A23 Battery Design and LR932 Micropower Cell Evolution An Analysis

The A23 12-volt battery widely used in remote controls and small electronic devices has a little-known technical link to the LR932 button cell. Inside the A23, manufacturers typically stack multiple LR932 cells in series to deliver 12 volts. With the global button-cell battery market projected to reach $22.62 billion in 2026, the relationship between these miniature power sources is drawing attention as a supply-chain and product-design issue.

The LR932, also known as AG9 or LR632, is an alkaline micro-battery with a nominal voltage of 1.5 volts. Its size and capacity profile make it suited to low-drain devices such as calculators, laser pointers and medical thermometers.

Industry analysis shows the button-cell market is undergoing a notable technical shift. Alkaline batteries remain steady in toys and gift products because of their cost advantages, but silver-oxide SR932 cells are increasingly favored for high-precision devices due to their more stable discharge curve.

Demand is also being driven by rapid growth in Internet of Things sensors, smart rings and health-monitoring devices. The global button-cell battery market is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 7.5%, according to the source data.

A core industry consensus is that a standard A23 12-volt alkaline battery usually contains eight LR932 cells stacked together. The design relies on established manufacturing processes and helps maintain broad availability of A23 batteries across the supply chain.

Asia-Pacific remains the central hub for global battery manufacturing, while North America shows strong button-cell demand in medical and automotive IoT applications.

At the bulk-purchase level, LR932 pricing is mainly influenced by order size. For orders of 10,000 units or more, unit prices typically range from $0.01 to $0.02.

For retail-oriented buyers, suppliers capable of OEM production and brand-logo customization can support packaging requirements across different sales channels. Procurement assessments generally focus on production consistency, customization capability and compliance with target-market packaging needs.