Most devices & gadgets are rechargeable nowadays. The only thing I have that still requires batteries is a headlamp but even those are available in rechargeable varieties. House smoke detectors need a battery too.

  • Fleur_@aussie.zone
    9·
    4 hours ago

    Obsolete would imply a better in every way alternative. Kinda think they fall into the technology category of timeless and always useful. It’s hard to think of a safer, cheaper, higher capacity, disposable and more utilitarian form factor. Kinda like asking “will shovels ever become obsolete?”

    • kkj@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      35 minutes ago

      The main reason that they’re nearly impossible to obsolete is that AA, etc. are just shapes (and voltages).

      • Zinc-Carbon AAs have become functionally impossible to find because alkaline cells are better in basically every way.
      • Lithium disposables beat alkaline in longevity, but lose in cost and are only 1.2V.
      • NiMH are also 1.2V, but are rechargeable; they last longer overall, but are much more expensive and have much worse self-drain while not in use
      • Li-Ion cells are far too high-voltage for AAs, but they’re also so much higher-density that it’s sometimes worth putting a step-down circuit in the battery to get it to 1.5V. That removes most of the density advantage, but it’s the only way to use rechargeable batteries to power devices that can’t run at 1.2V.
      • Zak@lemmy.world
        1·
        5 minutes ago

        Lithium disposables beat alkaline in longevity, but lose in cost and are only 1.2V.

        They’re about 1.6V open-circuit, and maintain 1.5V under light load for a large portion of their discharge cycle. They maintain 1.5V much longer than alkaline.

        They’re terribly expensive for regular use compared to pretty much any other option though.

    • Rolder@reddthat.com
      1·
      54 minutes ago

      Always the possibility we invent a way to make them smaller, more compact, or higher voltage