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`HISTORY OF CELL PHONE BATTERIES AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY | by Diamond Litty | Medium
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`HISTORY OF CELL PHONE BATTERIES AND
`ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY
`
`Diamond Litty Aug 31, 2016 · 5 min read
`
`By VA Cell
`
`These days you can’t step more than a few blocks outside or drive more than a mile or
`two down the road without seeing a cell phone in use. Considering the fact that just a
`few years ago the cell phone was a bulky, seldom used accessory, these marvelous
`communication devices are a “must have device” in today’s Internet and computer-crazy
`world.
`
`Early Cell Phone Batteries Did Not Last Long
`
`The technology that powers modern cell phones is based on the old two-way radios of
`the 1940s used in taxis and police cars. The very first cell phone was used in 1946 by the
`Swedish Police Department. This phone worked using the principles of radio
`transmissions and was good for six calls before the battery died. This first battery for
`operating a cell phone was actually a car battery that was hooked directly to the phone,
`instead of being a separate battery like today’s cell phones. Most early cell phones could
`only be used in a vehicle because they needed such a large amount of battery power.
`
`The small batteries available now had not yet been invented. Plus, these early phones
`were very large, heavy, and bulky. For example, Eriksson had a mobile phone in the
`
`https://medium.com/@diamondlitty62/history-of-cell-phone-batteries-and-advances-in-technology-9303f6cddd69
`
`1/5
`
`Fundamental Ex 2016
`TCT et al v Fundamental
`IPR2021-00599
`
`

`

`12/13/21, 9:35 AM
`HISTORY OF CELL PHONE BATTERIES AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY | by Diamond Litty | Medium
`1950s that weighed an astonishing 80 pounds! By the late 1960s, mobile phones existed
`that would work in one cell phone calling area only, and they wouldn’t work at all once
`the users got a certain distance away from the assigned calling area. An engineer at Bell
`Labs developed this technology in the 1970s.
`
`By the time the first prototype of the modern cell phone appeared in 1973, the phone
`was capable of being used independently and it worked in multiple calling regions.
`These phones looked nothing like the sleek, tiny flip phones and Smartphones we have
`now, and they could only run for 30 minutes without the cell phone battery needing a
`charge.
`
`In addition, these short-lived batteries took a full 10 hours to recharge! Compare this to
`the current ability of charging your phone via a home electric socket, the charging
`socket in your car, or even via a USB charge with your computer in just a few minutes.
`
`Cell Phones Evolved and Improved Over Time
`
`During the 1980s, cell phones began to get more popular and a bit more practical, but
`they were still mostly used in cars due to the large battery needs of the early models.
`Few could be carried outside of the car, and the phrase “car phone” was the usual term
`for these devices. A few were built into briefcases, which could also hold the large cell
`phone batteries needed to power them.
`
`By the 1990s, cell phones and their batteries were getting smaller and the networks to
`run them were also being improved. Phone systems such as GSM, TDMA, and CDMA
`came into existence, and there were even digital phone networks in U.S. and Europe by
`1991.These phones could be carried around, and advances in making smaller batteries
`and computer chips to run them made them weigh between 100 and 200 grams, a big
`improvement from the 20 to 80-pound bricks of the previous years, or the briefcase-
`sized cell phone batteries required to run them.
`
`Smartphones Revolutionized the Modern Cell Phone
`
`Fast-forward to the year 2016, when just about everyone has a Smartphone. Compared
`to the first primitive cell phone back in the 1950s, the Smartphone resembles something
`out of Star Trek! You can call a friend, enjoy a video chat, download your favorite tune,
`send a text, or even make a reservation for dinner while you order up some flowers and
`
`https://medium.com/@diamondlitty62/history-of-cell-phone-batteries-and-advances-in-technology-9303f6cddd69
`
`2/5
`
`Fundamental Ex 2016
`TCT et al v Fundamental
`IPR2021-00599
`
`

`

`12/13/21, 9:35 AM
`HISTORY OF CELL PHONE BATTERIES AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY | by Diamond Litty | Medium
`chocolates to have delivered to your date. Batteries, too, have come a long way from the
`cell phone being tied to a car battery. Over the past few decades, there have been several
`types of cell phone batteries.
`
`Nickel-Cadmium Cell Phone Batteries
`
`Nickel-cadmium batteries or NiCD were the batteries of choice during the 1980s and
`’90s. The main problem was that they were bulky and heavy, and this made the cell
`phones large and bulky. Moreover, after you recharged them a few times they built up
`what is called a “memory effect” and they didn’t always hold a charge. This resulted in
`dead cell phone batteries, which meant spending increasing amounts of money buying
`more. These batteries also had a tendency to get hot, which caused disturbances, plus
`one of the ingredients in the batteries was cadmium, which is toxic and a problem to
`dispose of after the battery dies.
`
`Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries
`
`The next round of cell phone batteries were nickel-metal hydride, otherwise known as
`NiMH, which began to be used during the later 1990s. They were non-toxic and had
`fewer memory effect issues. Plus, this type of battery was thinner and weighed less.
`Also, they could be recharged in a shorter length of time and they let users talk longer
`before they died.
`
`Lithium-Ion Batteries
`
`The lithium-ion battery was developed next. They are still in use today. They are thinner
`and lighter and last longer. It takes even less time to charge them. They can be made into
`many different shapes and sizes to fit different styles of cell phones, so any company can
`use them in their mobile devices. There is no memory effect to worry about, so they can
`be recharged multiple times, and they are safe for the environment. They are, however,
`much more expensive than the older battery models.
`
`Lithium-Poly Ion Batteries
`
`The newest development in cell phone batteries is the lithium-poly icon, or Li-Poly
`battery, which has 40 percent more power than the old NiMh batteries. They are super
`light and have no memory effect issues to cause charging problems. However, these
`
`https://medium.com/@diamondlitty62/history-of-cell-phone-batteries-and-advances-in-technology-9303f6cddd69
`
`3/5
`
`Fundamental Ex 2016
`TCT et al v Fundamental
`IPR2021-00599
`
`

`

`12/13/21, 9:35 AM
`HISTORY OF CELL PHONE BATTERIES AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY | by Diamond Litty | Medium
`batteries are not commonly used as yet, and they are still fairly rare. All in all, the
`technologies for the cell phone and its battery have come a long way in a relatively short
`period of time.
`
`VA Cell, Inc. is one of the leading cellphone distribution companies with a network
`across Latin America and the Caribbean. Please visit VA Cell on their websites and blogs;
`
`VA Cell Website Links
`VA-Cell-Inc.com
`
`VA-Cell.net
`
`VA-Cell.info
`
`About-VA-Cell.com
`
`VA-Cell-Info.com
`
`VA Cell Blogs
`VA Cell WordPress Blog
`
`VA Cell Weebly Blog
`
`VA Cell Tumblr Blog
`
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`https://medium.com/@diamondlitty62/history-of-cell-phone-batteries-and-advances-in-technology-9303f6cddd69
`
`4/5
`
`Fundamental Ex 2016
`TCT et al v Fundamental
`IPR2021-00599
`
`

`

`12/13/21, 9:35 AM
`
`HISTORY OF CELL PHONE BATTERIES AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY | by Diamond Litty | Medium
`
`https://medium.com/@diamondlitty62/history-of-cell-phone-batteries-and-advances-in-technology-9303f6cddd69
`
`5/5
`
`Fundamental Ex 2016
`TCT et al v Fundamental
`IPR2021-00599
`
`