Samsung Electronics will use batteries made by LG Energy Solution for its upcoming Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE) smartphone, TheElec has learned.
Last year, the Galaxy S20 FE had also used batteries made by LG, along with those by Samsung SDI and Amperex Technology Limited.
S21 FE will have the same suppliers, people familiar with the matter said.
The new phone will use a 4,500mAh battery, same as its predecessor.
ITM Semiconductor will be overseeing packaging and addition of protection circuits for the batteries.
LG Energy Solution will be manufacturing the cells at its Nanjing factory. This will be shipped to Vietnam where ITM Semiconductor has a factory where it will package them.
Samsung has been increasing the use of batteries made by LG for the past few years. LG had supplied its goods for Galaxy A and M series first. It began supplying for flagship models starting with the Galaxy S10, then Galaxy Note10 and so on.
Samsung’s use of LG is due to cost. Conventionally, packaging firms had chosen the cells. Packaging firms Elentec and Almus had used LG’s cells before.
ATL, which was kicked out of Samsung’s supply chain following the Galaxy Note7 fire scandal, is being use again in recent years. This is also due to cost.
Samsung will be using batteries made by ATL for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 2 as well. It previously only used Samsung SDI’s for foldable phones.
