S. Korean tech firms in race for extended battery life

South Korea's major tech players have expanded the battery capacities of their flagship smartphones over the past years, data showed Monday, as they engaged in a fierce competition over wider displays and faster networks.

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's No. 1 maker of handsets, saw its battery capacity of the Galaxy 5S model reach 2,800mAh, up 87 percent from the 1,500mAh posted by the Galaxy S smartphone released in June 2010.

The improvement was also observed in phablets, a cross between tablets and smartphones, with the Galaxy Note 3 boasting a 3,200mAh battery, compared with the 2,500mAh held by the Galaxy Note launched in 2011.

LG Electronics Inc., a latecomer to the smartphone industry, also made strides to differentiate its models from other rivals by having them be equipped with stronger batteries. The Optimus G model, launched in August 2012, held a 2,100mAh battery, whereas the latest G3 held a comparable figure of 3,000mAh.

U.S. tech giant Apple Inc., in contrast, was less active in expanding the battery capacities of its models. The iPhone 2G, released in 2007, boasted a 1,400mAh battery, while its successor, the iPhone 3G even had a smaller figure of 1,150 mAh. The latest iPhone 5S boasts a 1,570mAh battery.

Industry watchers said the battle for improved batteries followed the rising sizes of displays and resolution. Samsung's Galaxy S5 boasts a 5.1-inch display, compared with the 4-inch posted by the original Galaxy S.

The LG G3 is also equipped with a 5.5-inch display, compared with the 4.7 inch of the first G smartphone model.

Improved resolution also influenced the tech players to expand the battery capacities. While the first smartphones held resolutions at a HD-level, the latest models in the market currently boasts Full-HD or Quad-HD resolutions.

The development of long-term evolution (LTE) networks also encouraged manufactures to focus on battery capacities, as devices consumed more power under faster networks.

Following the trend, industry watchers anticipate the upcoming Apple's iPhone 6 is anticipated to boast a batter capacity of around 1,800mAh, along with a 4.7-5.5 inch display. (Yonhap)