‘Air’ batteries can power phones and electric cars for longer

In 10 seconds? Electric cars need lighter and faster-charging batteries to increase their range, while green energy requires reliable storage to feed the grid. Scientists have found new ways to meet the demand... and have come up with a no-battery phone in the process.

A battery-free phone? Yes, although the prototype (built back in 2017) resembles a green circuit board and no display. The tech can’t power a modern smartphone yet but to prove the concept, researchers built a rudimentary device, that is partly powered by vibrations from the voices of the caller and the phone speaker.