Apple (AAPL) has hired Samsung’s head of global battery development, Soonho Ahn. At Samsung SDI, the battery-producing affiliate of Samsung Electronics, Ahn led development of lithium battery packs and worked on next generation battery technology.
Two ways that this move is important.
First, it’s part of Apple’s drive to bring more of its iPhone component’s in-house. Apple currently buys its batteries and battery technology from Samsung.
Second, it confirms the thinking of technology analysts that battery life is a key differentiator for future iPhones and other consumer electronics. With screen resolution and image processing two of the hottest areas of feature competition the question of how long a phone’s battery will power those features has moved to a top of mind issue for consumers.
Apple isn’t the only company that is moving on this front. Both Apple and Samsung have been in talks to acquire cobalt, a key component of current batteries, directly from mining companies.
