Mobile Handset Batteries and Fuel Cells Report: 2006-2013

Abstract

If handheld devices continue to improve and demand more power, then traditional batteries will soon be unable to deliver the required energy - FACT.

Power-hungry multimedia applications will drain traditional batteries rapidly and users and the industry demand that the power gap is reduced quickly.

Micro fuel cells are emerging as a viable technology alternative to achieve this goal. However, critical questions remain, such as, when will micro fuel cells be available in commercial handsets and laptops? And how can they help improve the user experience? How much will they cost and what impact this will have on handset costs. Only visiongain's brand new exclusive management report will tell you.

A longer battery life is essential to both the consumer and enterprise segments, with consumer surveys showing extended battery life to be by far the most desired functionality by end users. What are you doing to satisfy your customers' requirements? Handset OEMs and mobile operators who can cater to this demand with longer phone operating hours will create a powerful element of product and service differentiation. Shouldn't you be delivering this demand to your clients, today?

Indeed, OEMs and operators are waking up to the potential on offer by fuel cells for the next generation of mobile phones and laptops. Fuel cell manufacturers are aggressively working beyond R&D to commercialise their products. But is there a business model for micro fuel cells? Which fuel cell manufacturers have the most solid strategies? This report will answer your questions, and more.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Executive Summary

• 1.1 Key market issues
• 1.2 Fuel cell benefits and drivers
• 1.3 Fuel cells and the user experience
• 1.4 Carriers and OEMs increasingly view fuel cells as a viable technology alternative
• 1.5 Barriers limiting micro fuel cell adoption
• 1.6 Market trends and evolution
• 1.7 Key findings

Chapter 2. Introduction

• 2.1 Defining fuel cell technology
• 2.2 Fuel cell benefits
• 2.3 How fuel cells work
  • Figure 2.1: Typical fuel cell
  • Table 2.2: Comparative view of different fuel cell types
• 2.4 Focus and scope of this report

Chapter 3. Strategic overview

• 3.1 Rechargeable batteries
  • 3.1.1 Nickel Cadmium
    • Table 3.1: NiCD characteristics
  • 3.1.2 Nickel Metal Hydride
    • Table 3.2: NiMH characteristics
  • 3.1.3 Lithium ion
    • Table 3.3: Li-ion characteristics
  • 3.1.4 Li-polymer
    • Table 3.4: Li-Poly characteristics
• 3.2 Batteries and the end-user experience
  • 3.2.1 Battery power and content delivery
• 3.3 Li-ion vs Li-Poly batteries in handsets
• 3.4 Portable fuel cell market barriers
  • Table 3.5: Type of battery behind OEM handsets
  • Table 3.6: Battery types powering laptop computers
  • Table 3.7: Impact of mobile data consumption on battery life (by application)
• 3.5 Technical challenges affecting fuel cells
  • 3.5.1 Size
  • 3.5.2 Heat generation
• 3.6 Fuel cell market drivers
  • 3.6.1 Signs of confidence in fuel cell technology
    • 3.6.1.1 Carriers
      • Table 3.8: Recent mobile operator fuel cell deals
      • Table 3.9: Main Specifications of DoCoMo's Prototype Micro Fuel Cell
      • Figure 3.1: FOMA handset attached to micro fuel cell
    • 3.6.1.2 OEMs
      • Table 3.10: Recent handset OEM fuel cell developments
      • Table 3.11: Capabilities of various fuel cell technologies
• 3.7 Business case for micro fuel cells
  • Chart 3.1: User experience of a mobile handset with Li-ion battery vs fuel cell
  • Chart 3.2: User experience with laptop using fuel cell vs Li-ion battery
• 3.8 Fuel cells provide a means of differentiating handset offerings

Chapter 4. Fuel cell market opportunities

• 4.1 Market trends
  • 4.1.1 Power-hungry mobile devices
  • 4.1.2 Advanced services
  • 4.1.3 ARPU
    • Table 4.1: Data ARPU of major operators
    • Table 4.2: Data ARPU drivers
• 4.2 Handset constraints
  • Table 4.3: Handset design issues
  • Table 4.4: Battery capacity of various handset models
  • 4.2.1 The impact of handset components on power consumption
    • Table 4.5: Typical energy consumption by component in GSM handsets
  • 4.2.2 High current bursts
    • Table 4.6: Power requirements of GSM and CDMA phones
  • 4.2.3 Power consumption by memory, displays and peripherals
    • Chart 4.1: Power consumption by handset component
• 4.3 Laptop power requirements
  • Table 4.7: Typical power requirements of a laptop
• 4.4 Alleviating the power gap through fuel cells
  • Chart 4.2: Affect on battery of "heavy pulling"
  • 4.4.1 Fuel cells offer multiple benefits
  • 4.4.2 Fuel Cell Metrics
    • 4.4.2.1 Revenues
      • Table 4.8: Global fuel cell market size by device category in 2011
    • 4.4.2.2 Pricing
      • Table 4.9: Fuel cell prices by device category, 2006-2013
    • 4.4.2.3 Shipments
      • Table 4.10: Fuel cell shipments for mobile devices by region, 2009 & 2011

Chapter 5. Market evolution and commercialization issues

• 5.1 Costs and pricing
  • Table 5.1: Fuel cell prices by device category, 2006-2013
• 5.2 Volume production
• 5.3 Public awareness
• 5.4 Power hungry handsets
• 5.5 Standardization
  • Table 5.1: Micro fuel cell standardisation efforts
• 5.6 Distribution
• 5.7 Safety and aircraft transport regulations
• 5.8 Packaging, regulatory certification and conformance
• 5.8.1 Packaging for cartridges
• 5.9 Testing
• 5.10 Raw materials, cost of components and manufacturing technologies
• 5.11 What are vendors doing to achieve commercial success?
  • Figure 5.1: Strategies for success
  • 5.11.1 Partnerships and collaboration
• 5.12 Fine-tuning the business model
  • Table 5.2: Fuel cell vendor partnership agreements
• 5.13 Working with mobile operators
• 5.14 Technology assessment and competitive readiness
  • 5.14.1 Is one fuel cell type likely to dominate the handset market?
    • Table 5.3: Fuel cell vendor matrix

Chapter 6. Competitive landscape

• 6.1 Antig Corporation
  • 6.1.1 Technology
  • 6.1.2 Products
    • Table 6.1: Typical specification of Antig's products
  • 6.1.3 Power
  • 6.1.4 Commercialization date
  • 6.1.5 Application
• 6.2 Tekion
  • 6.2.1 Technology
    • Figure 6.1: Formira fuel cell
  • 6.2.2 Products
  • 6.2.3 Power and energy
  • 6.2.4 Commercialization date
  • 6.2.5 Application
  • 6.2.6 Customers
  • 6.2.7 Notable developments
• 6.3 Angstrom Power
  • 6.3.1 Technology
  • 6.3.2 Products
    • Table 6.2: V60 specifications
    • Table 6.3: G2 specifications
    • Table 6.4: P1 specifications
  • 6.3.3 Applications
  • 6.3.4 Customers
  • 6.3.5 Commercialization
• 6.4 Medis Technologies
  • 6.4.1 Technology
  • 6.4.2 Products
    • Table 6.5: Medis PowerPack
  • 6.4.3 Application
  • 6.4.4 Pricing
  • 6.4.5 Commercialization, marketing and manufacturing
• 6.5 SFC Smart Fuel Cell AG
  • 6.5.1 Technology
  • 6.5.2 Products
    • Table 6.6: C20-CP specifications
  • 6.5.3 Application
  • 6.5.4 Commercialization and marketing
• 6.6 Neah Power Systems
  • 6.6.1 Technology
  • 6.6.2 Products
    • Figure 6.2: Prototype of Neah's internal battery cavity fuel cell
  • 6.6.3 Commercialization
• 6.7 MTI Micro Fuel Cells
  • 6.7.1 Technology
  • 6.7.2 Products
  • 6.7.3 Commercialization
• 6.8 Ultracell
  • 6.8.1 Technology
  • 6.8.2 Products
• 6.9 LG
• 6.10 Samsung
• 6.11 Toshiba

Chapter 7. Conclusion and Recommendations

• 7.1 Conclusions
• 7.2 Recommendations
  • 7.2.1 For battery vendors
  • 7.2.2 For fuel cell manufacturers
  • 7.2.3 Recommendation for Mobile operators

Appendix A Fuel cell technologies, advantages and claims

Appendix B Products, Commercialization roadmap, Customers, and Patents

Appendix C Lead author's profile

Appendix D About visiongain

Appendix E Report evaluation form

• Acer
• Angstrom Power
• Antig
• Apple
• Aquafairy
• ASE International
• Casio
• Celestica
• Compaq
• CSA America
• Dell
• Fujitsu
• General Dynamics
• Gillette/Duracell
• Hitachi
• HP
• Hydrocell
• Intermec
• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
• KDDI
• Kensington Technology Group
• Lenovo (IBM)
• LG Chem
• LGE
• Medis Technologies
• Mobile Enterprise Alliance
• Motorola Ventures
• MTI MicroFuel
• Neah Power Systems
• NEC
• Nokia
• Novellus Systems
• NTT DoCoMo
• O2
• Samsung
• SFC Smart Fuel Cell
• SK Telecom
• Sony
• Sony Ericsson
• Sprint Nextel
• Superior Communications
• Tekion
• Toshiba
• TUEV
• UltraCell
• UN
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
• University of Illinois
• US Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Verizon
• Vodafone