This new display tech is light on your battery

If you are still skeptical of your smartphone battery even after having it for a long time, don’t fret because a new smart glass technology that could help you preserve the battery life of your smartphone is in the works.

The innovation threatens to shake up the smartphone and wearable device market, because more than 90 per cent of the battery power in a mobile device is used to illuminate its display.

At the moment one of the biggest culprits when it comes to battery consumption on our phones is our display, which is why some users prefer to set their display brightness to the lowest settings possible in a bid to conserve energy. The company’s founder Dr. Peiman Hosseini believes that such technology could impact devices like smartphones and smartwatches. But the British experts say tackling the main drain on a gadget’s power may give better results. Reports seem to suggest that in spite of requiring virtually zero power for illumination, the display will still be vivid and legible even in bright daylight, which, if true, will definitely make it a viable alternative to be used in consumer tech products once it is ready for primetime.

While the Oxford scientists are confident they’ve cracked the battery battle and hope to have a prototype within a year, other technology companies are also exploring new power methods.

“We will be creating smart glazing which allows only certain wavelengths of light into a building, giving instant control over both the heat and light being transmitted, and over the appearance of the glass”, said Professor Harish Bhaskaran, who is leading the research.

Battery life is seen as a major stumbling block for modern computing and technology.

Apple is investigating using fuel cells to power phones and laptops and this year was granted a patent for a system it claims could power Apple devices for weeks. But what if there was a new display technology that could give you all you need, without using any power at all?