Li-Ion vs Li-Po Battery Smartphones | What’s The Difference?

Batteries are the powerhouses of all modern-day smartphones. A lot of development has been made in this sector, with bigger batteries and increasing power capacities. In times like these it is very important to understand the different kinds of batteries used in a smartphone. In this article, we will discuss the two most used battery types. We will compare Li-Ion vs Li-Po and try to understand the difference between them. 

A Li-Ion battery is a kind of recharge battery that uses a reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. Whereas, the Lithium polymer battery uses polymer electrolyte store charging.

Specifications	Lithium-Ion	Lithium Polymer
Energy Density	100 to 250 WH/Kg	130 to 200 WH/Kg
Cost	Cheap	Expensive
Explosive	Likely to Explode if not taken care of	Safe from explosion
Life	The Charging Capacity is Decreased Over Time < 100	Less charging capacity decreasing over time > 1000
Charging Time	Long	Short
Weight	Heavy	Light
Conversion Rate	About 85% to 95%	About 75% to 90%
Nominal Cell Voltage	3.2V	3.7V
Safety Concern	Not Stable	Stable
Environment Concern	Very Dangerous	Somewhat

Release Date – Li-Ion vs Li-Po

Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) was first introduced in 1985 by Akira Yoshino and has ever since evolved into one of the leading smart device battery types. These batteries are used in portable electronics, electric vehicles, etc. 

The development of Lithium Polymer started in 1978. However, we saw the first commercial cylindrical Li-Po cell was used by Sony in 1991. Since then the Li-Po battery has evolved into a household name for smart devices. It is considered to be one of the most advanced technology when it comes to mobile phones. 

Thus, we see that in the release date comparison of Li-Ion vs Li-Po, Li-Po is the newer battery type introduced to the users.

Pricing Difference – Li-Ion vs Li-Po

Technology is advancing and companies are motivated to bring innovation at the cheapest price possible. In times like these, it is very important to save cost on batteries as well.

Li-Ion battery is the cheaper option among the two because of its widespread usage in devices. It has been around for the longest time and is easy to manufacture. Thus, it has become the go-to battery in all inexpensive smart gadgets.

On the other hand, Li-Po is expensive when compared with Li-Ion. The manufacturing costs are higher, thus it is the choice for premium products. 

Power Density & Discharge Rate Comparison – Li-Ion vs Li-Po

Power density is the amount of power a battery holds against its weight. Thus, a battery with a higher power density will be able to store more power.

Li-Ion batteries tend to hold 4 times more power as compared to Li-Po batteries (the same sizes as the two batteries). This makes Li-Ion batteries more suitable for compact devices.

Moreover, Li-Po batteries are better are discharging passively. This means it takes longer for lithium polymer batteries to lose charging when not in use. 

Thus, when it comes to providing more power while keeping a compact size in Li-Ion vs Li-Po, Lithium Ion batteries win by a mile. However, when it comes to discharging power, the story is different.

Safety Comparison – Li-Ion vs Li-Po

The Li-Po batteries require a shell or a cover around them. The robust packaging makes the battery resist external pressure and have a longer life. Moreover, the insane fast charging capabilities are achieved on a Li-Po battery. The electrolyte in the Lithium polymer is less likely to leak when compared to Lithium Ion.

So, when we talk about the safety of Li-Ion vs Li-Po, the former wins as it is safer to carry around.

Versatility Comparison – Li-Ion vs Li-Po

As discussed earlier, Lithium Polymer has a gel base in it. Therefore, it can be manufactured in many different sizes and shapes. This makes it useful not only in smartphones but also in small drones, RC Vehicles, etc.

There are some lithium polymer batteries with capacities of up to 10,000 mAh while keeping the thickness to only 1mm. This makes them more portable as well.

Battery Life Comparison – Li-Ion vs Li-Po

If you are looking for battery durability in Li-Ion vs Li-Po, the former wins because of its longer shelf life. The reason for this is, Lithium polymer batteries have gel in them, which tends to get harder with time. Making it less durable than Lithium Ion, which tends to last for about 2 to 3 years.

Advantages of Li-Ion

• They are better at power density and can store more power even in the same size as compared to Li-Po.
• Lithium Ion batteries are widely manufactured thus decreasing the cost of manufacturing.
• The memory effect, batteries take longer to fully charge over time, is not an issue for the Li-Ion batteries.

Disadvantages

• The recent banning of electronic products on flights has been due to the explosive nature of Lithium Ion batteries. They are not the safest type of battery.
• Li-Ion tends to lose its efficiency over time and starts to age. 

Advantages of Li-Po

• Lithium polymer batteries are versatile and flexible because they are made of gel, that can be molded in every shape and size.
• Li-Po batteries are much more safer and robust as they have a lower chance of leakage.

Disadvantages of Li-Po

• Lithium polymer batteries are comparatively more expensive to manufacture.
• Li-Po batteries are not great when it comes to power density and are not able to store much power.
• The quality of life of Li-Po batteries tends to decrease over time. Thus, it gets affected by aging. 

Conclusion

In the comparison of Li-Ion vs Li-Po, both of them have advantages and disadvantages over each other. Lithium Ion batteries are more widely spread because of their low-cost production. Whereas, Lithium polymers are safer and provide better performance. Whenever buying a lithium-ion power bank. Make sure it is of the best quality.

We covered all the basic information you need to know about these two battery types in smartphones. We hope to see more improvement in the near future as innovation is still on the roll.