- Samsung is preparing to roll out a massive upgrade to portable battery technology
- It has developed a solid-state battery that can be used in small devices such as smartwatches
- The company says it plans to start mass production next year and is in discussions with several customers
Samsung has revealed that it is closer than ever to producing its solid-state battery upgrade for wearable technology.
In 2024, it was revealed that Samsung was working on a portable battery technology, called a “dream battery”, the world’s first ultra-small all-solid-state battery for portable devices. The result is a battery that’s much more compact than current technology, meaning you can cram a lot more battery life into a small space like the chassis of the best smartwatches.
As reported by The Korea Herald, Chang Duk-hyun, CEO of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, the company’s components subsidiary, has revealed that it could begin mass-producing the technology next year, although who will benefit at first is anyone’s guess.
Apple or Samsung?
Speaking at the CES 2025 tech show in Las Vegas last week, Chang said, “We have secured industry-leading energy density and capacity characteristics” for Samsung’s next-generation portable batteries. He admitted there were unknowns because the technology is so new, but said the company had conducted “extensive internal testing” and was in “discussions with customers.”
His use of “clients” in the plural hints at an important intrigue surrounding the new technology, namely that Samsung and its Galaxy Watch series won’t be the only ones to benefit from the new technology. Like Samsung Display, Samsung Electro-Mechanics serves a variety of customers, so while some have reported that Chang’s comments indicate a major battery upgrade is coming to Galaxy Watch models, it’s just as likely that the top Apple Watch in 2026 could also be sporty the technology.
The report reiterates earlier details, notably that Samsung’s oxide-based solid-state batteries boast an energy density of 200 watt-hours per hour. liters, “on par with larger conventional lithium-ion batteries.”
Right now, the best Garmin watches are king when it comes to battery life on a laptop, with devices like the new Garmin Instinct 3 offering around 24 days of use, or potentially infinite battery life thanks to solar power.
Solid-state batteries look set to be the next big thing in portable battery technology, and whether it’s Samsung, Apple or another manufacturer, whoever can put the technology into a mass-market device first is likely to gain a massive advantage.
