Superfast rechargeable batteries on the horizon

Batteries may not get your gadget juices flowing, but you can’t deny their importance in lighting up your favourite bits of tech. After all, a dead smartphone is nothing more than an expensive shiny paper weight.

But forget the hoverboard for a second. DoCoMo has produced a prototype smartphone battery pack which can be fully charged in a blistering 10 minutes – the time it takes to watch a clutch of mind-rotting YouTube videos. The secret is working out how to send much more power to the battery without it blowing up, apparently.

It'll be a while before you're able to charge your phone in 10 minutes flat because normal lithium-ion batteries would explode. But hang about and we could see superfast battery charging around the time you're pre-ordering your precious hoverboard.