Silicon-carbon (Si-C) batteries are here, and are here to stay. Almost every flagship and mid-range phone made by Chinese manufacturers in the past two years — even those sold in the US (like the OnePlus 15) — now pack fast-charging Si-C batteries with capacities ranging from 6,000mAh (Xiaomi 17 Ultra) to 10,000mAh (Realme P4 Power). Yet Apple, Google, and Samsung have been reluctant to adopt this new battery technology.
That’s why ultra-thin handsets like Apple’s iPhone Air (3,190mAh) and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge (3,900mAh) deliver merely adequate battery life, while Honor’s 6.1mm thick Magic8 Pro Air (5,500mAh Si-C) easily cruises along for over a day on a charge. It’s the same with many of the best foldable phones. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold7 comes with a measly 4,400mAh cell, while Oppo’s Find N6 and Honor’s Magic V6 boast 6,000 and 6,660mAh Si-C batteries, respectively.
