Cellphone Energy Gap: Desperately Seeking Solutions

Author: Stuart Robinson

Publication Date: 30 Mar 2009

Pages: 28

Service Navigation: Strategic Technologies > Handset Component Technologies > Batteries

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Summary

The Energy Gap is the difference between energy supply and demand. In a cellphone the Energy Gap is growing by about 4% per year, meaning that the average user may have to charge their phone more frequently, or carry spare batteries. Combining usage patterns, feature penetration and power consumption trends for key components and applications, we show that the problem is worse for smartphone users, whose average time between charges (ATBC) is expected to drop from 3.2 days in 2008 to just 2.48 days by 2015. As a proportion of the total Battery Budget, web browsing, navigation and social networking will see the biggest increase, growing from a combined 9% of the battery budget in 2008 to 30% by 2014. Improvements in component power consumption and battery chemistries will not be sufficient to offset the growth in feature penetration and application usage.

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1 Executive Summary
2 Introduction
3 Factors Affecting the Cellphone Energy Gap

3.1 Size of the Battery
3.2 Power Consumption of Components

3.2.1 Displays
3.2.2 Semiconductors
3.2.3 Front-End
3.2.4 Future Technology Developments

3.3 Penetration of Power-Guzzling Applications
3.4 Usage Patterns
3.5 Improvements in Battery Energy Density

3.5.1 Other Battery Chemistries: Potential Replacements for Li-Ion

4 The Cellphone Energy Budget

4.1 Where Does it All Go?
4.2 The Main Offenders

4.2.1 Basic Phone Segment
4.2.2 Feature Phone Segment
4.2.3 Smart Phone Segment
4.2.4 Energy Budget Summary: All Segments

4.3 The Big Question: Is the Energy Gap Growing or Shrinking?
4.4 Contact the author of this report: