Samsung Galaxy S9 May Use ‘Stacked’ Motherboard To Accommodate Bigger Battery

Even as Samsung gears up to debut is much-awaited Galaxy Note 8 phablet in August, rumors pertaining to the Galaxy S8’s successor – dubbed the Galaxy S9 – are swirling online.

Speculations are rife that the Samsung Galaxy S9 may use a “stacked” motherboard to accommodate a bigger and more powerful battery. Rumors that the next-gen iPhones could deploy a “stacked” motherboard have been emerging frequently. It is believed that the iPhone 8 may also use this feature so that an L-shaped battery, which is quite big, can be fit into the handset with ease.

It appears that Samsung will take the same route if a report from ET News is to be believed. The publication cited industry insiders who affirmed that the South Korean OEM intends to deploy Substrate Like PCB or SLP for the Galaxy S9.

“Samsung Electronics has decided to use SLP as the main board that connects major Smartphone parts such as AP (Application Processor), NAND flash memory, and DRAM,” shared the publication.

A manufacturer also shared with the publication that it was gearing up to mass produce SLPs, which it would supply to Samsung Electronics for its next-gen smartphone.

What Is The Advantage Of An SLP?

Basically, an advanced circuit board such as the SLP stacks the chips tightly. Since the chips in an SLP are packed closely, the space they occupy is smaller when compared to regular circuit boards. This invariably saves precious space in the handset and offers the OEM to utilize it for other things such as a bigger battery.

The SLP circuit board is an advanced form of High Density Interconnect or HDI, which is the present convention. An SLP doubles the efficiency of the device it is being used on as it increases the layers, as well as decreases the width and area via “semiconductor package technology.”

What Will Samsung Use The Additional Space For?

A smartphone’s form factor can be a deal breaker or clincher. As a result, more and more OEMs are veering toward sleeker and thinner bezel-less handsets, which boast huge screens with high resolutions. Another aspect that determines whether a smartphone is viable – apart from its price – is the battery support it powers.

With consumers using innumerable apps on their handset, having a handset that offers sufficient battery life is a necessity. To use a smartphone for a longer period, the device needs to pack in a bigger and powerful battery that offers plenty of juice. This can only be achieved if the circuit board in a smartphone is small enough to accommodate a big battery.

Samsung can use the space it frees up by using the SLP circuit board to house a bigger battery in the Galaxy S9. This will undoubtedly add to the appeal of the impending smartphone. Samsung is possibly looking to kit the Galaxy S9 with a bigger and powerful battery when compared to the 2017 Galaxy S8 model and, therefore, could well take the SLP route.

Only Some Galaxy S9 Variants To Deploy SLPs?

According to ET News’ sources, nearly four of Samsung’s 10 circuit board suppliers are equipped to produce the SLPs. This raises the question whether all Galaxy S9 models will house SLPs. The industry insiders have let slip that only the Exynos variant of the Galaxy S9 will deploy this space saving technology. The U.S. variant of the Galaxy S9 is rumored to be powered by the Exynos 9810 CPU, whereas the international model will deploy Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 836.

According to insiders, Samsung is not considering housing the SLP circuit board in the international Galaxy S9 model as currently, there are technical issues with the Qualcomm CPU. The company is not skipping the SLP from the international Galaxy S9 owing to supply constraints.

[Featured Image by C Flanigan/Getty Images]