Samsung Explains Why It Used a Lower Capacity Battery on the Galaxy Note 8

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 28 Aug 2017

The Galaxy Note 8 is an impressive device by all means, but its measly 3300mAh battery has many people worried about its battery life. After all, a 3300mAh battery powering a device with a 6.3-inch QHD+ display, an octa-core processor, and iris scanner seems like a recipe for disastrous battery life.

In fact, this is even smaller than the 3500mAh battery which Samsung has used on the Galaxy S8+ featuring a 6.2-inch QHD+ display.

Now, Samsung’s Mobile President Koh Dong-jin has revealed in an interview as to why the company reduced the battery capacity on the Note 8: “because it can.” Thanks to the more power efficient Snapdragon 835/Exynos 8895 chipset inside the Galaxy Note 8 which is based on the 10nm fabrication process, Samsung was able to reduce the battery capacity on the device while still offering the same battery life as its predecessor. The new chips are up to 30 percent more power efficient while the battery size has only been reduced by 10 percent.

Additionally, just like on the Galaxy S8, the battery inside the Note 8 will be able to retain 95 percent of its efficiency even after two years of use. This means that over time, your Galaxy Note 8’s battery is not going to worsen due to the battery health deteriorating like on other phones.

“There are some reasons why we can reduce the battery capacity. One of them is the 10-nanometer processor that has enhanced the phone’s power efficiency by 30 percent. Users are also allowed to adjust their battery use based on their smartphone use patterns, which increases battery efficiency overall. Now I can guarantee battery safety. The phone will maintain more than 95 percent of battery capacity even after two years of use”-Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung’s Mobile division.

It is likely that Samsung also made this move for optimum battery safety. The company’s zeal to fit in a high capacity battery on the Note 7 led in combination with faulty batteries led to the device exploding. After taking a hit worth billions of dollars, Samsung likely understood that it is better to play safe than sorry.

As for sales, Koh expects the Galaxy Note 8 to surpass the 11 million units mark set by the Galaxy Note 5. However, the company wants to sell more of its Galaxy S8 and S8+ handsets and might adjust its Note 8 sales forecasts accordingly.

[Via The Investor]