Samsung may lower the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 prices by using ATL batteries
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Samsung is mulling the use of Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) batteries in its foldable phones going forward, for reasons as much related to costs and final retail price as they are to the quality of said battery packs, reports Korean media The Elec. ATL is one of the largest battery makers for consumer electronics and is an Apple iPhone supplier, too.
If the partnership with ATL materializes, it will mark the first time that Samsung will be using batteries other than the ones from its SDI subsidiary for its foldable phones. Recently, LG has also been thrown in the mix as Samsung battery supplier, so the company is obviously trying to diversify its sources.
The starting Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 prices are rumored to be lower this year than their predecessors' tags at launch, and one way to rein costs in has been to play different suppliers against each other and thus lower the overall bids.
The battery packs aren't a huge contributor to the total assembly cost of a phone (that would be the display) but every lit bit of fat trimming counts. A typical phone battery costs $6-$8 but when you mass produce, every bit counts.
Samsung is trying to popularize the foldable phones niche and for them to become mainstream the bendy handsets need to fall in price at least to the level of current rigid flagships, so the ATL and LG battery supply diversification spree over at Samsung is one piece of its market penetration puzzle.
One way to achieve lower Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 prices yet still add new features and hardware to the phones is by replacing expensive suppliers in the chain with alternatives that are no less experienced but can produce the component for less and Samsung seems to be doing exactly that.
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