Samsung is no stranger to overheating battery woes, but the company took numerous steps to ensure the cell in the Galaxy S8 was safe.
Following last year’s Note 7 global recall, the Korean firm introduced new measures, including an 8-point Battery Safety Check, for its 2017 flagship, and it seems Sammy is keen to further improve its battery safety credentials.
The Samsung SDI division is working on an solid-state cell that is said to be ‘explosion-proof’ and could be arriving within the next year or so.
Related: Galaxy Note 8
Samsung SDI is a major supplier of batteries to Samsung Electronics, the division of the firm that manufactures smartphones.
As the Korea Herald reports, the new cells would replace the current lithium-ion batteries used in most modern smartphones.
Battery testing for the Galaxy S8
The batteries are made of ‘solid electrolytes’ rather than the liquid alternatives, which means there is a “significantly lower risk of ignition or explosion,” according to the report.
That’s down to the fact battery explosions occur when the liquid in existing cells leaks and hits air or water.
A Samsung SDI executive told the outlet “Our technological level to produce a solid-state battery for smartphones will be mature enough in one to two years. However, it depends on Samsung Electronics whether it will be used for phones.”
It seems for now, then, that there’s no guarantee the new type of battery will arrive in smartphones in the next couple of years, but we’d expect Samsung Electronics to be very interested in including ‘explosion-proof’ batteries in its handsets.
The SDI source did claim the batteries would be “applied for smartphones first” after which they would apparently be safety tested for use in electric cars, possibly debuting in vehicles “around 2025,” according to the source.
The executive also claimed LG was working on similar technology, and was making similar progress, adding: “As far as I know, the level of battery technology of our rival firm (LG Chem) is also similar to us.”
Let us know your thoughts on ‘explosion-proof batteries’ in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
