Mirasol displays might extend Android phone battery life to days

I have gone through a few Android-powered smartphones from the HTC Desire to the HTC Desire S, Sony Ericsson Live Walkman, Sony Ericsson Arc S, and now, the HTC Sensation, and have found one common denominator (no, if you answered the operating system being the same, that’s not the answer I am looking for) – their battery life hardly lasts beyond 24 hours. Of course, I leave my 3G connection on at all times without relying on Wi-Fi, surf for around 30 minutes to an hour each day, send approximately 5 text messages and 10 emails or so, and check my Facebook updates rather often, for some context.

One of the biggest battery drainers would be the display of the Android device, and with such handsets coming with larger and larger displays, you can bet your bottom dollar that the battery life is going to suffer even more. Well, Qualcomm might have the solution in the form of their Mirasol displays that feature interferometric modulator display (IMOD) technology, allowing it to create different colors via the interference of reflected light. It is said that this new technology can offer power consumption a tenth or less of that of a comparable LCD, now how about that? Does this mean future Android powered devices that sport Mirasol displays will soon have one strong winning point against the iPhone crowd, which is far superior battery life that runs into days?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Android, Battery, mirasol, Qualcomm