[revelation]

I think the vendors could already charge the batteries faster. A Tesla supercharger charges 40/85kWh in LiIon battery capacity in 30 minutes (from empty, it gets harder to push charge in as they get full). They use off the shelf batteries.

But the dirty little secret is of course that it's not necessary. You need one day of battery life, then people get home and charge it by their nightstand. Similar with the Tesla, it has enough range to get through five times the average American commute, and the majority of people just charge at home when they sleep.

Bandaging peoples irrational fears might simply not be a very viable business model.

[mark-r]

> Bandaging peoples irrational fears might simply not be a very viable business model.

Are you kidding? It's one of the best business models ever.

In this case I think you have it backwards. Instant charging isn't bandaging a fear, because you rightly make the point that the fear of running out of power is already covered by ensuring the device has sufficient capacity for the worst case. Indeed it will create a new fear: forgetting or not being in a position to top off the charge when necessary.

[speleding]

The high current needed for fast charging requires thick connector wires and produces a lot of heat in the battery, and also in other components of the power circuitry. The heat is the limiting factor in the charging speed for phones.