The Galaxy S26 May Get A Surprising Battery Upgrade, But Not The One You Were Hoping For
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
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TL;DR
- Samsung may introduce stainless steel “SUS CAN” batteries in its upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup to improve energy density and charging.
- “SUS CAN” batteries are said to mitigate swelling issues and help comply with future EU regulations requiring user-replaceable batteries by 2027.
- Although this isn’t silicon-carbon technology, it marks a significant shift from traditional Lithium-ion pouch cells used by current major brands.
One of the more disappointing themes about recent Galaxy flagships is their mediocre battery capacity. While several other Android flagships have moved to higher-density silicon-carbon batteries, phones from Samsung, Apple, and Google have stuck with traditional Lithium-ion batteries with relatively smaller capacity. Samsung could finally be looking to upgrade the battery with the Galaxy S26 series, but it isn’t the silicon-carbon upgrade you would be hoping for.
According to a report from South Korea’s The Elec (via Jukanlosreve on X), Samsung is planning to introduce a battery technology that can “dramatically increase” battery capacity in its “next model.” Before you get too excited about a silicon-carbon battery, the report mentions that this battery uses a stainless steel material that Samsung SDI (Samsung’s battery manufacturing arm) is developing.
The tech is said to be commonly referred to as “SUS CAN” in the battery industry. We couldn’t locate authoritative information on this “SUS CAN,” but the report suggests that it aims to increase energy density and improve charging speed. Further, it also helps suppress battery swelling due to repeated charging and discharging cycles.
The report also mentions that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has already adopted this stainless steel “SUS CAN” battery. However, iFixit’s teardown of the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max shows a metal-encased battery on the smaller iPhone 16 Pro. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a more conventional battery.
Note that swollen batteries are a common problem across all electronics, including smartphones. They are often called “spicy pillows,” as there is a grave risk of fire or explosion if the outer layer punctures, since the inner layers have already been compromised. These swollen batteries have come to be associated with Galaxy phones (even though they affect all smartphones), mostly due to the volume of Samsung’s sales. YouTubers like Mrwhosetheboss have even discussed it in detail.
The report also notes that the new method is apparently a result of the EU’s solid-state battery regulations. In 2023, the EU passed a regulation requiring all smartphones to be equipped with user-replaceable batteries by 2027. The report optimistically states that the “small square batteries” used in the feature phone era could be revived to comply with this regulation. As a result, the “pouch-type” internal battery would make way for a “square type,” which we presume is machine translation describing the shift from the conventional pouch-cell Li-ion battery to the metal-encased Li-ion battery. The con is that the “capacity may be reduced” when the battery is made user-replaceable.
If the Galaxy S26 incorporates this substantial change, it will make the lineup one of the more exciting flagship releases from Samsung in several years. However, we would have preferred if Samsung had adopted silicon-carbon battery technology. It remains to be seen what changes finally occur and how they impact battery life.
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