Folding Samsung phone tipped for two batteries to power its two displays

The upcoming folding Samsung Galaxy phone will apparently come with two, 3,100mAh batteries, according to speculation from GalaxyClub (via GSMArena). Though smartphones typically only include a single battery, the additional cell in Samsung’s folding phone would help power its two displays.

Samsung is tipped to launch the folding phone, potentially called the Galaxy F, next month. Samsung showed off a prototype/concept of the device late last year. The device had one outward-facing display and a larger inward folding display (seen in the image below). We didn’t get a good look at its design as it was protected by a case.

As a smartphone’s display is often the biggest battery drainer, there have been questions regarding the approach Samsung would take with its folding device to ensure reasonable standby times. Rumors suggested Samsung might include a flexible battery, but the dual 3,100mAh battery seems most credible at the moment.

This notion may ease the minds of some Samsung fans who feared the toll its displays would take on the battery life, but it may not guarantee lengthy standby times.

Battery life still a concern?

A combined 6,200mAh doesn’t sound like much for two displays, one of which will be tablet size (the prototype display above right is 7.3 inches at 1536 x 2152 resolution). The dual display ZTE Axon M’s battery life was cut in half when using two displays instead of one, while the functionality Samsung’s folding phone affords — such as displaying three apps at once — could also spell trouble for its batteries. The average Android flagship smartphone in 2018 had around a 3,500mAh battery, meanwhile.

What’s more, two batteries can’t be leveraged in ways a single battery can’t — this isn’t like dual and single core processing. One 6,200mAh would probably have been optimal, only the phone’s folding nature has likely necessitated two separate cells placed either side of the fold.

Still, add the smaller, 4.5-inch, 840 x 1960 display to the 7.3-inch display and you have a combined 11.8 inches — only two Galaxy S9’s worth of display; the S9 got by with a 3,000mAh battery, and a QHD+ (1440x 2960) resolution screen.

Aside from the displays, the folding Galaxy would only be making use of one set of other components (like the chipset) too, so it’s not like battery usage would be necessarily doubled. The folding Samsung phone is still in with a shot at decent standby times.

In related news, the rumored Galaxy S10 5G variant is supposedly going to come with a 5,000mAh battery, which could lead it to well-above average battery life.