Samsung, Apple Said to Be Working on New Battery Technology to Increase Capacities

Both Samsung and Apple are playing catch up with Chinese smartphone makers in the race to introduce thinner batteries with increased capacities.

Written by David Delima | Updated: 6 January 2025 17:15 IST

Samsung, Apple Said to Be Working on New Battery Technology to Increase Capacities

Photo Credit: Samsung

Samsung's biggest battery upgrade could arrive on the company's largest 'Ultra' model (right)

Highlights

Samsung and Apple may launch phones with larger capacities in the future
These new batteries are expected to take up the same (or lesser) space
Apple is tipped to introduce a new high-capacity battery in 2026

Samsung could be working on a new technology that could allow the company to introduce a smartphone with a larger battery, without drastically increasing the thickness of the handset. Apple is also working towards achieving the same goal, and the new batteries are expected to arrive on the companies' flagship handsets in the future. Chinese firms have already begun to introduce smartphones that are equipped with 7,000mAh batteries, using silicon carbon technology.

Samsung Tipped to Increase Silicon Content in Batteries to Address Expansion Issues

In a post on Naver (in Korean), user 'yeux1122' states (via X user @jukanlosreve) that Samsung is developing anode and cathode materials that could allow the South Korean technology giant to increase the capacity of its batteries, as part of a "completely new battery development goal" (translated from Korean).

The new battery material composition that Samsung is said to be working involves dramatically increasing the silicon content in the company's batteries, according to the tipster, who adds that the changes could also resolve issues related to expansion or swelling.

iPhone Supplier TDK Rolls Out New Batteries to Keep Pace With AI

The user also states that Apple is working on its own improvements to battery technology, which could make its debut on the company's smartphones in 2026. Meanwhile, there's no word on when Samsung plans to launch a handset with its new battery technology.

Both companies are playing catch up to Chinese smartphone makers, which have already launched phones with considerably large batteries last year. The Red Magic 10 Pro has a 7,050mAh battery, which is much larger than the 4,855mAh unit on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the 4,685mAh battery on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

An earlier report suggests that Oppo is working on smartphones that could be equipped with up to 7,000mAh batteries. Meanwhile, the South Korean tipster says that the new technologies being developed by Chinese smartphone makers could enable them to launch phones with up to 8,000mAh battery capacity later this year.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Bright display with fewer reflections
Great battery life
Useful AI features
Excellent performance
Top-quality cameras
Longer software support

Bad
Expensive
Relatively slower charging speeds

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review

Display 6.80-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 200-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 10-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Battery Capacity 5000mAh

OS Android 14

More Samsung mobiles Samsung mobiles price in India

iPhone 16 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Massive screen size
Brilliant display
Performance beast
Camera Control is a boon
Fantastic battery life

Bad
Big phone for one-hand use
Expensive
No Apple Intelligence at launch
Slow-wired charging support

Read detailed Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review

Display 6.90-inch

Processor Apple A18 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 18

Resolution 1320x2868 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Red Magic 10 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.80-inch

Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite

Front Camera 16-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 2-megapixel

RAM 16GB

Storage 512GB

Battery Capacity 6500mAh

OS Android 15

Resolution 1116x2480 pixels

More Nubia mobiles Nubia mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Samsung, Apple, Batteries, Smartphone Batteries

David Delima

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As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More