- Xiaomi’s rumored phone could have the battery capacity of two iPhone 16s
- The phone is expected to launch through Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand.
- Samsung could be considering similar technology for next year’s Galaxy S26
A new rumor suggests that Xiaomi is working on a new phone with a massive 7,500 mAh battery, which will be launched through the company’s Redmi brand.
Prominent tipster Digital Chat Station shared a post on Weibo saying that Xiaomi has started testing the “super-large” 7,500 mAh battery for a “subseries” which, as Android Authority reports, refers to Redmi, a subsidiary of Xiaomi.
A battery with this much capacity is likely to use a silicon-carbon design, which offers much higher energy density than the previous standard lithium batteries still found in the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24, and Google Pixel 9.
For reference, the Google Pixel 9 has a 4,700 mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy S24 has a 4,000 mAh battery, and the iPhone 16 has 3,561 mAh, less than half the capacity of the rumored Redmi phone.
As with most aspects of smartphone hardware, numbers don’t tell the whole story: battery life is determined by a wide range of factors in addition to capacity, such as chipset efficiency, resolution and screen brightness and heat dissipation. Apple, for example, can achieve satisfactory iPhone battery life thanks to its famous optimization.
Still, we’d generally expect a phone with a 7500 mAh battery to last substantially longer than one with a 3500 mAh battery in an equal test, simply because the hardware gap is so wide.
During the second half of 2024, we saw Chinese phone makers install silicon-carbon batteries in new flagship phones like the Oppo Find X8 Pro and OnePlus 13, but Xiaomi doesn’t tend to issue flagship-level devices through its brand. Redmi.
Typically, Redmi devices occupy the budget to mid-tier space in Xiaomi’s portfolio, allowing for a handful of high-end features with each new device. The recently launched Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus, for example, comes equipped with a 6,200 mAh battery and supports 90W wired charging.
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While we’ve seen specialized battery-focused phones released in the past (see Energizer’s 28,000 mAh battery phone), as well as rugged phones with very large batteries designed for extended periods away from the charger, a 7,500 mAh battery would be without doubt The largest we have ever seen on a conventional smartphone.
Personally, I think the advances in battery technology are some of the most interesting in modern smartphone hardware – larger, more efficient batteries are a truly consumer-friendly addition and could also have a positive impact on the environment if there is a lower need for charging.
Plus, we’re no strangers to going out with friends or family and hearing the usual request for a portable charger or to find a place with a wall outlet to recharge: bigger and better batteries should be able to alleviate that anxiety.
This all depends on the big three phone makers (Apple, Samsung and Google) taking note of the progress made by global manufacturers. The best Xiaomi phones are impressive, truly premium units that go above and beyond, but with a limited presence in Europe and none in the US, they don’t have much chance of making a splash.
Fortunately, we’ve already heard suggestions that Samsung could choose silicon-carbon batteries for the Galaxy S26 line, which we hope to launch next year. I hope our list of the best Samsung Galaxy phones will soon be full of phones that go above and beyond when it comes to battery life.
