--- title: "Apple Battery Supplier Working on New Battery Material With 100 Times the Energy Density of Current Tech" description: "Japanese electronics corporation TDK says its new solid state batteries will replace the coin sized batteries found in wearable electronics." date: "2024-06-19" modified: "2024-06-19" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/apple-tdk-new-battery" categories: - "Energy" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "apple" - "batteries" - "battery" - "solid state battery" - "the digest" --- # Apple Battery Supplier Working on New Battery Material With 100 Times the Energy Density of Current Tech ![Japanese electronics corporation TDK says its new solid state batteries will replace the coin sized batteries found in wearable electronics.]() *\Image: Jaap Arriens / NurPhoto via Getty / Futurism\* ## Power Up The Japanese electronics corporation TDK claims that it's achieved a breakthrough in developing a new material for its next generation of solid-state batteries, the [*Financial Times* reports](), boosting their performance by a remarkable degree. In numbers, the Apple supplier claims that forthcoming versions of its rechargeable CeraCharge batteries will boast an energy density of 1,000 Watt-hours per liter, which is 100 times greater than currently available models. But this figure is made by comparing gains achieved with the material to TDK's own older batteries, and not to those of its competitors. So, in other words, it may not accurately reflect the amount of progress made here. Nevertheless, TDK says its newfangled batteries will replace the small, coin batteries found in wearable tech like smartwatches and wireless earphones. But while the supplier claims this will be revelatory in the world of very small devices, it isn't likely to translate to larger scale applications like electric vehicles. ## Flattery Figures Solid state batteries are considered a cut above the more standard lithium ion ones they compete with. They promise higher energy densities, and use solid electrolytes, which are less flammable than liquid ones. That also means that these batteries should be lighter, as well as be able to be charged faster. There's a lot left to be ironed out with solid state batteries, though, and [like many]() [energy breakthroughs](), it always seems to be a few years away, every year. It's a familiar tale: companies are [struggling to bring them to mass production scale](), especially in larger applications, due to the costs involved in making them. In the EV space, Toyota says that it's [on the verge of releasing such batteries]() that can go 900 miles on a single charge. In the world of decidedly smaller electronics, TDK claims to have achieved its own breakthrough by using a ceramic material with oxide-based solid electrolytes and lithium alloy anodes. The corporation admits, however, that the ceramic material is most likely too fragile to be used in anything larger than the coin batteries it's supposedly set to replace — so it won't even be feasible to be used in, say, a smartphone battery, according to the *FT*. With all that mind, it's worth tamping down expectations on just what TDK claims its new batteries will deliver, instead of getting — apologies — too charged up. **More on energy storage:** *[New Concrete That Stores Electricity Could Turn Whole Homes Into Batteries]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()