Samsung expected to use SDI batteries for Galaxy S8, despite initial Note 7 suspicion

Samsung Electronics will use batteries supplied by its Samsung SDI branch for the Galaxy S8, according to a new report. The information arrives from The Investor, which claims that Samsung Electronics is seeking the SDI department’s services despite previously suspecting its batteries were responsible for the Galaxy Note 7’s overheating issue.

Samsung is said to have lost billions of dollars on the cancelled Galaxy Note 7 last year, following reports of it catching fire. After initially recalling the handset and replacing the batteries with an alternative from Chinese battery firm ATL, the phones continued to malfunction, leading Samsung to permanently cease production of the device.

Samsung is expected to reveal the cause of the problem this month, but it would appear that the SDI batteries were not chiefly responsible — if responsible at all — for the Galaxy Note 7 catching fire.

Meanwhile, Samsung is said to be readying 10 million Galaxy S8 units as it prepares for its April launch. The report arrives from Korean site Etnews which claims that initial parts will arrive at Samsung factories in February, with mass production beginning in March.

Samsung sold 10 million units of its Galaxy S7 the first month after its release last March, indicating that the Korean manufacturer could be similarly confident about the sales of its upcoming handset.