Battery life: The smartphone industry's Achilles heel?

The iPhone in your pocket is more powerful than the NASA computers that sent a man to the moon. So why is it still always low on juice?

The familiar iPhone warning
(Image credit: CC BY: Tom Raftery)

Every few months, cell phones get faster processors, higher-resolution displays, and are infused with powerful new software. Indeed, these pocket computers are now more powerful than the hardware NASA used to send a man to the moon. So why is it, then, that the industry can't seem to make a lasting, reliable battery? Unless they're charged every eight hours, these $500 devices are worth little more than paperweights. Here, a guide to why cell phone batteries still underperform:

Why haven't batteries improved?

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us