Samsung Exec Says Solid-State Batteries Will Hit Smartphones Before Electric Cars

According to a recent report, solid-state batteries are expected to replace lithium-ion batteries found in smartphones and similar products within the next few years.

The biggest advantage of batteries being made from solid instead of liquid electrolytes, is the much lower risk of catching fire and exploding. After the Galaxy Note 7 recall, battery safety has become a major concern among manufacturers.

A Samsung executive stated that the company will start manufacturing solid-state batteries in one to two years with the first application being for smartphones. However, this battery technology may not hit the electric vehicle market until 2025, due to the more strict safety regulations.

Could we see solid-state batteries in phones by 2018 or 2019? Honestly, if it’s mature enough to compete with conventional batteries in term of capacity, lifespan and charging speed, a release is possible. Luckily, Samsung isn’t the only company working on the new battery technology. There are a few others including LG, which will reportedly start producing them around the same time.

STICKER BEHIND SAMSUNG BATTERY NOT SPY CHIP!

STICKER BEHIND SAMSUNG BATTERY NOT SPY CHIP!

That little sticker behind your Samsung Battery is not a spy chip! This is a public service announcement, "Samsung is not using a sticker hidden behind your battery to obtain your content or for government surveillance."

It is easy to fear the unknown. In fact, this is happening right now on Facebook thanks to a few videos going viral of a couple of men pealing back the sticker of a Samsung battery claiming a "disturbing discovery."

This is usually the sort of thing that we would sit back and chuckle about. However, as the videos became more frequent, we decided to inform users instead of just watching them remove unique features from their devices and shouting conspiracy from the internet roof tops.

The sticker behind the Samsung battery is without a doubt a chip but not what some people have come to think. It is called a NFC chip or near field communication. This technology enables devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching the devices together or bringing them with a close proximity. The most popular example of this is Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Many retailers already have contactless terminals that are NFC-based in place, making the transition to mobile payments easy. Other common functions of NFC is called Android Beam which uses this technology to exchange information between two Android phones. We are sure you've seen those Samsung commercials, placing two phones back-to-back and exchanging an item.

It should be known that usually NFC chips are sealed within the plastic backs of most devices. Although, Samsung made the business decision to place this chip behind the battery sticker because they want the user to purchase their specific model for battery replacement.

This is one of the technical things that most people are simply unaware of because it hasn't been made universal among all devices. Unfortunately, when misunderstanding and slight paranoia combine, madness is soon to follow. So please do not attempt to remove the NFC sticker from your batteries. The chip is not acquiring your information in any way no matter what Facebook tells you. Instead try something new and make a mobile payment or two. Who knows, you may find it more convenient than carrying around your purse or wallet.