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The iPhone Air’s real breakthrough is its battery

The iPhone Air’s thin design might be eye catching, and the amount of engineering that went into miniaturizing its logic board is impressive. But according to Gene Berdichevsky, co-founder and CEO of battery materials manufacturer Sila, the real breakthrough might lurk elsewhere inside the aluminum and glass enclosure. “The battery in the new iPhone is pretty remarkable,” Berdichevsky told TechCrunch. “The completely arbitrary, two-dimensional shape — you look at the shape, and it’s pretty amaz

Tesla is recalling Powerwall 2 batteries over fire risk

Tesla is recalling Powerwall 2 home batteries in Australia after the company received reports of fires that led to “minor property damage,” according to the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission. The recall affects an unspecified number of Powerwall 2 units made in the U.S. and sold between November 2020 and June 2022. The cells were made by an unnamed third-party supplier. Despite the fires, no injuries have been reported, the ACCC said in a recall notice. The Powerwall 2 contains 14

Fourth Power’s sci-fi thermal batteries could be cheaper than pricey natural gas power plants

Fourth Power’s take on long-duration energy storage sounds like something out of a James Bond film. The thermal batteries come complete with superheated liquid tin and argon-filled hermetically sealed chambers. The company’s goal, though, is far more prosaic — to store electricity cheap enough to make solar and wind an obvious choice for 24/7 power. Here’s how the technology works: To store energy, electricity from the grid heats blocks of carbon inside insulated chambers filled with argon gas.

Phone batteries are getting more compact, but the US is missing out

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on phones and other tech outside the US, follow Dominic Preston. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started Smartphone batteries are bigger than ever, while the phones themselves are shrinking. But whether you’re seeing the benefit — thin phones with big batteries — depends on where you live. The key is the introduction of sili

Exxon Says It Invented a New Graphite That Could Boost EV Batteries

ExxonMobil, the country’s largest oil and gas company, says it has developed a more advanced form of graphite that could help extend the lifespan of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. CEO Darren Woods called the technology a “revolutionary step change in battery performance” at the University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Symposium on Friday. He said it’s already being tested by several EV manufacturers, Bloomberg reports. This new synthetic graphite is used on a battery’s anode, its negative elec

I tried a unviersal battery tester from Amazon, and it's already saving me money

Dlyfull B4 Universal Battery Tester ZDNET's key takeaways This battery tester handles a massive array of batteries, from one-use alkaline batteries to rechargeable cells. It's quick and easy to use, and can be used to test whether rechargeable batteries have come to the end of their life. The small display can be hard to read. View now at Amazon Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. I've lost count of how many times I've seen someone throw away good batteries. Man, those thin

If you use batteries, this universal tester can save you hundreds of dollars

Dlyfull B4 Universal Battery Tester ZDNET's key takeaways This battery tester handles a massive array of batteries, from one-use alkaline batteries to rechargeable cells. It's quick and easy to use, and can be used to test whether rechargeable batteries have come to the end of their life. The small display can be hard to read. View now at Amazon Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. I've lost count of how many times I've seen someone throw away good batteries. Man, those thin

I use a lot of batteries, and this handy device is saving me money - here's how

Dlyfull B4 Universal Battery Tester ZDNET's key takeaways This battery tester handles a massive array of batteries, from one-use alkaline batteries to rechargeable cells. It's quick and easy to use, and can be used to test whether rechargeable batteries have come to the end of their life. The small display can be hard to read. View now at Amazon Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. I've lost count of how many times I've seen someone throw away good batteries. Man, those thin

Rimac introduces its take on solid-state batteries for electric vehicles

Rimac Technology has unveiled a new battery pack platform for electric vehicles that uses only solid-state batteries. The company has been an EV supplier for notable car brands including Aston Martin and Koenigsegg, as well as making electric supercar Nevara . Rimac collaborated with ProLogium and Mitsubishi Chemical Group on the product, which it claims will offer a lighter, safer and more energy-dense EV battery. It introduced this tech, alongside new composite and hybrid battery EV developmen

Want a phone with a removable battery in 2025? I found the best options, but wait before you buy one

As much as we enjoy modern phone designs, there is one trend many of us wish wasn’t going away. Sadly, phones with a removable battery are a dying breed, and our options are getting very, very limited in this niche market. Phones with removable batteries are very convenient in a few ways. For starters, it makes it easy to hot swap batteries on the go, so you can carry multiple and switch them if your phone dies mid-day. Also, batteries degrade over time, and today’s standard solution is to take

The iPhone 17 Air Could Use a Silicon-Carbon Battery. What Is It?

Apple has taken the second approach with caveats. Rumors suggest the iPhone 17 Air's battery capacity will sit around 2,900 mAh, a steep drop from prior iPhone models, especially at the 6.6-inch screen size. But the company is supposedly making up for it with power-saving tricks to make sure battery life remains similar to other iPhones, including Apple's more efficient C1 modem that debuted on the iPhone 16e earlier this year. Luebbe declined to comment on whether Group14’s silicon-carbon comp

Meet the Ethiopian entrepreneur who is reinventing ammonia production

Haile, now at Northwestern University, recalls thinking that Abate was particularly eager. As a visible Ethiopian scientist, she gets a lot of email requests, but his stood out. “No obstacle was going to stand in his way,” she says. It was risky to take on a young student with no research experience who’d only been in the US for a year, but she offered him a spot in her lab. Abate spent the summer working on materials for use in solid oxide fuel cells. He returned for the following summer, then

Should you buy rechargeable batteries in 2025? These USB-C ones say yes

Paleblue rechargable lithium ion batteries ZDNET's key takeaways These batteries are a perfect replacement for alkaline batteries in pretty much every situation I like that can be recharged from a USB port and don't need a specific charger The USB-A connector in the end of the 4-way charge cable does feel a bit dated View now at Amazon Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. It's almost 2026, and yes, we still need batteries. But it no longer makes financial or ecological sense

The best phones with a removable battery and alternative solutions

As much as we enjoy modern phone designs, there is one trend many of us wish wasn’t going away. Sadly, phones with a removable battery are a dying breed, and our options are getting very, very limited in this niche market. Phones with removable batteries are very convenient in a few ways. For starters, it makes it easy to hot swap batteries on the go, so you can carry multiple and switch them if your phone dies mid-day. Also, batteries degrade over time, and today’s standard solution is to take

Are rechargeable batteries still worth buying in 2025? These USB-C ones say yes

Paleblue rechargable lithium ion batteries ZDNET's key takeaways These batteries are a perfect replacement for alkaline batteries in pretty much every situation I like that can be recharged from a USB port and don't need a specific charger The USB-A connector in the end of the 4-way charge cable does feel a bit dated View now at Amazon Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. It's almost 2026, and yes, we still need batteries. But it no longer makes financial or ecological sense

Bluetti says it can reduce vanlife power installations to ‘30 minutes’

is a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. It only took three years, but Bluetti is following EcoFlow’s lead with a fully integrated power system of its own to make vanlifers, off-grid cabins, and boats energy independent. The RVSolar System’s main advantage over bespoke systems is a relativ

These are the only USB-C rechargeable batteries you should consider buying

Paleblue rechargable lithium ion batteries ZDNET's key takeaways These batteries are a perfect replacement for alkaline batteries in pretty much every situation I like that can be recharged from a USB port and don't need a specific charger The USB-A connector in the end of the 4-way charge cable does feel a bit dated View now at Amazon Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. It's almost 2026, and yes, we still need batteries. But it no longer makes financial or ecological sense

Solid-state power banks are ready to keep you juiced — without burning all your stuff

Stephen Schenck / Android Authority TL;DR BMX is bringing solid-state tech to battery packs with a 5,000mAh and 10,000mAh solution. Solid-state construction allows these batteries to take serious damage and keep right on running. Magnetic Qi charging also makes them perfect for pairing with a new Pixel 10. Lithium-ion batteries have been an utter game-changer for mobile devices, making possible everything from our smartphones to practical electric cars. But for all the power they can offer,

My Blink Outdoor Camera Ran for Over a Year Without a Recharge. It’s Still One of My Smartest Buys

The Blink Outdoor 4 security camera typically costs around $100. Right now, you can get a two-pack for $180, which is still a solid value for a wireless setup that doesn’t require constant recharging. CNET's key takeaways The Blink's Outdoor 4 security camera comes with lithium AA batteries that lasted me well over a year, unlike competitor cameras that need frequent recharging as often as every month. The Blink Outdoor 4 is one of the more affordable cams, at about $100, and it can often be

My Blink Outdoor Camera Battery Lasted Nearly Two Years. Now It's 50% Off for This Last-Minute Labor Day Deal

Labor Day deal: The Blink Outdoor 4 security camera typically costs $100. Right now, you can get a two-pack of them for $90, a discount of more than 50%. The deal is part of a limited-time Labor Day sale, so we recommend buying it before it's gone for good. CNET's key takeaways The Blink's Outdoor 4 security camera comes with lithium AA batteries that lasted me well over a year, unlike competitor cameras that need frequent recharging as often as every month. The Blink Outdoor 4 is one of the

India’s Offgrid raises $15M to make lithium optional for battery storage

Lithium has become the default choice for battery-powered systems, but its limitations — from volatile supply chains to short lifespans — are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Offgrid Energy Labs, a deep-tech startup based in India, wants to make lithium less central, especially when it comes to battery storage. The seven-year-old startup, incubated at IIT Kanpur, has developed a proprietary zinc-bromine-based battery system as an alternative to lithium-ion technology. Called ZincGel,

My Blink Outdoor Camera Battery Lasted Nearly Two Years. Now It's 50% Off for Labor Day

Labor Day deal: The Blink Outdoor 4 security camera typically costs $100. Right now, you can get a two-pack of them for $90 -- a discount of more than 50% -- on Amazon during its Labor Day sale. CNET's key takeaways The Blink's Outdoor 4 security camera comes with lithium AA batteries that lasted me well over a year, unlike competitor cameras that need frequent recharging -- as often as every month. The Blink Outdoor 4 is one of the more affordable cams, at about $100, and it can often be fou

Toyota is recycling old EV batteries to help power Mazda's production line

Get The Drive’s daily newsletter The latest car news, reviews, and features. Email address Sign Up Thank you! Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. As electric cars continue to gain ground all over the world, one of the big questions facing the industry is how to best repurpose the batteries powering those vehicles after they’re retired. It’s a question that doesn’t have a single correct answer, and so a number of startups have emerged in recent years with their own proposals. Some automakers are

Toyota Is Recycling Old EV Batteries to Help Power Mazda's Production Line

Get The Drive’s daily newsletter The latest car news, reviews, and features. Email address Sign Up Thank you! Terms of Service & Privacy Policy. As electric cars continue to gain ground all over the world, one of the big questions facing the industry is how to best repurpose the batteries powering those vehicles after they’re retired. It’s a question that doesn’t have a single correct answer, and so a number of startups have emerged in recent years with their own proposals. Some automakers are

The unlikely revival of nuclear batteries

In 1970, surgeons in Paris implanted the first nuclear-powered pacemaker, and over the next five years, at least 1,400 additional people received the devices, mostly in France and the United States. Encased in titanium, the batteries for these devices contained a radioactive isotope—typically about a tenth of a gram of plutonium-238—and could operate for decades without maintenance. The invention provided relief to a population of people who previously needed surgery every few years to change ou

French firm Gouach is pitching an Infinite Battery with replaceable cells

E-bike batteries are, for the most part, a collection of 18650 batteries, packaged together and welded in series and parallel, attached to a battery management system (BMS). A "dead" e-bike battery may only have two or three truly dead cells inside, while the remainder work fine. This is useful knowledge that, for the most part, very few e-bike owners can really use. Arc welders are not a common tool to own, and most e-bike batteries are not designed to be opened, safely or otherwise. French fi

How much do electric car batteries degrade?

It’s always the battery in my mobile phone that gives up on me first. After just a few years, it can barely make it through the day without getting another charge. Most electric cars have the same types of batteries — usually lithium-ion — so the assumption is that they degrade just as quickly. This is a fairly common fear for people considering a new EV: “Won’t the battery need to be replaced after a few years?”. And I think it’s even more prominent in the second-hand market: “Oh, I’d never bu

Dead EV Batteries Are Hoarding a Shocking Amount of Useful Lithium

The lithium batteries we deem unfit for use in electric vehicles might still contain copious amounts of usable, pure lithium we could retrieve and reuse—a potentially consistent, bountiful supply we’re just not trying hard enough to tap into, a new study suggests. In a study published August 14 in the Journal of Environmental Management, researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia argue that tapping into the leftover lithium in used batteries could fuel a pragmatic, sustainable alt

Still use AA batteries? Save now and in the future with these rechargeable batteries deal

As much as we wish all devices came with a rechargeable battery, that’s just not the case yet. Manufacturers insist on releasing things that use AA batteries. I am not about to keep buying disposable, so I have some rechargeable AA batteries to save me some store trips, money, and headaches. If you need to get your own, here’s a really nice deal on eight SINCEHOLY Lithium AA Rechargeable Batteries, which are currently on sale for just $14.99. Buy the SINCEHOLY Lithium AA Rechargeable Batteries 8

The 4 Best Hearing Aids for Seniors in 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Today’s hearing aids have a bevy of features ranging from Bluetooth streaming connectivity to multiple modes that allow you to adjust the device to changing surroundings. Here’s what senior users need to keep an eye out for. Style: Behind-the-ear (BTE) or in-the-ear (ITE) aids? If you don’t mind a highly visible hunk of plastic hanging from your ear all day, BTE aids will be fine. Those who don’t want to telegraph their hearing loss will find ITE models much more discreet. We even have a pair o