Lorenz Keller
Opinion

The smartphone with a massive battery – manufacturers should look up to Energizer

Lorenz Keller
28.2.2024
Translation: Elicia Payne

Energizer presented a 500-gramme brick with a 27,000 mAh battery at the Mobile World Congress. That’s more than five times the capacity than what you get nowadays. Read on to find out why I don’t think it’s a bad idea.

One of the highlights at the tech fair in Barcelona is the Energizer P28K. Journalists and trade visitors crowd the small stand all day long. Everyone wants to look at the smartphone, yet it’s not a thing of beauty.

500 grammes of pure fascination

The device is a hulk, 500 grammes and bulky. This is all down to the huge battery. The battery specialist has installed an energy source of 27,000 mAh and, if you used this for everyday purposes, that would mean you only have to charge the smartphone once a week.

With the battery, which is also a smartphone, the French manufacturer is addressing an everyday problem many users have. I hate that I have to put my phone on charge every night. I either forget to do it or I don’t put the device on the charging stand properly. If I leave the house in the morning with 20 per cent charge, I have a problem.

For me and many others, a smartphone is the most important everyday device – both privately and at work. How nice it would be if I didn’t always have to worry about battery life. On the whole, this has improved significantly compared to five years ago. At the same time, I demand more from my smartphone every day: 4K video recording, streaming, cloud applications and video-heavy social media apps are now part of everyday life. All of these are energy guzzlers, especially when you use your mobile network to download the data.

Compared to a normal mobile phone, the Energizer P28K is twice as thick.
Compared to a normal mobile phone, the Energizer P28K is twice as thick.
Source: Lorenz Keller

It’s a bit much, is that ok?

But I also don’t want to carry a half-kilo brick around with me. Why not a smartphone that weighs 250 to 300 grammes instead of 200 grammes and is a little thicker? The battery capacity can then be increased from the current maximum of 5000 mAh to perhaps 10,000 mAh and the battery life increased from one day to two days or more.

More battery life for a less slim design – I’d gladly shake on that. Up to now, it’s mainly been outdoor specialists such as Ulefone, Oukitel and Energizer that have smartphones with specially sized batteries in their range. It’s time for the major manufacturers like Apple and Xiaomi to rectify this issue too. An iPhone 16 Pro Supermax or a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultralong would certainly prove popular. But maybe not the name.

Ulefone Power Armor 19T (256 GB, Black, 6.58", Dual SIM, 108 Mpx, 4G)
Smartphones
EUR435,15

Ulefone Power Armor 19T

256 GB, Black, 6.58", Dual SIM, 108 Mpx, 4G

Oukitel WP19 (256 GB, Night Vision, 6.78", Dual SIM, 64 Mpx, 4G)
Smartphones
EUR384,78

Oukitel WP19

256 GB, Night Vision, 6.78", Dual SIM, 64 Mpx, 4G

The battery on the Energizer is exceptional, nothing much else

And such a flagship with a large battery would also have better specs than the cheap version from Energizer. The P28K, priced at 250 euros or francs, isn’t amazing. It has a 6.78-inch screen and a waterproof case in accordance with the iP69 standard. The processor is the upper mid-range Mediathek Helio G99, although it’s already a year and a half old. In addition to all these features, the devices offer 8 GB of working memory and 256 GB of storage. You’ll have to go without 5G. You shouldn’t expect miracles from the camera system with three lenses either.

Technically and visually, the Energizer P28K is no masterpiece. Nevertheless, it fascinates visitors at the Mobile World Congress (MWC). And rightfully so in my book.

Would you accept a less stylish look and heavier weight for a larger battery in your smartphone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Header image: Lorenz Keller

78 people like this article


These articles might also interest you

  • Opinion

    Smartphone charging chaos – it can’t go on like this

    by Lorenz Keller

  • Opinion

    The Great Battery Pile-up

    by David Lee

  • News + Trends

    With projector and night vision: perhaps the craziest smartphone in the world

    by Lorenz Keller

Comments

Avatar