Laptops may get more expensive due to battery shortages

A report from DigiTimes claims prices of laptops may get more expensive due to shortages of the 18650 cylinder battery type. As demand for laptops is picking up again, battery manufacturers are hiking notebook battery prices by double-digit percentages as they're dedicating more supply to the electric vehicle (EV) market. Sources told DigiTimes the shortage is unlikely to be resolved in the short term, as most lithium battery makers have no plans to expand laptop battery production.

Because of rising demand for lithium batteries from the electric vehicle (EV) industry, battery makers have been reducing their supply for the notebook industry.

In addition to the 18650 cylinder battery, the lithium polymer battery, which is commonly used in ultra-thin notebook models, is also suffering from shortages as many vendors including Apple, Acer and Asustek Computer, have all scheduled to released new ultra-thin notebooks models in the near future.