Beginning in early 2009, HP will become the first notebook manufacturer to make use of Boston-Power’s new battery technology. The Sonata battery, developed by the Massachusetts firm, represents a major leap in lithium-ion battery technology with regards to two major claims: Firstly, Boston-Power states that its batteries will deliver like-new performance for an astounding three years. In other words, you won’t see six hours of battery life on your new laptop dwindle to four hours after just a few months. Secondly, the Sonata batteries charge incredibly quickly compared to current notebook batteries. The company claims that an empty Sonata battery will reach 80% of its charge capacity in just 30 minutes. If its batteries can manage to live up to the hype, Boston-Power will literally change the industry along with consumers’ expectations of it. HP has stated that it will offer Sonata batteries in several new models, each of which will be accompanied by a three-year warranty on the battery, and it will also offer Sonata replacement batteries for several existing notebook models. For the time being, pricing is still unknown but we have to say – we’d gladly pay some extra cash for a battery we knew would stay fresh for three years and charge in less than half the time it takes for most current batteries to charge. Gladly.
[Via SlipperyBrick]