Capacity differences across manufacturers

[winston]

I was thinking specifically of RCR123 cells, wondering how many manufacturers there could possibly be, and couldn't figure out why different brands should have different capacities. If I remember correctly, every time Consumer Reports tested Alkaline batteries, they concluded that it was just luck of the draw that one tested better than others. So why do some Li-Ion batteries stand out from the crowd? Is the material different chemically, or is the protection circuit more efficient, or are they "fresher", or what? If some consistently achieve 750mAh, while others come in at 515mAh, what's behind the difference?
Thanks,
-Winston

 

[winston]

Since nobody wants to chime in here, I'll take this one:

As it so happens, the quantity of energy stored in a battery is directly related to the number of very tiny, very angry hobbits living in the cell. Nobody knows for certain why the hobbits are angry, but recent research has suggested that it would be really uncomfortable to live with a colony of hobbits inside a battery. Counting the hobbits in any battery will tell you how much charge is left in it. A battery with 750 million angry hobbits (mAh) will provide more useful energy than a similar cell containing only 600mAh. While hobbits can generally be persuaded to return to a cell they've already left, only a very powerful wizard can put them there in the first place. AW is the world's most powerful wizard.
Naturally, AW has the best batteries. QED.
-Winston

If there are any inaccuracies in my explanation, I hope someone points them out.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Winston,

Perhaps the 750 million hobbits are angry because there is only room for 650 million of them...

Tom

 

[winston]

Hello Winston,

Perhaps the 750 million hobbits are angry because there is only room for 650 million of them...

Tom

Vent with flames = hobbit fire escape plan
-Winston