Rohm 5Wh hydrogen fuel cells power up smartphones, ready for the trash after one charge

Rohm 5Wh hydrogen fuel cells power up smartphones, ready for the trash after one charge

Rohm’s hydrogen fuel cells are meant to power smartphones and other mobile devices, but unlike other juicing-up solutions, the cells are only good for one charge. Rohm says disposable fuel cells can be made smaller and lighter than their multi-use counterparts, and as the only byproduct is hydrogen, the company is touting the cells’ eco-friendliness. The system generates electricity by using hydrogen that’s created by the reaction of a metal material and water. While the device we saw here at CEATEC is a prototype, Rohm may offer its recharging system as both a smartphone case and a USB-attachable juicepack. Each offers 5Wh and can fully charge a handset once. There’s also a 200W power generator, which certainly stretches the meaning of portable but can keep a laptop, LCD TV and a peripheral or two going for three to four hours. Rohm says its fuel cells will see a commercial release some time in 2013; for now you can get a sneak peek in our hands-on gallery below.

Gallery: Rohm Hydrogen Fuel Cells hands-on

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Rohm 5Wh hydrogen fuel cells power up smartphones, ready for the trash after one charge originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 11:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Related posts

Latest posts

The latest AMD GPU probably isn’t for gamers, but compact builders could love it

AMD -- or rather one of its partners -- has a new GPU coming out, but it's really not what we've been hoping for.

Slate teases $25K EV with marketing stunt ahead of April 24 reveal

Slate Auto is teasing a $25,000 EV set to be unveiled on April 24.

Latest Pixel Watch update saves those stuck on older software

If you own a Google Pixel Watch, we have exciting news! According to Android Authority, a new software update has been released for all Pixel Watch models, addressing two key issues. This update fixes a critical bug originating from the March software update, affecting step tracking accuracy. It also enables all Pixel Watch owners to upgrade to […]

Samsung is spreading the Galaxy S25 update love to even more regions

Galaxy S25’s April update quietly sneaks in two slick little updates.

Google TV sucks — Indian brand Lumio is aiming to change that

I don't like Google TV in general, but Indian brand Lumio rolled out a new TV that does a great

Google Messages now finally shields you from surprise nudes

Google Messages is pushing out a new heads-up for explicit pictures.

The Galaxy S23 is now picking up the stable One UI 7 (Android 15) update

The One UI 7 party just started for the Galaxy S23 crew.

Samsung might hold back the budget Galaxy Z Flip 7 model until late 2025

Looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer for Samsung's budget foldable.

Google Photos now lets you spice up your pictures with Ultra HDR glow

Google Photos is rolling out a new edit tool that turns your regular pics into vibrant Ultra HDR shots.

Galaxy S24 series gets Certified Re-Newed with a price drop and Samsung Care Plus

Samsung announced the addition of its Certified Re-Newed Galaxy S24 series.