Despite the recent market rumors indicating that Samsung Electronics may stop using heat pipes for its new smartphones in 2018, sources from upstream supply chain players have pointed out that the Korea-based vendor will continue the thermal design and its suppliers have already begun small volume production of related components.

Meanwhile, smartphone brand vendors are also trying out vapor chambers for heat dissipation, but have so far not yet placed any orders. Since vendors' demand for heat dissipation is expected to rise as they add more new functionalities into their smartphones, the sources believe there is a high chance for smartphone brands to adopt vapor chambers in 2019.

Because of their high prices, heat pipes so far are not a popular thermal solution among smartphone vendors and are mainly used only in flagship models.

Vapor chambers' prices will be even higher but with better heat dissipation efficiency than that of heat pipes, said sources, noting that worldwide suppliers including Taiwan-based Chaun-Choung Technology (CCI) and Auras, and Japan-based Furukawa, have already delivered samples to clients for testing.

CCI, which shipped its vapor chambers mainly to the server sector previously, has started shipping related products to notebook vendors recently.

Demand for vapor chambers from notebook vendors have been picking up in the past few years due to increasing shipments of ultra-thin gaming notebooks and the adoption has started expanding to non-gaming ultra-thin models.

In addition to costs, the size of vapor chambers is also a major holdback for smartphone vendors to considering adopting the component. However, related makers have been pushing to reduce the thickness of vapor chamber and are currently able to roll out 0.4mm thickness products, the sources added.