Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus may have same battery size as Note 7; Exploding smartphone's battery supplier catches fire

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy and Galaxy S8 Plus is getting nearer and more details about the upcoming flagships are popping up. Previous reports suggest that both of the Galaxy S8 handsets may copy the features of the now-defunct Galaxy Note 7, including its Y-OCTA display technology, the actual Super AMOLED QHD resolution display panels that the exploding smartphone utilised and even the Note series-exclusive S Pen. Now a new report indicates that a Galaxy S8 handset could have the same battery size as the Note 7, further fuelling speculations that Samsung intends to please the fans of the discontinued phablet with the S8 smartphones.

According to a new report straight out of Samsung’s home country of South Korea, the 5.7-inch Galaxy S8 is set to sport a 3,000 mAh battery. The 6.2-inch Galaxy S8 Plus, on the other hand, is bound to pack a 3,500 mAh cell, which is the same as the Galaxy Note 7. An unnamed Samsung official reportedly made the information available to Korean news outlet News1.

“After completing a range of tests, Samsung made a final decision to deploy the battery capacity for the two S8 variants,” said the Samsung official as quoted by The Investor. Samsung has apparently decided to tap a different battery supplier for the Samsung Galaxy S8 following the Note 7 fiasco. The S8 batteries will now be provided by Japan’s Murata Manufacturing along with the South Korean tech giant’s sister firm Samsung SDI.

Samsung SDI and China’s Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) supplied the faulty batteries of the Galaxy Note 7 handsets, which have been recalled globally due to their exploding tendencies. Ironically, fire reportedly broke out of a Samsung SDI factory in Tianjin, China on Wednesday. It was said to be “minor” and was put out in no time.

Spokesperson Shin Yong-doo said that the fire failed to cause any production problem as it broke out of a waste depository and not a production area. According to Bloomberg, Samsung SDI is making sure that the Galaxy Note 7 debacle never happens again. The firm has invested around KRW150 billion (AU$170 million) on battery safety measures as proof that it’s serious when it comes to security.

As previously mentioned, Samsung is reportedly set on equipping the Galaxy S8 Plus with the S pen stylus, an accessory that has never been associated with previous Galaxy S series handsets. The S Pen has always been exclusive to the Note series phablets, so this will be a first for a Galaxy S smartphone if ever it materialises. This may be Samsung’s way of regaining lost Galaxy Note 7 fans and revenue, although the company has firmly maintained that it has no plans on discontinuing the Note series.

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