Energizer Power Max P18K Pop: hands-on with the battery beast
This year's edition of MWC is definitely full of surprises and crazy announcements. The latest one comes from Energizer (you know, the battery brand with the rabbit mascot) and its Power Max P18K Pop smartphone. A giant 18,000 mAh battery! Curious as we are, we just had to get our hands on this unusual smartphone.
A very big boy indeed
When you walk down the aisles of the Mobile World Congress, there are always certain surprising devices that make you ask: but why? The Energizer Power Max P18K Pop is one of them: eye-catching and hitting that perfect point between the ridiculous and ingenious. Avenir Telecom, which holds the license for the Energizer brand and uses it to launch smartphones, thought it was a great idea to integrate a huge battery into a smartphone. The result is.... astonishing.
Indeed, it is difficult not to notice the smartphone. The Energizer Power Max P18K Pop is a very large smartphone (6.2-inch screen) that is not easy to carry around in your pocket. The phone is 18mm thick, the equivalent of three smartphones (more or less) stacked on top of each other. Imagine having a small brick in your pants or bag every day and you now know what to expect if you are tempted to buy this smartphone.
Nevertheless, despite the thickness of the device, the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop is a real smartphone. Unsurprisingly, it's the smartphone with the world's largest battery. The brand promises a week of autonomy in normal use, 50 days of standby time or 200 hours of video playback in a loop (which happens frequently, doesn't it?)! If only a complete test will allow us to verify these statements, one thing is certain: this smartphone will not disappoint you in terms of battery. And it is the least it should do, as the device is so imposing and heavy (500 grams).
Average technical characteristics
Under the hood is an MTP70 Media Processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory, so pretty average specs for a modern smartphone. Interestingly, Android Pie is also on board. The experience is smooth and the interface is close to Android stock.
The other small curiosities of the device are the cameras: it has a triple sensor on the back and a double retractable front photo sensor, which makes it stand out, but the speed and resistance of which will be tested by time.
Released in 2019 from $680
The Energizer P18K Pop Power Max will be launched this summer for €599 (or $680). A particularly high price considering the performance of the device. The smartphone + power bank combo, in my opinion, remains a better choice, economically speaking of course, but also at the technological level.
Energizer Power Max P18K Pop technical specifications
Who wants a one-trick battery brick?
The Power Max P18K Pop is the smartphone with the world's largest battery, but that's its only real selling point. Nevertheless, Avenir Telecom has succeeded in grabbing the attention of the tech press to its smartphone and its Energizer brand by attracting journalists to its stand. A good PR operation at a low cost. As for the device itself, it may yet find its place with niche customers. We look forward to testing more of its qualities in detail closer to release.
At this size, why didn't they stick in a 3.5mm headphones jack?
Yes this is a phone and a weapon combo, yikes. If you want for your pants to fall down while in your pocket this is the ticket. 18,000mamp battery, wow-we!
Doubles as a blunt force weapon!
Cut the battery in half.