The iPhone 9 has not been officially unveiled; however, rumor has it that LG will supply its batteries. The iPhone 9 is expected to be launch in the second semester of 2018.
This leak appeared in a publication made by the Korea Economic Daily. It reported that Apple agreed with LG’s subsidiary LG Chem to be the exclusive supplier of the batteries of the yet unknown iPhone 9. An interesting move, since Apple decided to create a partnership with one of its major rivals in the smartphone market.
“LG has invested hundred of billions of Korean won for related facilities and plans to start mass production from early next year,” the Korean-language report quoted a source in the chemical industry.
Why is Apple making this move?
Though the iPhone 8 has been delayed, rumors are going around about the even newer iPhone 9. Apple will work with an LG Subsidiary that will supply batteries for the ninth Apple smartphone. According to a Korean source, LG has invested billions of Korean won in making these battery manufacturing facilities work. Soon, they will be ready to start the full-scale production of batteries to supply Apple.
This is a remarkable change in Apple’s strategy – a ‘multi-vendor’ approach – since the company tends to use different suppliers to obtain better prices for the iPhone’s components, which also allows it to change quickly from one supplier to another in case there are certain issues with one of them. The truth is that now, LG is the exclusive battery supplier for the iPhone 9.
The new batteries for the iPhone 9
The iPhone 9’s battery will be L-shaped, so the current battery design is being extended to one of the sides at the bottom of the phone to create the unusual shape. This is a considerable change from the rectangular-shaped battery that smartphone makers tend to use.
The new battery design was first reported by the Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo as one of the plausible features of the iPhone 8. This design makes it so the space inside the chassis of the smartphone is maximized, which is only possible through the development of new and smaller components. That way the size of the battery increases but that of the iPhone remains just the same.
The reason to create a larger battery is that it leads to a longer battery life. As iPhones get upgraded, more battery capacity is required. One of the smartphone users’ growing needs is for batteries to hold more charge and to last longer. The new battery will also be designed to charge faster.
The current iPhone battery and the motherboard are placed right next to each other vertically. The motherboard of the upcoming iPhone 9 will probably be smaller, so there is more space for the L shaped LG battery.
Another rumor about the iPhone 9 is that it might have two new OLED screen sizes of 5.28-inches and 6.46-inches. However, it could be too early to know for sure.
Source: Tech Times