Samsung SDI was among the top 3 smartphone battery manufacturers in 2020. Global revenue from all manufacturers combined reached a total of $7.5 billion last year, and Samsung was able to capture 15% of the market.
The segment was led by Amperex Technology (ATL) with a market share of 42%. LG Chem was the second-largest smartphone battery manufacturer with a 26% share, and the remaining 17% market share was covered by other, smaller manufacturers.
According to a recent Strategy Analytics report, the smartphone battery cell market was driven by seasonal smartphone launches in the second half of the year, especially as smartphone manufacturers began adopting high-density and dual-cell batteries at a higher rate. This, however, appears to have benefitted ATL the most.
The 5G era is expected to boost the smartphone battery market
2021 is considered the year of 5G, as more smartphone manufacturers — including Samsung — will continue offering an increasingly-wide range of 5G-capable handsets at different price points.
And since 5G puts a greater strain on smartphone batteries, market watchers expect demand for high-density cells to rise even further throughout 2021.
Samsung SDI's ambitions go beyond the smartphone market though. The company is now eyeing the EV (electric vehicle) market and it reportedly wants to build new EV battery production lines in Hungary by making a ~$1 billion investment.
