Down in Android land, it looks like battery capacity is the new max clock frequency. Ambitious Chinese manufacturers such as Elephone, Doogee, and the well-established Lenovo have steered the Android arms race towards fitting increasingly bigger batteries inside mid-range models. In fact, Doogee has devoted an actual sub-brand, HomTom, to making smartphones with big, huge batteries.
The first handset from the pack will be the aptly named Doogee HomTom, a device that boasts a seriously heavyweight 6250mAh battery unit. Staying at a manageable, and proudly fluffy 0.38in (9.9mm) thickness, the HomTom offers nearly double the battery capacity of the newly announced OnePlus 2, which is a 0.38 (9.85mm) thick phone with a 3300mAh battery.
Although big batteries are awesome for holding lots of electrons, they present a different problem, and that is slow recharge times. Smartphones lacking some kind of fast charging technology can take over three hours to recharge from zero to full capacity, which is inconvenient in today’s fast-paced reality. Thankfully, the HomTom carries MediaTek’s humorously named, but seriously implemented PumpExpress Plus fast charging technology, and charges its battery to 75% capacity in around 30 minutes.
Speaking of MediaTek, the Doogee HomTom is powered by the Taiwanese chipmaker’s quad-core MediaTek MT6735 SoC, and features a 5.5-inch, 720p resolution screen, along with a 13MP camera with a Sony sensor, and a 5MP front camera. The chassis is made of an alloy of unknown composition, and the rear panel seems to be made of plastic. The HomTom runs Android 5.1 Lollipop, probably skinned by Doogee with a interface of their making.
