Intel is already planning a whole host of new ultrabooks for 2012, but it says it's going to be working to ensure consistency across the board. Now, it's apparently working with manufacturers on a voluntary standardized format for batteries. Documents from the Intel Developer Forum at Liliputing apparently show a set of proposed Intel guidelines for 60mm x 80mm batteries using cells with a diameter of 16mm, smaller than the more common 18mm cells. Even thinner 14mm cells exist, but Intel apparently sees them as too expensive and lacking in power.

Besides ensuring similarity between ultrabooks, a consistent battery size could potentially cut costs by creating a single, ubiquitous version that could be used across the board. The documentation lists a potential 5 to 10 percent savings per cell, which could help Intel get ultrabooks down to its goal price of $699. Intel says it's currently "investigating potential agreement" on format, and admits that a standardized battery would not only have to be able to support things like a processor's Turbo mode but also work with a highly variable set of computers.