Apple embarks on wave of new battery-related job hires, targets iOS improvements
Apple has been looking to make significant additions to its battery technology team since the beginning of March, with a special emphasis on iOS devices, newly listed positions available at the company reveal.
At least nine listings posted within the last month are directly connected to battery technology, as discovered by AppleInsider. Some examples include openings for a hardware manager, a firmware development manager, a battery pack engineering manager, a cell engineer, and an electrical engineer.
While some of the positions may be linked to the batteries in MacBooks, others are more explicitly oriented towards iOS devices. These include listings for a battery life software engineer, a power analytics engineer, and a software power systems engineer. The last of the three seeks a candidate "able to think of innovative solutions to improve battery life, while always delivering great end user experience."
Apple may be ramping up battery work as it enters the home stretch on development of new iPhones and iPads expected to ship in the fall. The company could ship as many as three new phones, including a 6s, a 6s Plus, and a 6c.
Battery life has long been a central challenge in the development of iOS devices. As features have progressed, Apple has had to devise new ways to keep battery life on par with previous products. Last year's switch to larger iPhone sizes afforded new possibilities -- while the iPhone 6 lasts roughly as long as the iPhone 5s, the extra space inside a 6 Plus permits a battery than can drive the device for well over a day of normal use.
Future iPhones could potentially exploit the new room even further. That will depend on whether upgrades -- such as more RAM, a faster processor, and/or better camera technology -- will consume more power.
At least nine listings posted within the last month are directly connected to battery technology, as discovered by AppleInsider. Some examples include openings for a hardware manager, a firmware development manager, a battery pack engineering manager, a cell engineer, and an electrical engineer.
While some of the positions may be linked to the batteries in MacBooks, others are more explicitly oriented towards iOS devices. These include listings for a battery life software engineer, a power analytics engineer, and a software power systems engineer. The last of the three seeks a candidate "able to think of innovative solutions to improve battery life, while always delivering great end user experience."
Apple may be ramping up battery work as it enters the home stretch on development of new iPhones and iPads expected to ship in the fall. The company could ship as many as three new phones, including a 6s, a 6s Plus, and a 6c.
Battery life has long been a central challenge in the development of iOS devices. As features have progressed, Apple has had to devise new ways to keep battery life on par with previous products. Last year's switch to larger iPhone sizes afforded new possibilities -- while the iPhone 6 lasts roughly as long as the iPhone 5s, the extra space inside a 6 Plus permits a battery than can drive the device for well over a day of normal use.
Future iPhones could potentially exploit the new room even further. That will depend on whether upgrades -- such as more RAM, a faster processor, and/or better camera technology -- will consume more power.
Comments
Yeah highly unlikely these are positions for things shipping in the fall. Interestingly it does point to a bright future for iOS devices.
And who knows, all those high level people they hired away from A123, the automotive battery company, might be engaged in battery development for more than computing devices.
If Apple ever develops an electric car that doubles as a home-based power source (as Elon Musk will supposedly announce soon), I'm in.
If Apple ever develops an electric car that doubles as a home-based power source (as Elon Musk will supposedly announce soon), I'm in.
I think Tesla is working on a battery for your home not a car to power your home.
I think the new VW Touarag hybrid has the ability to output AC for emergency power.
This is common ideal that Apples constant advancement, iphone 7 is earliest seen(September next year), we all know that Apple has began current part building for iPhones.
I'd like to see 24 hour battery life. Let's see Apple pull a rabbit out of the hat and prove that they can still thrill us.
I don't know what he's planning on, but I also don't know why people seem to think he's involved in advanced batteries, because he's not.
Tesla buys their batteries from Panasonic. These are not leading edge batteries. They are the cheapest batteries that he can buy with good output. This is really pretty well known in the auto and battery industries. But Musk cultivates this aura, that he's another Steve Jobs. The Tesla is not so leading edge. It's pretty conventional, except for its price. And with a very high price comes a lot of batteries. But otherwise, there's nothing all that special about them.
That's actually bothered me too. Ten hours seemed like such a long time—five years ago. And while Apple was well ahead of everyone else, it was. But now that not true anymore for other higher end tablets.
But Apple decides what's enough, and stays with it for a long time. I do know, after having all of the ipads except one, that declining weight does make a big difference.
That's actually bothered me too. Ten hours seemed like such a long time—five years ago. And while Apple was well ahead of everyone else, it was. But now that not true anymore for other higher end tablets.
But Apple decides what's enough, and stays with it for a long time. I do know, after having all of the ipads except one, that declining weight does make a big difference.
I personally would not want to go back to the weight of the iPad 3, versus the Air 2. The new ones are fantastically light.
I wonder about that. While some people say that, they keep buying devices that are thinner and thinner, even where it makes no sense.
Do we really need Tvs that are .25" thick? Do cars have to so be low to the ground? Manufacturers seem to be telling us that they do, but we're buying into it too.
I don't know what he's planning on, but I also don't know why people seem to think he's involved in advanced batteries, because he's not.
Tesla buys their batteries from Panasonic. These are not leading edge batteries. They are the cheapest batteries that he can buy with good output. This is really pretty well known in the auto and battery industries. But Musk cultivates this aura, that he's another Steve Jobs. The Tesla is not so leading edge. It's pretty conventional, except for its price. And with a very high price comes a lot of batteries. But otherwise, there's nothing all that special about them.
I don't know that Musk or Tesla are hiding the fact that Panasonic makes their batteries. In fact, it's quite clearly spelled out in this article:
http://blog.caranddriver.com/tesla-ceo-elon-musks-next-big-disruption-isnt-a-new-car-its-a-new-battery/
Exactly! There is a newer li-on technology that is supposed to supplant the one everyone is using, but the problems of getting it to work have been gigantic. If they ever do, and they're trying to auto use, then we might get twice the power per CC.
I didn't say he's hiding it. I said that it's well known in the auto and battery industries. I suppose I should have also said that these who follow those industries know it as well.
But the public at large doesn't know it. When we had an article in Ars a few days ago about Branson talking about working on an electric car, and I mentioned some of this, I got voted down into oblivion. People only want to hear about whatever Musk does if they consider it to be visionary, and many people think he invented advanced batteries.
Remember the talk about Apple and Tesla working on a monster battery factory together? The assumption was that Tesla had these advanced batteries that Apple wanted. What if it were the reverse, and it was Tesla that wanted the advanced batteries that Apple is working on?
I quite agree. The lightness of my iPad Air 2 is superb and worth a sacrifice of battery life. But it would be nice to see a focus now on battery life. I know I'm being unrealistic with 24 hours, but it would be good to see a distinct leap—perhaps 15 hours.
I also think that somewhere around 14 through 16 hours would be ok. Someday, with better batteries we'll get there, or better. But with tablets, the conflict between battery life and weight will always be a battle.
I do think that phones are light enough.
Don't forget performance. We could surely have that 14-16 hours if we stuck with 2011 CPU and GPU performance and the non-Retina displays, but we're still at a point where increasing the performance is highly beneficial to the consumer experience. At some point the performance and thinness thresholds will allow for longer battery life to the point we don't really consider the time. I know I'd go weeks without charging my iPad and I can go days without charging my iPhone, although I prefer not to on the latter.
This isn't impossible. You have to wonder why so many are being hired, maybe Apple has a line on a next gen technology that they intend to introduce. There certainly has been enough research going one that appear to be implementable. The question would be which way does Apple go here.