Samsung‘s Galaxy S24 phones could feature bigger batteries than the 2023 models. The company has reportedly teamed up with two Chinese firms to develop stacked-type batteries for smartphones. It allows for about ten percent higher capacity in a similar-sized package. The stacking technology is already used in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).
Reports about Samsung’s plan to use the stacking technology for smartphone batteries first emerged in April last year. South Korean media said that the company’s battery manufacturing unit Samsung SDI will spend around 100 billion won (approx. $75 million) to repurpose the M-Line production unit at its Cheonan plant in Seoul, South Korea for the project. It was also planning a pilot line at its Tianjin plant in China, sourcing the manufacturing component from local supplier Yinghe Keji.
A new report coming from Samsung’s homeland has reiterated that information and added that the company has made significant progress in the plan. It has reportedly completed the pilot run in China and has picked up two Chinese partners to develop new stacking equipment. The Chinese firms were selected over two South Korean suppliers who also bid for the project. They will now set up offices in South Korea to stay close to Samsung as they work on the new type of smartphone batteries.
As said earlier, stacked-type batteries have about ten percent higher capacity than similar-sized batteries manufactured using the existing winding method where battery materials such as anode and cathode are packed in “flat jelly rolls”. The advanced technology stacks the materials on top of each other in tighter packaging. Samsung SDI has been manufacturing Gen-5 batteries for EVs using this tech for more than two years now. It’s now gearing up to make smartphone batteries using the new method.
The Galaxy S24 series could feature this new type of batteries
As things stand, there’s no telling when Samsung will introduce its first-ever stacked-type smartphone battery. But considering the recent developments, we might not be too far off from it. The Galaxy S24 series could feature this new type of battery. It will allow the company to pack bigger batteries without making the phones bulkier.
Samsung’s foldable smartphones would also benefit from the new tech. The Korean firm can make its foldables slimmer and lighter without reducing the battery capacity. It has been exploring ways to do that in recent years. It remains to be seen when the company commercially launches stacked-type smartphone batteries.
2023-04-21 15:07:06