Xiaomi’s breakthrough in solid-state batteries could be a game-changer!

This is big news!

Xiaomi Solid State Battery
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Xiaomi is on the verge of unleashing a potentially groundbreaking battery tech. Its subbrand Redmi just made the headlines by testing a 300W fast charging solution for smartphones. Xiaomi took it to the Chinese microblogging site “Weibo“, to announce that it has made a breakthrough with solid-state batteries, which offer higher energy density, much more enhanced safety, and so much more over traditional batteries.

Xiaomi Solid State Battery Overview:

What are traditional and solid-state batteries?

To those unaware, conventional batteries are lead-acid flooded batteries with liquid electrolytes. The cathode and anode sections of such batteries have liquid electrolytes in them. But there is a divider in between to prevent the electrolytes from getting mixed up.

Solid State and Conventional Batteries
Image: Murata

On the other hand, solid-state batteries—as the name implies—have solid electrolytes between the cathode and the anode. There is no need for a divider as the entire material is solid instead of liquid. And these batteries also use solid electrodes, while the ions moving through the electrolyte between the cathode and the anode generates the electrical flow.

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Higher energy density and durability

Solid-state batteries also have a higher energy density due to their greater storage capacity. To put things into perspective, it has two to three times higher energy storage capacity than silicon oxide materials used in traditional batteries.

Getting back to Xiaomi, the company says it has achieved a breakthrough in terms of energy density, with 1000Wh/l (watt-hour per liter) for its solid-state batteries. In comparison, that’s more than twice what modern-day EV batteries offer (450 Wh/l).

The shape and size of such solid-state batteries will also be considerably thinner, opening a way for reducing a phone’s thickness. Whereas the absence of liquid electrolytes ensures higher safety by reducing the risk of short circuits in the battery.

Needle test on batteries
Image: Xiaomiui.net

The company also conducted needle tests on its solid-state batteries. To prepare for this, Xiaomi has coated the battery’s positive electrode with solid electrolyte ceramics to improve the resistance to acupuncture.

Improved endurance in low temperature

One of the common problems with conventional batteries is their low endurance in cold weather, since the liquid electrolyte gets thicker at low temperatures, balking the transport of ions and discharging the battery quickly.

But Xiaomi says it has achieved 20% improved efficiency temperatures as low as -20ºC. The new tech will lower the discharging rate in such scenarios with sufficient lithium conductivity.

Xiaomi Solid-State Battery Launch and Availability

Full-fledged production and availability of Xiaomi’s solid-state batteries are likely to take some years. But the company did manage to test it on a prototype Xiaomi 13 smartphone with a big 6000mAh battery. However, the final version of the phone has a smaller 4500mAh lithium polymer battery. Still, we may see several Xiaomi smartphones with the new solid-state battery technology in the upcoming years.