New Energy-Saving Solutions: Charge your Phone Once a Month

Cambridge University researchers are developing a microchip promising extended smartphone battery life and possibly new energy-saving solutions.

• Semiconductors are essential in various applications, from electric vehicles to medical treatments.
• Vaireis researching an energy-efficient silicon chip processor to reduce the need for high-capacity batteries.

Scientists at Cambridge University are developing a microchip that could make it possible for smartphones to last an entire month before needing a recharge.

This technology, designed to be incredibly energy-efficient, would only require smartphones to be charged 12 times a year.

Semiconductors play a critical role in a wide range of applications, from powering electric vehicles to aiding in medical treatments and disease research. The UK government recently announced a £1.3 million two-year program aimed at mentoring select semiconductor startups.

Vaire, the commercial arm of Cambridge University, is among those semiconductor startups. The team is looking into creating a silicon chip processor with ultra-low energy consumption. This will ultimately reduce the demand for high-capacity batteries.

Specific details about the microchip remain secret. Industry experts, however, are looking forward to not only the technology but all the opportunities it will give.

Sean Redmond, CEO of SiliconCatalyst.UK, which oversees the project, is confident in the Cambridge team. “If they can really deliver on that outrageous claim, it means that you will have a mobile phone that will last a month, not a day. Nobody in the world today has been able to realize that in a semiconductor chip – if anybody can do it, this team out of Cambridge in the UK will be able to.”

The usefulness of the chip goes beyond a mundane smartphone. It could reshape various chip-heavy sectors, including healthcare and telecom.

Our world is heavily reliant on energy consumption. There are around 6.84 billion smartphones out there. That’s a lot of energy consumed on a daily basis. Not to mention all the other small electronics like our smartwatches and tablets. But it’s killing our planet and, ultimately, us. So, any scientific progress that allows us to save energy is a good thing. Within reason, of course. It would be a disaster if a hospital decided to cut unethical corners for energy consumption.

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