Samsung supposedly considered discontinuing the Galaxy Note line following the unprecedented Galaxy Note 7 recall. However, many reports have claimed that Samsung is not going to ditch its iconic phablet, with a Galaxy Note 8 already planned for next year. A brand new report now says that Samsung will need to work in close collaboration with one of its biggest rivals to actually make the handset, but it is indeed still in the pipeline.
Samsung is in talks with LG Chem for Galaxy Note 8 batteries, The Investor notes. Apparently, Samsung is looking elsewhere for phablet batteries, even if that means having to work with its biggest rival in South Korea. Samsung used Samsung SDI and ATL batteries for the Galaxy Note 7, but both versions proved to be unsafe.
It’s unclear at this time what caused the Galaxy Note 7 explosions, but Samsung needs more battery providers for future smartphones. “The talks have not yet been completed, but it seems highly likely for the two firms to sign a deal,” a person familiar with the matter said.
The Investor says that it takes more than six months to design, test, and produce batteries, which means the Galaxy Note 8 might be the first Samsung smartphone to benefit from Samsung’s new partnership. That said, no other Galaxy Note 8 details were mentioned in the report. Samsung’s next flagship handset will be the Galaxy S8, which is expected to launch at some point in the first or second quarter next year.
In addition to LG Chem, Samsung is also in talks with LG Display, which could provide LCD displays for some Samsung products in the future. Samsung’s key supplier Sharp notified the company that it would stop supplying LCD panels next year.
