Batteries are the biggest bottleneck for current devices. Sure, you can have the biggest camera sensors, beefiest processors, and brightest screens, but what good will it do if your battery is dead? Battery technology has improved very little in the last few years, so manufacturers make more efficient parts and try to fit bigger batteries into their devices. It’s not the ideal solution.

LG has invented a new flexible battery that, when bent, keeps a constant voltage. As you can see in the video, that thin battery is powering an LED while being bent. Also, it’s shown to keep a consistent voltage, which makes it practical in use.

These batteries are made the same way as standard Li-ion batteries, so they can hold the same amount of energy in the same space. If this is made to power large devices, it would make them much thinner. The fact that they are flexible means that a manufacturer could fill up empty spaces previously impossible to fill due to the large and rigid nature of current batteries.

Pair this technology with a flexible display, and we’re even closer to fully flexible phones. Unfortunately, this tech isn’t expected to be commercially available until 2017, which is quite far away. But hey, it’s much needed progress.

Android Police