Samsung refused to jump onto the silicon-carbon (Si/C) battery bandwagon until the technology was truly ready for mass adoption, taking a morally upright stand that cost it dearly, especially in China, where local players have been happy to run with battery capacities as high as 10,000mAh. Now, however, one tipster believes Samsung has cracked the silicon-carbon battery longevity code, and that the Galaxy S27 will "most likely" ship with such a battery, replete with a much higher capacity than the 5,000mAh level that seems to have become a norm for the South Korean tech giant lately. Samsung is going all […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/samsung-galaxy-s27-will-most-likely-ship-with-a-silicon-carbon-battery-with-a-much-higher-lifespan/

The European Union is pushing for tighter right-to-repair legislation for consumer electronics and we are already starting to see some results. Nintendo is reportedly already preparing a Switch 2 hardware revision, which will comply with the new EU rules by making the internal battery easily replaceable. 

A recent report from Nikkei claims that Nintendo is already working to bring the Nintendo Switch 2 into compliance with these mandates. The upcoming revision is set to overhaul the battery systems of both the console and the Joy-Con 2 controllers. Currently, most handheld gaming devices rely on power cells that are difficult for the average consumer to service without specialised knowledge. By adopting a more modular internal layout, Nintendo will allow users to replace lithium-ion batteries that have degraded naturally. This shift not only extends the functional lifespan of the Nintendo Switch 2 but also eliminates the need for expensive manufacturer-led repairs or entire-unit replacements.

While Nikkei notes that this hardware update is initially targeted at the European Union to satisfy legal requirements, there is potential for a wider rollout. If consumer demand for repairable hardware continues to grow in other regions, Nintendo may eventually consolidate its manufacturing to a single, more repairable standard. Such a move would likely be a net positive for the industry, reducing e-waste and stabilising the secondary market for used hardware.

This trend toward user-serviceable components isn't entirely new to the console space. Sony has already implemented similar battery accessibility in the PlayStation 5 DualSense controllers within specific territories. However, the scale of a full console revision presents unique challenges. Questions remain regarding how Nintendo will support the millions of early-adoption Nintendo Switch 2 units already in the hands of European consumers and how these user-led repairs will affect existing warranty policies.

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KitGuru says: It's nice to see major players being forced to reconsider anti-consumer design choices for a change. Moving away from excessive internal adhesives is a win for longevity, though we suspect Nintendo would have happily stuck with the status quo if the EU hadn't stepped in.

That Google's Tensor G5 is a flawed SoC is no longer a matter of debate. After all, the AP excels at AI-related tasks but falls short of the competition in most other areas. Even so, a new battery endurance test for the Samsung Galaxy S26 has placed the Tensor G5 chip's copious flaws in a stark contrast. Behold the beleaguered battery endurance of Google's Pixel 10 Pro XL vs. Samsung's Galaxy S26, as the chronically unoptimized Tensor G5 takes its proverbial pound of flesh For the benefit of those who might not be aware, Google's Tensor G5 bears the following […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/the-unoptimized-tensor-g5-the-smaller-battery-in-samsung-galaxy-s26-lasts-3-hours-longer-than-the-one-in-pixel-10-pro-xl/

Samsung has remained very conservative in its experimentation in the smartphone battery department ever since the Note 7 fiasco back in 2016. However, this reluctance is now costing the South Korean behemoth dearly as Chinese OEMs increasingly take the initiative with monster silicon-carbon (Si/C) batteries. Against this relatively challenging backdrop, we reported towards the end of 2025 that Samsung had commenced and then abandoned its testing of a mammoth 20,000mAh silicon-carbon battery. Well, now we know a lot more about those failed tests as well as Samsung's ongoing testing of a smaller 18,000mAh battery, courtesy of a few leaked documents. Samsung's […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/samsungs-mammoth-20000mah-silicon-carbon-si-c-smartphone-battery-fails-at-960-cycles/