Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
- Xiaomi has announced through social media that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro will feature new battery technology.
- The battery in the phones is likely to be a silicon-oxygen anode. This is different from the standard lithium-ion batteries in most smartphones.
- Reportedly, this will allow the battery to charge faster and at the same time be physically thinner.
We are only a few days away from the next big smartphone release from Xiaomi. At the event, we expect to see the top two entries in the Mi 11 series, namely the high-powered Mi 11 Pro and the Mi 11 Ultra.
Obviously, both phones will be similar to the Xiaomi Mi 11, which was launched in late 2020 (and we have already reviewed). However, there will be quite a difference internally for the phones. Today, Global Keynote Speaker Xiaomi Product Marketing Manager published on Twitter that the phones will have a new type of battery technology.
Related: We asked, you told us: You think the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is on fire
Compared to the standard lithium-ion batteries we see in almost every smartphone today, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro feature silicon-oxygen anode batteries. This is a newer type of battery technology that was first developed at the Technion Institute of Technology – Israel in the late 2000s. Reportedly, it would allow smartphone batteries to be thinner than usual and at the same time allow for faster charging.
Xiaomi claims that this battery technology is similar to what you see in electric vehicles (EVs).
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro: Game changers?
This is an interesting development as almost all smartphone batteries have been lithium-ion models from the decay of nickel-metal hydride batteries in the late 90s. If the tech in the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11 Pro succeeds, it could change the industry.
In fact, it’s quite possible that Xiaomi could still include a standard Li-ion battery in the phones that is just powered by a Si-O battery. If that’s the case, these phones could be a test for the technology.
Xiaomi will launch both phones on March 29th. Keep an eye on it!