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Dutch companies LeydenJar and Powall are not manufacturing complete batteries but specializing in critical components, such as battery anodes, aiming to secure a strategic foothold in the global battery supply chain. LeydenJar's Christian Rood likens this approach to ASML's dominance in semiconductor equipment, where being indispensable in one production step grants outsized influence over an entire industry.
Furo, a startup building software for industrial battery storage systems, has raised $4 million from mostly U.S. investors including TQ Ventures, Neo, and Sheryl Sandberg's Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners. The three 28-year-old founders, originally from Germany, moved back home after studying and briefly operating in the Bay Area, and within a year landed enterprise clients like Deutsche Bahn. Co-founder Lena Sophia Voß says the company is scaling faster in Europe than it would have in the U.S.
Energizer's 100-watt outdoor Bluetooth speaker, which offers up to 24 hours of battery life, is now available for $84.99, a price cut from its usual cost. The deal targets consumers seeking a portable, long-lasting speaker for outdoor use.
A new executive order prohibits installing foreign-produced bulk-power system equipment deemed a national security threat, explicitly naming battery energy storage systems, inverters and transformers. This follows earlier measures including 2022 tax credit restrictions tied to sourcing of battery minerals and components, a 2025 rule requiring 55% non-Chinese materials for storage projects starting in 2026, and tariffs on batteries that rose to 25% from 7.5% in January.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max claims 45 hours of video playback versus 39 hours on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, along with faster wired and wireless charging. Aside from battery improvements, a variable aperture camera, larger vapor chamber and A20 Pro chip, the new model is nearly identical to its predecessor, and costs just $100 more starting at $1,299 for 256GB.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its 'Surprise and shine' event, featuring the A20 Pro chip, an adjustable camera aperture with AI features, and a larger vapor chamber. The standout upgrade is battery life, with the Pro Max rated for 45 hours of video playback versus 39 hours on last year's model, plus faster wired and wireless charging. Starting at $1,299 for 256GB, the new phone costs $100 more than its predecessor at launch.
Apple's newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max claim the largest battery life increase in the device's history, driven by redesigned batteries, the more efficient A20 Pro chip, and software tuning. Per Apple's specs, streaming playback rises from 30 to 33 hours on the standard Pro and from 35 to 40 hours on the Max, while a new 'real-world usage' metric rates the Pro at 24 hours and the Pro Max at 30 hours.
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at its 'Surprise and shine' event, adding upgraded health sensors, audio transcription and summary features, and a new ceramic case option for the Series 12. Both models retain the same starting prices as their predecessors, with the Series 12 at $399 and the Ultra 4 at $799.
A CNET survey found that 52% of US adults would consider upgrading their smartphone mainly for longer battery life, while 55% cited price as their top motivator. The findings arrive just before Apple's Sept. 9 event, where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable phone alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and Ultra models.
US energy storage set another quarterly record, powered largely by seven new gigascale battery installations exceeding one gigawatt-hour each, according to a report from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the Solar Energy Industries Association. Behind-the-meter batteries also grew, with data centers accounting for roughly three-quarters of new commercial installations, even as residential battery installations are projected to fall 16% in 2026 after a supporting tax credit expired in 2025.
A report outlines why using Apple CarPlay wirelessly can drain iPhone battery faster than a wired connection, and suggests fixes such as turning off the screen, enabling Low Power Mode, using a wireless charging pad, downloading media offline, and limiting GPS use. It also notes that keeping iOS updated can bring efficiency improvements to CarPlay itself.
A study by Austrian battery-analysis firm Aviloo, based on over 500,000 tests across 20 popular EV models including Tesla's Model Y and Volkswagen's ID.4, found median battery health ranging from 87 to 94 percent after 150,000 kilometers of use. The research found degradation levels between 91-97 percent at 50,000km and 88-95 percent at 100,000km, though rates varied widely depending on climate, battery size and driving habits.