Realme’s Francis Wong says Indian buyers want all-day power, not faster charging

Realme is betting that Indian smartphone buyers want endurance over speed.

The Chinese handset maker is preparing to launch the Realme P4 Power in India on January 29, 2026. With a massive 10,001mAh battery, more than double the capacity that has become standard in the mass market, as it pivots toward what it sees as a clear shift in consumer priorities.

In an interview with Business Today, Francis Wong, Chief Marketing Officer of Realme India, said customers are moving away from an obsession with ultra-fast charging and instead want phones that can last an entire day on a single charge.

“The real pain point isn’t charging speed, it’s battery size. Consumers don’t want to charge frequently, no matter how fast it is. They want to charge once at night and have a full day of power,” Wong told Business Today.

A power-first smartphone

The P4 Power is positioned as a power beast in a market where 5,000mAh batteries have long been the norm. Realme says the phone will still retain a slim, single-digit thickness profile, despite packing one of the largest batteries ever seen in a mainstream smartphone.

Wong said the biggest engineering hurdle was managing the size of such a large battery without making the device bulky.

“The biggest challenge was battery thickness.”

To solve that problem, Realme turned to next-generation silicon-carbon battery technology.

“We relied on next-generation silicon-carbon battery technology, which improves energy density and reduces battery size,” he added.

Despite the focus on capacity, Realme has not abandoned fast charging. The P4 Power supports 80W fast charging, which the company says can top up the battery to 50% in around 36 minutes, while a full charge takes about 85 minutes.

For a phone with a 10,001mAh battery, Wong described that as “quite decent.”

Targeting heavy users and students

Realme is pitching the P4 Power squarely at heavy users, particularly students who spend long hours on their phones for entertainment, gaming and online learning.

“The phone is for heavy users, especially students who spend a lot of time on their phones,” Wong said.

The company also plans to expand the line-up with more large-battery phones in the coming months.

“We will be launching more 8,000mAh and 9,000mAh phones, providing users with greater options across segments,” he added.

Battery health as a selling point

Beyond sheer size, Realme is also trying to address concerns around battery longevity, a key issue for Indian buyers who often hold on to phones for several years.

Wong said the P4 Power will come with a battery health guarantee.

“We also offer a battery health guarantee. If battery health drops below 80% within four years, we provide a free battery replacement. We’re confident because this battery is designed to last up to 1,600 charge cycles,” Wong told Business Today.

According to Wong, the larger battery itself helps improve long-term health.

“Because it’s a 10,000mAh battery, users charge it less frequently. That’s how it maintains long-term health.”

Value-for-money strategy

The P4 Power will be “positioned as a value-for-money line” and will be an “online-focused series,” Wong said, adding that this approach helps Realme keep pricing aggressive.

While the company has not yet disclosed the final price, Wong indicated that Realme intends to keep the phone accessible to its core audience.