Emir BardakçıThe days of battery anxiety may officially be in the past if the latest live stream event from Xiaomi is any indication. In an aggressive “test to death” live stream broadcast this morning, the company pitted its new REDMI Turbo 5 Max against its rival, which had a substantially bigger battery, and the result was surprising.
While their “smaller” battery of 9,000mAh seemed like a disadvantage on paper, Xiaomi’s phone not only held its own but absolutely trounced the competition. We were amazed to see their phone extract a much longer battery life from their battery compared to their competition.
TL;DR
- The Result: The REDMI Turbo 5 Max battery lasted 11 hours and 10 minutes in our endurance test.
- The Upset: It outlasted a rival’s device featuring a massive 10,000mAh battery by 43 minutes.
- The Technology: The battery density of this Xiaomi smartphone is 894Wh/L, making it the densest battery ever created by Xiaomi, allowing for maximum capacity without having to carry an unwield
- Global Launch: This device is likely to launch worldwide as the POCO X8 Pro Max.
How Did the 9,000mAh Battery Outmatch the 10,000mAh Giant?
Xiaomi started 2026 off with a bang by holding a live broadcast at 9:00 AM just to showcase their batteries to their limits. This, they said, marked the first genuine “test to death” of 2026, and they didn’t hold anything back. Their aim was to match up against their competitors who have 10,000mAh batteries.
The official result is quite astonishing. The REDMI Turbo 5 Max has a total battery life of 11 hours and 10 minutes. Of course, it’s good that it has such numbers. However, it’s better put in context: it has a battery life that’s longer than that of its competitor by nearly three-quarters of an hour despite being 1,000mAh less.
It is primarily because of the newly developed high-density battery technology by Xiaomi (also known as Jinshajiang battery in China). It comes with 894Wh/L energy density. This is the highest ever by the company. This enables them to provide a 9,000mAh battery in a body that can easily fit in your hand.
When Is This Coming to Global Markets?
As for the rest of the world, there is some good news with a small twist. According to market trends, the REDMI Turbo 5 Max is set to be launched in the international market with a new name: POCO X8 Pro Max.
However, let us tackle the elephant in the room regarding specs. It is no surprise that the batteries used in global versions have a smaller capacity than their Chinese counterparts. Whereas the Chinese variant comes with a 9,000mAh battery, we are expecting a slightly smaller battery in the POCO X8 Pro Max because of regional safety and charging norms in Europe and India.
Optimization Is Key
However, the hardware is only half the story. To go beyond 11 hours of actual usage is extremely challenging and needs very effective software optimization. That is where Xiaomi HyperOS comes into play and manages background processes to ensure that each and every mAh is utilized efficiently.
What’s Next?
With the REDMI Turbo 5 Max showing how batteries of a capacity of 9,000mAh can beat batteries of a capacity of 10,000mAh in terms of performance and efficiency, other companies in the industry will be forced to follow suit. The technology of silicon-carbon batteries of a higher density is also expected to be seen in Xiaomi T Series batteries by the end of the year The focus is on the upcoming Global launch event for now. Whether the POCO X8 Pro Max will retain the honor of having the entire 9,000mAh battery or if it will be toned down remains to be seen. We shall keep you posted as soon as the specs are out.
