Coin-sized Energy Source
LG Chem said on June 28 that it has developed a hexagonal battery targeting the global smartwatch market.
In the current climate of global IT manufacturers developing circular smartwatches, the hexagon-shaped batteries cannot but be more competitive in energy efficiency. The hexagonal battery enjoys 25 percent higher energy efficiency than conventional rectangular batteries, increasing battery life by up to 4 hours.
“The company has cooperated with a business partner to develop the batteries for smartphones, but we cannot disclose the name of the company due to a non-disclosure agreement,” LG Chem said, hinting that Apple and LG Electronics are not partners in the battery's development.
LG Chem will mass produce and start to sell hexagonal batteries to global smartphone manufacturers. The company’s battery facilities in Nanjing, China, are known to be responsible for manufacturing the hexagonal batteries.
According to research firm Gartner, smartwatches will make up at least 40 percent of wearable devices by 2016, and more than 100 million smartwatches are expected to be released in 2020.
Besides the hexagonal battery, LG has developed “curved,” “recessed,” and “wired” batteries based on its patented “Stack and Folding” technology. The company calls such a variety of batteries “Free Form Batteries.” An official at LG Chem expected the demand for battery products that allow various designs of devices to explosively increase in the coming years.
LG Chem plans to introduce more batteries of various shapes, including an L-shaped one or a rectangular model with a hole in the middle.