Lenovo Battery Technology 2009

Has anybody heard about new battery technology for Lenovo notebooks?

I've heard HP and Apple both have new battery cell technology that is very similiar. It holds it charge much longer and can be charged faster. Also has a longer life span.

I read this memo about Lenovo teaming up with BAK and A123 technology to make better batteries for Lenovo notebooks but I haven't heard any news about it.

http://www.bak.com.cn/admin/shangchuan/UpLoadFile/2006-08/BAK2006081813430065248.pdf


I want a modern battery upgrade for my T61p.

 

I'm in the same boat, want to go 9 cell, but am waiting to see if these new batteries will come out.

 

Don't expect anything revolutionary.
A123 does indeed produce battery packs which can be charged and discharged very, very fast (for dragsters, speed boats, and so on). As can be deducted, they run empty very fast. This, however has very little to do with who produces the cells for them. And this type of technology has no use in a laptop, unless you think you have a need of emptying your battery in a couple of seconds. And we're disregarding the fire hazard with A123-batteries entirely in this discussion.

I don't know much about HP, but there is nothing out of the ordinary about Apple's batteries. Nothing, whatsoever. Who provides the cells has very little bearing on the "technology", as the technology is the same, but the amperage might be upped evolutionary or vary a little from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Now, give me Li-Ma (Lithium Manganese) batteries, and we might begin talking about a different tech, although I'd still consider it the same, only a bigger evolutionary step.

Oh, btw, this page where they talk about batteries is almost all outright lies:

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/features-17inch.html

 

HP recently announced you can buy a Boston Power manufactured battery, the benefit there isn't longer battery life per charge but rather it will keep its capacity for a longer period of time -- as we all know Li-Ion batteries simply start to lose charge capacity after a year or two and it's a faster degradation depending on how many charge cycles you go through.

I haven't heard much from Lenovo on any innovations, they do use Lithium Polymer batteries in the X300 just like Apple is touting in the MacBook Pro.

I laugh at that Apple splash page too, somehow we're supposed to believe voodoo magic was used by Apple engineers. They're computer designers, not chemists and battery experts, and they're a little obsessed with clean lines and non removable or moving parts. Oh well, for a 17-inch notebook battery life shouldn't really be a factor anyway, its place is on a desk.

 

"Apple electro-chemists"? What, do they smoke twice as much weed as the average Apple fanboy? Are these electro-chemists also responsible for not allowing the battery to be user-serviceable?

 

all batteries cells are provided by sony, sanyo, etc.
So there is no difference

 

Who would "ect." be?

Does HP and Apple get batteries from "ect."?


Lenovo needs to improve their batteries.

 

etc would be panasonic, etc.

 

What exactly is wrong with Lenovo batteries??

They already offer some of the largest batteries (WHr rating) and best battery life of any manufacturer (x200[s/t], T400, et. al). You can also adjust charge thresholds to improve battery lifespan and optimize charge patterns.

The MBP 17" gets really good battery life because it is basically a ThinkPad T500 with a gigantic (95WHr I believe) battery (the w700 has poor battery life due to its extremely power hungry components). However, most of this battery capacity came by using a highly customized battery with almost no packaging; this makes the battery fragile and prevents the user from servicing it.

I much prefer having swappable batteries of multiple sizes (e.g. 4, 6, 9 cells) so that a user can pick the battery that fits his/her usage pattern and yields the desired weight.

 

Exactly. One of the added benefits for me jumping the Apple ship to a Thinkpad is the battery life, the choice of batteries and control over most anything.

 

The technology is old.

The A123 battery technology that I posted to begin this thread is cutting edge.

Apple and HP are using better Cell technology and that is why Lenovo should follow suit to improve their current battery cell technology.

Just to keep their edge IMO.

 

Here is a good video on Apple's new battery technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1xvGoy2FuY


My 6 cell T61p battery died just a few days after 1 year from the date that I bought it. My T61p is still in new condition other than the battery.

The battery technology alone wouldn't persuade me to leave ThinkPads but it would make portable computing much more enjoyable.

 

A123's battery technology is centered around super fast discharge (and thus fast charges). They are not focused on laptops and what that entails. They're focused on how to get the most power the fastest to any given power hungry thingamajig. That research is focused on wheelchairs (well, as proof-of-concept) accellarating at ridiculous speeds to use for things like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eynb6zT4LMs

A123-technology would be useless for a laptop.

Where do you get your info?

Are you freaking kidding me? You linked to video that has more propaganda and false statements than this page:

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/features-17inch.html

(Edit: Oh, wait, that is also where the video you linked to was taken from. What a surprise).

That proves what? Apple suddenly had several batteries die about 6 months ago. Apple's batteries die too.

Sheesh. If going with A123-tech would persuade you, I really don't know what to say, other than you might need to do some more research on Li-Ion tech.
The thing, Apple uses bog-standard Li-Ion Polymer batteries. You know, the same as is in your phone. The only difference being that they asked for a bigger one and a different shape.

 

From google.


You sound paranoid.

What is wrong with wanting a better notebook battery?

 

Google isn't a source anymore than a phone is. Google is search machine.

"Paranoid"? How do you figure? The reason I knew about A123 is that I researched them while all they had going for them was a piece of propaganda they had written years ago when I was trying to think of lighter battery system for my (sail) boat. And fast charge and discharge has no purpose on a sailboat. Nor does it have any purpose on a laptop.

Nothing.
However, there is plenty wrong with the notion that A123-tech would be a great thing, and just as much wrong with the notion that Apple uses some sort of superior technology, when that is clearly not the case.

With that said, we all want better (and better) batteries for our lappies, but that doesn't mean that any new tech would be better, nor that we should believe any piece of crap purported to be facts from vendors such as Apple (or anyone else, for that matter).

 

So is Boston Power full of it?

http://www.boston-power.com/enviro.html

They offer a 3 year warranty on their battery.


Just because you did some research awhile back doesn't mean that A123 technology hasn't evolved to other electrical devices.

 

Well, they don't say much on that page, except the "like-new performance after three years", which, frankly, is nonsense. If anyone could produce a Li-ion battery with "like-new performance after three years" it would be revolutionary as that is one of the big problems with electric cars. They're bloody expensive to swap batteries on every 3-5 years.

Of course it doesn't. But go to their website. Fast discharge without bursting into flames are still what they focus on. It's not that difficult.

 

Time will tell.

In the mean time HP is taking a big chance at endorsing such revolutionary battery technology.

 

There is nothing pointing in the direction that it is "revolutionary" except the claim that it is. But since this aimed at people who don't know better, just like the Apple battery page, I really don't think you should believe it to be any better than incrementally better.
And if you DO happen to buy a HP because of the claimed battery life, make sure you take a screen print of that page, because when 12 months has gone by and you don't have the same battery life as when you bought it, you need to be able to document them claiming something that weren't true.

 

It has a 3 year warranty.

At that point if there is a problem I'll just get another under warranty.

My T61p battery only had a 1 year warranty a few days after it ended my battery died.

 

As persnickety has pretty much said...laptop battery tech is not all completely that different among manufacturers. There are definitely inroads to more revolutionary tech that could be applied to laptops, but they aren't exactly in production phase.

The lithium ion tech in laptop batteries right now isn't exactly rocket science...and none of the OEMs are really all that much ahead of the other in terms of leveraging new battery tech. The larger focus is on lower power consumption from hardware manufactures.

I think you're reading way too much into marketing.

 

I'll chip in with this in regard to the "increased battery life due to advanced battery technology" myth.

http://www.anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=3435&p=13

Want better battery life? It's the OS.

I'm not gullible enough to believe a manufacturer's claims about battery life is due to whatever technological voodoo they claim it is.

Let's be real here. The new 17" MBP battery isn't some new technological revolution. It's 1.64x bigger than the Lenovo 9-cell. When you're working with 12,820mAh as you are in the new 17" MBP battery, there's a problem if you don't get good battery life. However, we're still working with Li-ion no matter how you cut it. The T400 with a 9-cell has been benchmarked to last over 9.5 hours by several sources, all while using the same "old" technology.

More to the point, OP, if your Li-ion battery only lasted a year and a day, it was either defective or improperly stored. Claiming that there's a problem with Lenovo's battery technology and that HP and Apple have far surpassed Lenovo when 1) you don't know the basics of rechargable battery technology, 2) your argument is based on a single point of empirical data (i.e., yours), and 3) you're easily sucked in by marketing hype isn't a good way to make a point. You're going to have to come up with something more insightful than "[Lenovo's] technology is old."

Everyone wants a better battery, but manufacturers have to actually deliver through validated independent testing rather than blowing marketing smoke up everyone's behind. Isn't it convenient that Boston-Power's site is complete fluff without any mention of the actual technology behind their new battery?

 

Next time, buy the 3 years warranty.

 

Can you get warranties on batteries? I thought you couldn't.

 

I have a 3 year warranty.

Doesn't cover the battery though.

Read the fine print.

 

I read an IEEE Spectrum article about Boston Power's technology a year or so ago. The major change in the batteries produced by BP is the organization of the cells - which, in a sense, is quite revolutionary.

Here's an excerpt concerning the battery technology from the original article, found here:

And here's a picture.

 

Thanks for backing me up.

 

MidnightSun actually provided a useful article as a source .

 

Was that sarcasm?

I did post about "Boston Power" and about Apple's new battery technology.


Do you think that Lenovo notebooks could use better battery technology?

 

I think every device that uses a battery could use a better battery, but why are we singling out Lenovo here? As others have mentioned, they use the same battery manufacturers as every other company (save HP, as you've pointed out), and they even get more life out of the same battery than other companies.

 

Because this is the Lenovo Notebook section of the site.

Also because I'm very pleased with my ThinkPad and plan on buying another one and I'd like to see if Lenovo will have better battery cell technology for 2009.

Also don't forget about what Apple has done.

 

I was just joking with you. An IEEE article is much better than a link to marketing or from a manufacture overview, because IEEE is well...IEEE and 3rd party of sorts to the aforementioned sources.

Everyone is going to keep improving with battery tech...you need to keep a competitive edge anyways. So expect them to always try and improve when they see it as a viable option to help them in the market.

 

And what do you figure Apple has done?

Well, except paid some idiot in marketing to come up with some text that claims a whole lot with no basis in fact, that is.

Speaking of which: That IEEE article doesn't say anything that points to these batteries being "revolutionary". They're bigger, because the cells are differently shaped, and then they mention some "secret sauce". Frankly, let's call it "a small step forward". There's much less difference between normal Li-ions and Boston Power's Li-ions than there are between normal Lead-Acids and AGMs (Absorbed Glass Matts).

Even so, I agree with Jaredy: It's much better to point to an article ublished by IEEE than it is to point to a video (or page) from a marketing department aimed at know-nothing consumers (no offence).

 

Any updates for new battery technology?


My T61p needs a new battery. I want to get a good one.

 

nope, nothing new. you need to grab a lenovo 9cell is still biggest. unless you buy a knock-off 12cell from ebay.

 

Boston Power is finally making 3 year warranty batteries for the ThinkPad.

I just got one for my T61p. A 6 cell and it works well.

 

Where'd you buy it?

 

These manufacturers are mostly niche player, they don't have the manufacturing capacity to meet the demand for OEM battery globally.

Also, these niche high capacity cells would cost more than from Sony, Sanyo, LG, etc, which does work out to be significant cost for the computer companies over say 5 years period.

 

I think I found out where I can buy the Boston Power battery. IBM Thinkpad T61 Notebook Battery
I'm thinking about buying this battery. But it's only available as a 6 cell. Hmm. It'd be a downgrade from a 9 cell, although I suppose it will hold its charge for at least three years, while a regular 9 cell will be just about dead by then.

I think I might buy two of these, but it might be more expensive than I want to spend.

 

That is where I got mine at. I wish they made a 9 cell but they don't. My needs are limited on mobile use and the 6 cell will do fine for now. Looks like the battery is good for about 2 hours of usage with light usage.


3 year warranty is big plus. A DVD bay drive boston power battery would be a good option as well.

 

if you need the T61 battery, just go outlet.lenovo.com, 6 cells is only like 40 dollars.

 

The 3 year warranty "Dr. Battery" with the advanced cell technology by Boston Power is on sale for $63. Much better battery and warranty. Worth the money IMO.

 

63 dollars isn't too expensive, considering how much a new battery goes for. I would love to test this new battery technology.

 

I think they ran out of T61 batteries (except for the 14 inch wide one, but I don't have a 14 inch).

Yeah, it's supposed to last about 3 times as long in lifetime compared with the regular ones. That's what Apple and Boston Power are claiming. I guess it's worth buying two, it's still better than buying three and throwing every one of them out

 

Also funny laptop battery anecdote. At work this summer, I was assigned a 2003ish Dell Latitude laptop with the original battery. A coworker needed to use the laptop one day so I warned him "plug it in because it doesn't hold much charge". He says "no, I'll be done in only five minutes, it says it's got 15 minutes of charge left so it will be fine". Five minutes later he comes back to me and says the battery died. At that point I was like ha, I knew the power meter wasn't accurate. Of course he had to plug it in to finish his work. So moral of the story, the power meter says it's got 15 minutes, so it's got 5 minutes of power

 

Ok, update time, I ordered this battery. I wish there was a nine cell, and if one becomes available then I probably will buy the nine cell and use it as a supplement for my new six cell.

 

Any update on how the Dr Battery pack performs a few months down the track?

 

I returned mine. It drained like 20% in only a month of almost no use. However, I think it's my laptop battery circuitry. My original 9 cell died completely and I bought a generic 9 cell to replace it. I have a theory (conspiracy theory ) that all these dying batteries are due to problems with the circuitry (T61's most affected) but Lenovo wants you to buy new batteries and won't admit to the problem. Even if you think it's a defect with the laptop and not the battery, they can just claim there's no problem with the system and it's all in the battery. And with only certain battery SKUs being recalled, they won't replace my battery because "batteries wear out naturally" (which is crap of course).

 

the 3 year battery warranty does make this boston power cells an attractive option, even if the technology in it isn't as cutting edge as they claim.

 

Well one thing to keep in mind is that the Boston power batteries have a pretty low capacity (I think it was 48 WH but out of the box it's 44 or so). So out of the box the battery life was only 2.5 hours.it was pretty dismal so I need the 9 cell. I hope I can get a new laptop with better battery life though. That's one reason the Macbook Pros look compelling because they have good battery life without having a battery stick out.