I love big Si-C batteries, but slow charging is a steep price to pay

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority

If there’s been one major game changer for smartphone hardware in the past few years, it’s undoubtedly the adoption of silicon-carbon (Si-C) battery technology. By mixing traditional lithium-ion cells with silicon-carbon, manufacturers are able to greatly increase a battery’s storage capacity without a huge increase in its physical size, meaning better longevity for our smartphones.

Even small amounts of added Si-C have been a game changer for battery capacities. After being stuck with 5,000mAh Li-ion cells as the upper limit for the best part of a decade, we’ve quickly seen capacities jump to 7,000mAh, 8,000mAh, and even 10,000mAh cells in the most advanced cases.