The forthcoming Xiaomi 16 smartphone has been tipped to feature an even bigger battery than expected, meaning that it could absolutely dwarf its biggest rival.
Just two weeks ago we heard a rumour that the Xiaomi 16 was set to pack in a huge 6,800mAh battery.
However, it turns out we may have been underselling Xiaomi’s next phone all along. According to a fresh claim from reliable Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station, the Xiaomi 16 will in fact feature a 7,000mAh battery.
The age of bigger batteries
This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen such a huge capacity in a phone, but the other one that springs to mind is the Redmagic 10S Pro – a super-sized gaming phone.
Given that we’re talking about Xiaomi’s compact flagship series, it’s all the more impressive. For reference, the Xiaomi 15 features a 6.3-inch display and a tidy 152.3 x 71.2 x 8.08mm body, with a weight of just 191g.
Even then, the current model fits in a larger-than-average 5,240 mAh cell. We’d be talking about a huge 33% bump in battery size for the Xiaomi 16, if this report is accurate.
It would also mean that the Xiaomi 16’s battery will be 75% bigger than that of its biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S25. Mind. Boggled.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
It’s all thanks to Si/C
We can thank silicon-carbon battery technology for this massive ramping up in battery capacity. We’ve already seen the condensed battery technology do similar things for the OnePlus 13.
Si/C battery technology is also set to finally give foldable phones properly competitive stamina over the coming months. The Honor Magic V5, in particular, is expected to feature a 6,100mAh battery, which is far bigger than we’ve grown accustomed to from the foldable form factor.
Other rumoured Xiaomi 16 specs include a Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip and a triple 50MP camera system. We could be looking at an early contender for the best compact flagship phone of 2026, and almost certainly the longest lasting.
