Reports indicate that Apple Inc has inked a pact with LG Chem of South Korea for supply of ‘L’ shaped batteries for its iPhones to be launched in the next year, 2018. This is seen as a departure from its avowed policy of having multiple vendors for key components like batteries.

Till now, iPhones have been fitted with batteries from different sources, including Samsung’s SDI, Murata, a Japanese battery maker and from LG Chem as well. But these are the normal rectangle shaped lithium ion batteries.

According to sources in the Korean media LG has made huge investments running into millions of Korean Won on the project and the production of the batteries will begin early next year.

That Apple has been toying with the idea of going in for a battery that is different from the current design and has an L shape at the bottom was already speculated upon and revealed in February this year.

Those in the know suggest that Apple is planning to change to design of the main printed circuit board (PCB) in order to improve/increase the space under the hood. The change in the design and shape of the phone’s battery will also be part of this effort at rationalizing the interior space utilization.

If these reports are true, then one might get to see these new ‘L’ shaped batteries on the iPhone 9 and other smartphones slated for release next year.

The other significant change, which Apple is expected to announce this year itself is the OLED display on the new generation smartphone iPhone 8 to be unveiled in September. The OLED displays are being sourced 100% from Samsung and that may hold good for the next year’s iPhone 9 as well.