We first heard rumors that Samsung had a new battery technology in the works in late September and early October 2024. Now, a report from one of Samsung’s subsidiaries says that not only are those batteries on the way, but mass production will begin as early as 2026.
These new oxide-based batteries have a density of 200 watt-hours per liter and are much closer to larger lithium-ion batteries, according to a report in the Korea Herald. Samsung hopes these batteries will replace lithium batteries, as the solid-state oxide batteries are safer, more efficient, and more flexible than existing technology.
The subsidiary in question, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, supplies products and parts to a wide range of customers. At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, CEO Chang Duk-hyun said the company had “conducted extensive internal testing and is in discussions with clients.” While the exact clients the company serves isn’t known, some people have suggested other major wearable companies like Apple could also benefit from the technology.
If these reports hold water, then the 2026 Samsung Galaxy Watch could represent a massive leap forward in battery life. There are already smartwatches with impressive lifespans — the supposed 24 days of the Garmin Instinct 3 come to mind — but many of those estimates are based on other factors like solar charging. True multiweek battery life, even under medium to heavy use, would be a huge development for smartwatch fans.
There has been no word on whether these batteries could make their way to handsets or not. Improving battery life on wearables is important, but a large enough capacity to power a smartphone all day, even in extremely heavy use cases, would be a beneficial change. Either way, this technology offers a huge leg up to whoever is able to introduce it into wearables first.
