Hallelujah! Who hasn't warily watched an iPhone, laptop or iPad battery indicator slows fading into oblivion? It looks like Apple is doing research into techniques that would keep lithium batteries running longer without making them larger.
AppleInsider found an Apple patent filing called "Increasing Energy Density in Rechargeable Lithium Battery Cells," that uses a method called "multi-step constant-current constant-voltage (CC-CV) charging technique." Sounds good to me if it works. Apple believes such a space saving battery could allow for more features in portable devices or better capacity.
The patents also describe new charging methods that would minimize the degrading of battery output over time
