According to the International Energy Agency, sodium-ion batteries have witnessed remarkable progress during the recent period, with major companies announcing plans to expand their production and use in several sectors starting in 2026.
These batteries operate according to the same basic principles as lithium-ion batteries, but they use sodium ions instead of lithium ions.
Sodium technology is still at an early stage compared to lithium; Its share of global battery production in 2025 was less than 1% of lithium-ion battery production.
Although smartphones currently rely mainly on lithium-ion batteries, the entry of sodium batteries into new sectors opens the door to their use in electronic devices in the future.
“Nature” magazine indicates that sodium batteries are entering the stage of large-scale production, as a potential competitor to lithium batteries in electric cars and various energy applications, but the transition to smartphones in particular faces a major challenge, which is energy density.
The higher the energy density, the more energy can be stored within a battery of the same size and weight, which is a very important point in phones that require small, light batteries capable of providing long hours of use.
The International Energy Agency notes that global manufacturing capacity for sodium batteries is still very limited compared to lithium, and their supply chains are less developed.
Therefore, sodium batteries may represent an alternative or complementary future to lithium batteries in some devices and applications, but reaching phones powered by sodium batteries that provide clear superiority in operating time requires further development in energy density, manufacturing, and cost. (Erm News)
