It looks like the Samsung Galaxy S11 may end up with a much larger battery than previous models. According to a new leak from known Samsung leaker Ice Universe, even the smallest Samsung Galaxy phone, likely to be called the Samsung Galaxy S11e, will have a massive 4,000mAh battery. Compared to the 3,100mAh battery in the Galaxy S10e, that’s a pretty significant improvement.
Of course, the larger devices may have even larger batteries. According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy S11+ may have a battery as big as a whopping 5,000mAh, which is also a significant improvement over previous devices.
It’s important to note that those much larger batteries may not necessarily translate to a significantly longer battery life. That’s because the Galaxy S11 is rumored to offer a number of extra features that may need that bigger battery to work well. Most notably, the Galaxy S11 is rumored to offer a higher refresh rate display. According to another leak from Ice Universe, if the Galaxy S11 does offer a higher refresh rate, it may go as high as 120Hz — skipping the 90Hz display altogether. That would supersede devices like the Pixel 4 and OnePlus 7, which currently offer 90Hz displays.
Another reason for the larger battery could have to do with 5G, which is expected to become a standard feature in 2020 as carriers continue to build out their networks and 5G connectivity becomes more common. The only problem is that 5G uses more energy than 4G, and as a result, smartphones are going to need slightly larger batteries.
It’s currently unclear if the larger battery will result in a thicker build — but most users probably won’t care. Apple made headlines recently for making the iPhone 11 slightly thicker than the iPhone Xs, but the tradeoff is that it also included a much larger battery. Both customers and reviewers alike loved the decision, and the iPhone 11 Pro can now last a whole lot longer than previous-generation devices, easily getting through a full day, and sometimes even two. We’ll have to wait and see if the same ends up happening for the Galaxy series.