Phase Change Memory energy promises 20 percent extended mobile battery life

Hot on the heels of Samsungs hopeful and rosy announcement of phase change memory chips in the smartphone market comes a further promise of PCM smartphones with PRAM multichips having their battery life extended by up to 20%:

Smartphones could have their battery life extended by up to 20% by changing what type of memory they use. […] These modules are built of a substance that records or erases data when it is heated and typically use far less power than existing equivalents. […] The most widely adopted form of PCM is typically made from an alloy of germanium, antimony and titanium which forms a glass-like material. Heating it by applying a voltage makes the material turn into two separate forms that exhibit very different resistances to electricity. […] At its mobile technology forum held in Taipei, Samsung announced plans to start producing PCM modules 512megabits (Mbit) in size. [full article]

As with most hopes, and possibilities, for bleeding edge power and size pressures on mobile tech, and while the promise of 20% is exciting, the real game-changers only come about at much higher thresholds, and with a better systems-view of the design goal. For example, 20%, with increased performance and similar usability design, plus small solar bleed charges, integrated into mobile would be much closer to a pure play threshold change.