Nobody Wants Energizer’s Inch-Thick Smartphone

Longer battery life is on every phone buyer's wish list. But most of us don't want to trade slim device for hefty bricks, as Energizer is learning with its inch-thick Power Max P18K Pop smartphone.
 
The Energizer-branded P18K smartphone from Avenir Telecom got a lot of attention at MWC 2019 due to its size—at 22mm, it's almost an inch thick—and huge 18,000mAh battery. It held the promise of 90 hours of calls, 100 hours of music listening, or two days of video watching before a recharge was required. It also doubled as a very capable power bank while technically still classing as a pocketable device.
 
Buzz, however, hasn't turned into cold hard cash. Avenir Telecom asked for $1.2 million on Indiegogo, with early bird pledges securing a P18K for just $549. Unfortunately, only 11 people backed the campaign, meaning just 1 percent ($15,005) of the $1.2 million goal was reached.
 
The P18K is therefore dead in the water. But the amount of attention the phone garnered shows there is a potential market for phones with big batteries; clearly this just went too far. Maybe Avenir Telecom should consider a 9,000mAh battery and cut the thickness down to half an inch.

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