Already tried and tested by several Chinese manufacturers, silicon-carbon battery technology could now be winning over some of the world’s major smartphone makers. And it has a number of advantages.

Conventional lithium-ion batteries feature a graphite anode. Here, this is replaced (or supplemented) by a composite of silicon and carbon. Silicon is able to store far more lithium ions than graphite, thus increasing the battery’s energy density. The addition of carbon helps stabilise the structure and improve electrical conductivity, for greater performance and durability.