- Xiaomi’s rumored phone may have the battery capacity of two iPhone 16s
- The phone is expected to be released via Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand
- Samsung may be eyeing 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 tipped for release via the company’s Redmi brand.
Noted tipster Digital Chat Station shared a Weibo post that says Xiaomi has begun testing the 7,500 mAh “super large” battery for a “sub-series” which, Android Authority reports, refers to Redmi, a Xiaomi subsidiary .
It’s likely that a battery with this much capacity would make use of a silicon-carbon design, which offers a much higher energy density than the previous standard lithium-based 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 comes in at 3,561 mAh – less than half the capacity of the rumored Redmi phone.
As with most aspects of smartphone hardware, the numbers don’t tell the whole story – battery life is determined by a host of factors beyond capacity, such as chipset efficiency, screen resolution and brightness, and heat dissipation. For example, Apple is able to achieve satisfactory battery life with the iPhone thanks to the company’s famous large optimization.
Still, we’d generally expect a phone with a 7,500mAh battery to significantly outlast one with a 3,500mAh battery in a straight test, simply because the hardware gap is so large.
In the latter half of 2024, we saw Chinese phone makers put silicon-carbon batteries into new flagship phones like the Oppo Find X8 Pro and OnePlus 13, but Xiaomi doesn’t usually release flagship devices through its Redmi brand.
Typically, Redmi devices occupy the budget to mid-tier slot in Xiaomi’s portfolio, allowing for a handful of advanced features with each new device. The recently released Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus, for example, is equipped with a 6,200mAh battery and support for 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 handsets with very large batteries designed for extended periods away from the charger, a 7,500 mAh battery would arguably be the largest we’ve ever seen in a conventional smartphone.
Personally, I think the evolution of battery technology is one of the most exciting things in modern smartphone hardware: larger, more efficient batteries are a really consumer-friendly addition and can also have a positive impact on the environment if there is a reduced need for charging .
Also, we’re all no strangers to being out with friends or family and hearing the familiar request for a portable charger or finding somewhere with an outlet to top up – bigger, better batteries should be able to ease that anxiety.
All of this is contingent 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 devices that push the envelope, but with a limited presence in Europe and none at all in the US, it doesn’t have too much of a chance to make waves.
Fortunately, we’ve already heard suggestions that Samsung could opt for silicon-carbon batteries for the Galaxy S26 series, which we expect to launch next year. I hope our list of the best Samsung Galaxy phones will soon be full of handsets that push the envelope when it comes to battery life.
