Dual-cell batteries as a solution?
This regulation clearly shows that the 5,000 mAh limit, particularly popular with Samsung, could indeed have a legal basis since it falls just below the arbitrary limit set by US authorities. Neither Vivo nor Xiaomi currently sell their smartphones in the US, but similar regulations, perhaps with different limits, may also exist for the EU or parts of the EU where, for example, the Vivo X200 Pro is sold with a 5,200 mAh battery instead of a 6,000 mAh battery.
Dual-cell batteries, such as those in the OnePlus 13, could provide a potential way out of this outdated legal situation, which is unlikely to change any time soon. According to the regulation, each individual cell may offer more than 20 Wh of capacity as long as the total capacity remains below 100 Wh. Unfortunately, most manufacturers are not particularly transparent about the issue and do not give any specific reasons for the reduced battery capacities in some global markets, even when explicitly asked. In any case, the situation is likely to get much worse in 2026, when smartpones with 7,000 to 9,000 mAh batteries will be launched in China.