Samsung and LG to include thermal pipes in their flagship phones

Thermal pipes in smartphones aren’t exactly new: the Galaxy S7 and the S7 edge have them to better dissipate heat. But if reports coming out of South Korea are true, it looks like they might become more widely-used this year. According to DigiTimes, both Samsung and LG will adopt thermal pipes for more efficient heat dissipation in their upcoming flagship devices – the Galaxy S8 and the G6.

Sony’s used thermal pipes in its flagship Xperia devices for quite a while now, but it wasn’t until Samsung’s Galaxy S7 announcement that they became a mainstream topic. It was the thinnest thermal pipe used in a smartphone, and Samsung’s system was slightly different than normal thermal pipes. The idea is simple: the porous structure on the inside lets the water absorb heat, turns it into steam, and moves it through pipes. After the heat dissipates, the steam liquefies and continues the process. Bottom line is that it was an effective and innovative way to control heat within the device.

So effective that LG might be using it too for the upcoming G6. According to reports, LG will use heat pipes supplied by Furukawa Electric and Delta Electronics. This may explain Lee Seok-jong’s statement from a week ago claiming that the company’s new flagships will be significantly safer.

And for Samsung, we will continue to see the same thermal pipe technology that we saw in the Galaxy S7. The highly-anticipated Galaxy S8 was allegedly supposed to adopt two heat pipes, but apparently that plan was axed. DigiTimes claims that mass shipments of these heat pipes from Auras Technology and Chaun Choung Technology will begin in February, in time for the expected S8 unveiling in April.

Does your phone have a heat pipe? Do you notice any difference? Let us know by leaving a comment down below!