Though the spotlight now is on mobile operating systems thanks to Google's newly launched Android platform, the next step in innovation is likely to belong to batteries.
Battery life in a cellphone is a major pain point, with the best offering just three to four hours of talk time.
Cellphone makers are trying hard to push the limit. And Ceatec, the ongoing electronics exhibition in Japan, Toshiba showed off a cellphone prototype with a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC).
Direct methanol fuel cells, which run on a methanol-oxygen fuel mix, are seen as an alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries because they can offer longer operating cycles and can be instantaneously recharged by simply replacing the fuel cartridge.
Toshiba's DMFC-powered phone offers about six hours of talk time though it is not clear exactly what the capacity is, according to PC World. Toshiba has hinted that a 50ml cartridge could refill the cell about 15 times.
Toshiba has been a big advocate of fuel cells. In the past the company has shown off concept audio devices and portable media players using fuel cells.
But attractive as the latest prototype may be, it is still a while away. Toshiba hasn't offered any details on its availability though it has broadly said it "might" release next year.
Photo: Toshiba 830T cellphone (cloneofsnake/Flickr)
.png){kind=logo}
