South Korea’s major tech players have expanded the battery capacities of their flagship smartphones over the past years, data showed Monday, as they engaged in a fierce competition over wider displays and faster networks.

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s No. 1 maker of handsets, saw its battery capacity of the Galaxy 5S model reach 2,800 mAh, up 87 percent from the 1,500 mAh posted by the Galaxy S smartphone released in June 2010.

The improvement was also observed in phablets, a cross between tablets and smartphones, with the Galaxy Note 3 boasting a 3,200-mAh battery, compared with the 2,500 mAh held by the Galaxy Note launched in 2011.

LG Electronics Inc., a latecomer to the smartphone industry, also made strides to differentiate its models from other rivals by having them be equipped with stronger batteries. The Optimus G model, launched in August 2012, held a 2,100-mAh battery, whereas the latest G3 held a comparable figure of 3,000 mAh. (Yonhap)