology). Chief executive Doron Myersdorf has indicated that several big name companies are interested, but the names of the interested parties will not yet be disclosed.
Other firms are also in the race for a super-fast charger. For instance, the company Qualcomm has recently announced its Quick Charge 4 system that offers five hours of battery life following a five-minute charge.
