Honor reveals to us why their Chinese batteries (6100 mAh) crush the iPhone (3582 mAh).
For the release of Magic V5, Honor evokes a battery technology they use: their latest Chinese smartphones embark on silicon-carbon batteries with 25 % silicon content, ” currently the highest of all smartphones sold According to Hope Cao, senior product expert at Honor.
Meanwhile, Samsung caps at 5000 mAh on its Galaxy S25, Apple stagnates around 3500 mAh on the iPhone 16 Pro, and Google is moving with the 5000 mAh of Pixel 9 Pro. The technological gap is dangerously widening.
A silicious revolution from Asia
This Chinese advance is not by chance. During our interview with Honor, Hope Cao revealed the extent of this innovation to us: ” On the Chinese market, for example, we have introduced a 1TB version which has a new generation of battery technology, increasing silicon-carbon content to 25%. »
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This record proportion makes it possible to reach 6100 mAh on the Chinese Magic V5, against 5820 MAH on the international version – 280 mAh of difference.
Silicon-carbon technology is revolutionizing mobile energy storage. Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries that use a graphite anode, these new cells incorporate silicon nanoparticles. The advantage? Silicon can accommodate up to 40 % more lithium ions than graphite: 420 mAh per gram against only 370 mAh/g. This theoretical capacity explains why Chinese smartphones are now reaching record autonomy.
Honor is not alone in this niche. The Redmagic 10s Pro Chinese has a 7050 mAh silicon-carbon battery, a hitherto reserved capacity for tablets.
Why the West is delayed
The gap is not explained by a lack of technical know-how. Samsung and Apple master the chemistry of batteries-Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution are among the world leaders in lithium-ion cells. The problem lies elsewhere: in the commercial strategy and the risk approach.
Western manufacturers favor a conservative approach. Apple relies on software optimization rather than the race for milliampères-hour. Their A18 Bionic ultra-effective chip allows the iPhone 16 Pro to hold a day with “only” 3582 MAH. Samsung adopts a similar strategy with its optimized exynos and snapdragon. This philosophy works, but it reaches its limits in the face of the explosion of IA and gaming uses.
Regulatory constraints also play their role. Europe imposes particularly strict safety and sustainability standards. Silicon-carbon batteries, although promising, still raise questions about their long-term behavior.
Silicon inflates up to 300 % of its volume during the load, this created significant mechanical stresses. Western manufacturers prefer to wait for complete technological maturity before massive deployment.
The real reasons for the European delay
Hope Cao entrusted us with the real reasons for this geographic differentiation: “It has nothing to do with regulations or legal restrictions. The main reasons are the differences in positioning and definition of products in the global markets, as well as the way in which the development calendar aligns with the needs of these markets. »
In other words, Chinese manufacturers test their most daring innovations on their domestic market before export. This “Chinese laboratory” strategy allows them to be quickly and refine their technologies. The Chinese market, more tolerant of new and less conservative, agrees to serve as an experimentation ground.
The Chinese ecosystem also promotes this innovation. China dominates the battery supply chain, from extraction of lithium to finished cells. Catl, byd and other Chinese giants are in great investing in Silicon-Carbone research. This vertical integration accelerates development and reduces costs, creating a virtuous circle of innovation.
Autonomy, new battlefield
This race for milliampères-hour responds to a reality of use. “” Especially now that smartphones are used more intensively than ever, and applications fueled by AI become more common, all of this requires more battery“Explains Hope Cao. Generative AI, computational photo, 120 Hz screens, 5G – everything contributes to digging the energetic appetite for our devices.
Chinese manufacturers have understood: autonomy becomes an important argument of sale. Honor conducted revealing user studies: ” With the Honor Magic V3 generation, most users have chosen the V3 for its fine and light design. However, after the launch, users told us that they were not satisfied with the battery life. This lesson prompted Honor to make battery innovation a “central priority” on the Magic V5.
The Western vicious circle appears clearly: software optimization → correct autonomy → no emergency to innovate → technological delay → difficult catch -up. Meanwhile, the Chinese accumulate patents and technical advances on future generations of batteries.
Towards a Western catch -up?
Hope remains for Western industry. “” In the future, if international markets show a clear alignment in terms of product definition, distribution and demand for users, we will certainly consider the introduction of this advanced battery technology in future global product launches« , promet Hope Cao.
Rumors persist on Samsung and Apple. The Galaxy S26 could embark a battery approaching 7000 mAh thanks to silicon-carbon, a huge leap compared to the current 5000 mAh. Apple would also work on this technology for its future iPhone, aware that software optimization alone will no longer be enough in the face of the explosion of energy needs.
But time is running out. Each month of delay widens the technological gap. When Samsung and Apple will finalize their first commercial silicon-carbon batteries, the Chinese will already have several generations in advance.
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