Battery life is still an issue for many smartphone users, despite the fact that our phones have gotten bigger (but thinner), and we’ve packed in even larger batteries along with them. While we continue to wait for battery technology to improve, there looks to be a bright light on the horizon thanks to some researchers that have developed a new lithium battery.

In an article published to Nature, entitled “Interconnected hollow carbon nanospheres for stable lithium metal anodes,” by several researchers, the new battery is detailed in great length, eventually concluding that it’s possible to create a battery that doesn’t take up more space (get thicker), but can provide two to three times longer battery life, just by finding better ways to use the technology we already have.

Specifically, the paper outlines a way for researchers to use a technique that allows for denser, more efficient within the battery’s anode (the part that discharges electrons). They can do this by utilizing a nanoscopic carbon shield that keeps the unstable chemical in check. If developed correctly, it could mean that our batteries do not break down as quickly as they do now, are more energy efficient, will last longer on a single charge, and remain relatively safe all at the same time.

The paper notes that this could mean our smartphones (and other devices out there, including cars) could see an overall improvement of two, to three times better battery life. Which, if does happen, will make plenty of people out there happy. Of course, this is still a few years out, so we’re still left waiting for that elusive reality to finally set in.