The Problem with these Smartphone Batteries

Comparison of iPhone 17 Pro Max and Honor Power 200:02

iPhone 17 Pro Max has about a 5,000 mAh battery. Honor Power 2 is a clone of the iPhone, thinner than the iPhone, and has a 10,000 mAh battery. Many phones now have massive batteries the size of former power banks without making phones thicker, thanks to silicon carbon battery technology.

Benefits of Silicon Carbon Batteries and Adoption Trends00:32

Silicon carbon batteries enable ultra-thin phones like Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air to be super thin yet have normal battery capacities. However, competitive flagship phones from Samsung, Apple, and Google have skipped silicon carbon batteries. These companies are waiting on the sidelines.

Surface Advantages of Silicon Carbon Batteries01:01

Silicon carbon batteries swap graphite for silicon, which holds more energy. Main advantage is higher energy density, allowing bigger battery capacities in the same footprint. OnePlus flagship jumped from 5,400 mAh to 6,000 mAh last January with silicon carbon, then to 7,300 mAh later the same year, resetting expectations for smartphone batteries. New Samsung, iPhone, and Pixel phones lack silicon carbon.

Theories on Hesitation from Major Companies02:00

Initial theory: Huge companies like Apple order massive quantities (e.g., 10 million units), and suppliers couldn't meet demand for new silicon carbon tech. However, Xiaomi, Realme, Honor, Oppo, and Huawei use silicon carbon in high volumes. Google Pixels ship fewer units but still skip it.