New smartphone battery platform targets AI workloads with high discharge capability

The new Enovix AI-1 smartphone battery platform is based on a 100% silicon-anode architecture, with the first 7,350 milliampere-hour (mAh) AI-1 cells already sampled to an original equipment manufacturer for qualification in upcoming devices. The platform incorporates more than 190 patents and is designed for mobile systems that require higher energy and power to support on-device AI workloads.

Each AI-1 cell achieves an energy density greater than 900 watt-hours per liter (Wh/L). Internal testing has shown charging performance at a 3C rate, reaching 20% capacity in five minutes and 50% in fifteen minutes. Cycle life exceeds 900 charge–discharge cycles under standard smartphone usage conditions. The cell also supports high discharge currents across a broad temperature range, a requirement for processors performing intensive AI functions.

Safety validation of AI-1 has included drop, tumble, thermal abuse, and external short-circuit testing. To address silicon-anode swelling, the design incorporates multiple modifications to the anode, cathode, electrolyte, separator, and structural materials. The result is a compact unit measuring 1.79 cubic inches in volume with an energy capacity of 26.3 watt-hours. This storage level has been demonstrated by equivalence testing, such as powering a hydraulic lift to raise and lower a 4,948-pound vehicle three times on a single charge.

Figure 1. The first AI-1 cell is just 1.79 cu. in. in volume, yet it contains 26.3 watt-hours of electrical energy, enough to power a typical car lift to raise and lower a 4,948-pound truck to a working height of 4.7 ft — three times per charge.

The development of AI-1 required several years of iterative redesigns, with repeated material and structural changes taking months to fabricate and evaluate. The process has also shown potential to increase energy density in smaller formats, such as wearable batteries, with projections above 1,000 Wh/L. Initial AI-1 production is underway in Malaysia, with broader availability expected later in 2025.