Samsung Galaxy S8 Batteries: LG, Sony, Murata Among Rumored Suppliers, Replacing Samsung SDI

After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco in 2016, Samsung seems to be once bitten, twice shy when it comes to batteries of its devices. The company is reportedly ditching its own subsidiary, Samsung SDI, instead sourcing the batteries for its upcoming smartphones from multiple suppliers.

as we approach the Samsung Galaxy S8 launch, expected to take place in March or April 2017, the list of the rumored battery supplies keeps growing longer. In December, LG was reported to be the supplier of Galaxy S8 batteries, but on Feb. 3, reports spoke of Japanese manufacturer Murata as the supplier. And on Friday, reports emerged saying the South Korean company had opted for multiple suppliers that include Sony.

It seems only logical that Samsung would take all the steps necessary to ensure battery safety for its upcoming device, especially after the loss of reputation and money it suffered due to the Note 7 scandal.

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was discontinued in October 2016 due to many cases of the phone catching fire and exploding. Samsung had to recall the majority of three million handsets sold worldwide. Following an internal investigation, the company presented its findings in January, in which it blamed the device’s original battery (battery A)’s electrode separators for causing the defect.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to be a high-specification device like the Galaxy Note 7 — in fact, it is expected to have the same iris scanner. High-end features increase the risk of battery explosions as they can cause devices to overheat, which is why Samsung needs to pay special attention to the Galaxy S8 batteries.

Sourcing batteries from multiple suppliers gives Samsung multiple options to switch between them, in case the Galaxy S8 suffers from any battery-related issues. But the decision raises the question of whether Samsung will be able to maintain a single standard for batteries across different suppliers.

Some reports have suggested that Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus might have 3,000 mAh batteries and 3,500 mAh batteries respectively, while others have suggested that the devices might have 3,250 mAh and 3,750 mAh batteries respectively.

The device is expected to go through multiple rigorous security tests before its release, which might be the reason why Samsung is not launching the Galaxy S8 at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona next month. The company announced an eight-point safety check system for its devices including durability tests, visual inspection, X-ray charge and discharge tests, total volatile organic compound tests, disassembling tests, accelerated usage tests and delta open circuit tests.

The company has also appointed a battery advisory group, comprising of four battery experts, to oversee production and quality of batteries for its devices.