Extreme cold just kills smartphone batteries. We've all been there—one second you're at 30% battery, the next — your phone is dead. My iPhone 13 mini got obliterated by the cold winters here, prompting quick recharges several times a day. Now, thanks to a new battery breakthrough, I might finally be able to make that Alaska trip without worrying that my phone will be dead most of the time.
New battery architecture battles the cold
Difference between a conventional planar current collector and 3D porous current collector. | Image by Nature
This new battery breakthrough comes from Addionics, a small startup from Tel-Aviv, and uses a new architecture to battle cold conditions. The company has designed a new smart 3D porous current collector that changes the internal transport of the battery.
By transforming the architecture of the battery cell, Addionics is removing some of the largest limitations that electrified systems have faced. Batteries need to perform optimally in all locations and temperatures so that the products they power can be relied upon consistently. Addionics is at the forefront of making the once unachievable possible. We are enabling the always-on world to operate - all of the time, anywhere, even in the cold.
- Dr. Moshiel Biton, CEO and Founder of Addionics.
Imagine a standard battery like a flat piece of paper. The energy flows slowly across the flat surface, which causes heat to build up and slows down charging. A Smart 3D Porous Current Collector replaces that flat paper with a metal sponge full of tiny holes. This allows charged ions to travel through the collector, opening direct pathways, improving charge flow, and reducing resistance.
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Now imagine cold weather as a traffic jam on your battery ion transport. This new architecture allows the ions to effectively pass through the jam and reach their destinations fast and reliably.
Would you buy a phone that never dies in extreme cold?
This technology tackles not just cold weather but also fast charging
The new 3D porous current collector material. | Image by Addionics
Another potential benefit of these 3D porous current collectors is charging. Batteries using this architecture can potentially charge much faster, thanks to the same improved and efficient ion transport.
It works not only during a traffic jam (cold weather); it offers more lanes on the highway all the time. Now, with technology breakthroughs such as this one, there are normally a lot of caveats.
The important question that you and I want answered is whether this new technology could be applied to smartphones and when.
Read more news about technology breakthroughs here:
The new technology can be incorporated in current lithium-ion battery manufacturing. | Image by Addionics
The official press release that Addionics published talks about electric vehicles, trucks, defense drones, and space and electric aviation. I reached out to the company and asked whether this new technology could be scaled to fit into smartphones and tablets.
The answer I got was a firm "yes." 3D porous current collectors can be used in small smartphone and tablet batteries, and furthermore, it won't require a huge change in the production lines. It's a "drop-in" technology that swaps one step in the manufacturing process for another.
This technology is very similar to silicon carbon when it comes to implementation, as it just "enhances" conventional lithium-ion batteries with a better engineered element in the architecture.
Should I start planning my trip to Alaska?
Addionics received a $39M from investors back in 2024, including General Motors. | Image by Reuters
Getting a technology from the lab to the market normally takes time. In this case, I'm fairly optimistic. A quick search showed that Addionics already raised $39 million from investors, including General Motors, back in 2024, and also announced a planned $400 million investment into its U.S. manufacturing facilities later that year.
When it comes to startups, I'm quite skeptical, given what happened to Donut and the miracle solid-state battery. But Donut got most of the investment from small private investors, while Addionics already has the support of a giant like General Motors.
So, I'll start planning my Alaskan trip and hope for the iPhone 20 to get these new 3D porous current collectors in its battery.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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