Honor has launched the Power 2, a phone built around a category-leading battery (10,080mAh) while keeping a surprisingly slim profile and mid-to-high tier performance thanks to MediaTek’s Dimensity 8500 Elite. It targets users who prioritise battery life without wanting an outright “rugged” or bulky handset. The phone goes on sale in China in early January with starting prices near CNY 2,699 for the 12GB/256GB model.

1. What did Honor announce in the news headlines

Battery: 10,080mAh silicon-carbon battery — one of the first commercially available phones to cross the 10,000mAh mark.

Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Elite (branded as the high-efficiency performance SoC in this segment).

Display: 6.79-inch 1.5K (≈2600×1200) AMOLED / OLED, 120Hz refresh, very high peak brightness claims.

Charging: 80W wired fast charging + ~27W reverse wired charging (so the phone can charge other devices).

Cameras: 50MP main (OIS), 5MP ultra-wide (secondary), 16MP front.

Build & durability: Slim ~7.98mm body, ~216g weight, and strong dust/water/durable certifications (IP69K / IP68 claims, SGS certifications mentioned).

Price & availability: Launched in China — CNY 2,699 (12/256GB) and CNY 2,999 (12/512GB); sales to start around 9 January. No global rollout confirmed at launch.

These are the facts that you will want to remember when we look at each part more closely. The key facts are important to think about as we learn more, about each area. The key facts will help us understand things better.

2. Design and hardware — big battery, slim body

One of the headline talking points is the engineering tradeoff: how Honor managed to shoehorn a 10,080mAh cell into a phone that’s advertised as under 8mm thick and ~216g. Honor labels the battery as a silicon-carbon (Si/C) fourth-generation pack, which is the battery chemistry and structure enabling higher energy density without a proportionate size/weight penalty. The company also touts multi-year durability testing and certifications.

The phone looks really modern with its edges and a camera part that reminds me of expensive phones. It has round lenses in a square shape. The phone comes in some colors like Sunrise Orange, Snow White and Phantom or Midnight Black. These colors make the phone look more stylish than phones that are just, about having a big battery.

What this means is that you get good battery life without your phone looking big and bulky or being too heavy to carry around. This is great if you want to use your phone for days without needing to charge it and you still want it to fit easily in your pocket. You get a phone with a battery life that is still easy to take with you.

3. Display — big, bright, and smooth

Honor equipped the Power 2 with a 6.79-inch 1.5K AMOLED (sometimes reported as 1.5K / 2600×1200) panel with 120Hz variable refresh and extremely high peak brightness figures (Honor marketing cites up to thousands of nits in peak conditions; specific articles mention values like up to 8,000 nits for peak local brightness in spec sheets/marketing). The panel also supports high PWM dimming rates, which Honor uses in marketing to reduce flicker perceptible in low light.

This combination is really good for people who want to watch things on their device. It has a screen and the picture is very clear. The screen also refreshes quickly. Gets very bright. This means you can see what is, on the screen when you are outside. The Honor display is also very nice to look at. It has colors that really pop. You can watch videos with HDR. It looks great. The colors are vivid and punchy which is what Honor is known for with their displays.

4. Performance — Dimensity 8500 Elite and real-world speed

The Power 2 gets its power from the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Elite. This is a version of the MediaTek chip that is really good for phones that are not too cheap and not too expensive. Honor puts this chip with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage in the versions of the Power 2 that they advertise. This means the Power 2 can handle a lot of things at the time like playing games for a long time and using apps every day. The Power 2 is good, for people who like to do things on their phone at the same time. Reported AnTuTu numbers shared by Honor and media outlets cite scores around 2.4 million, which indicates strong single- and multi-core and GPU performance for its class (note: benchmarking numbers are synthetic and vary).

Why do we like the Dimensity 8500 Elite chipset? The Dimensity 8500 Elite chipset is a choice. It has cores that help save the battery life of the Power 2. This is important because the Power 2 is about having a good battery. The Dimensity 8500 Elite chipset also has power for gaming and creating content.

The software that Honor made will also make a difference in how the Power 2 works and how long the battery lasts. This software has controls for temperature and power modes. The Dimensity 8500 Elite chipset is a fit, for the Power 2.

5. Battery & charging — the headline act

Capacity and chemistry

The battery of the phone has a capacity of 10,080mAh. This is an important detail. Honor says this battery is special because it has cells made of silicon and carbon. They also did some engineering to make sure the battery lasts a time and is safe to use. Honor claims that this battery can play videos for 26 hours navigate for around 17 hours or play games for around 14 hours. They got these numbers from their tests.. The actual time the battery lasts will be different because it depends on how bright the screen is, what network you are using what apps are running in the background and how hot the phone gets. The battery capacity of 10,080mAh is what makes these long times possible.

Charging speeds and reverse charging

The phone supports 80W wired fast charging, which is unusually fast given the battery’s absolute capacity (80W will still take longer than charging a 5,000mAh phone). Honor also includes 27W reverse wired charging so the Power 2 can act as a power bank for other devices (USB-C to device charging). Multiple reports mention that a charger is included in the box.

What to expect day-to-day

The battery life of this thing is really good. People will probably get two to four days of use before they need to charge it and that is because it depends on how they use it. If they use it a lot, that is use then the battery will not last as long. But if they use it a little that is use then the battery will last longer. The battery life is a deal so people will like that the multi-day runtime is so good.

Fast top-ups are really helpful. The 80W feature reduces the time the device is not being used. You can expect a top-up of the battery in 30 to 60 minutes. However it will still take longer to get a charge. This is because the device has a battery. A smaller device with a battery will charge up fully in less time than this one. The 80W top-ups are great, for the battery of this device.

Longevity is what we are looking at with Honors battery. They say it will last a time and they even have certifications, from SGS to back that up. This means the battery should be able to handle being charged and used times before it starts to get worse.. We really need to wait and see what happens over time and what other people who have used it have to say about how well the Honor battery holds up.

6. Cameras — capable, not flagship-level

Optics are straightforward: a 50MP main sensor with OIS, backed by a 5MP ultra-wide and a 16MP selfie camera. This is consistent with Honor’s approach for the Power line — the emphasis is battery and endurance rather than top-tier camera hardware. Expect good daylight shots from the main sensor thanks to OIS and software processing, but don’t expect the computational photography prowess of flagship flagships.

The people at Honor talk about the camera features like taking pictures at night and making scenes look better with artificial intelligence. But we need to see how well the camera really works in light how good it is at showing lots of colors and details and how useful the ultra-wide feature is when we actually use it. We should wait for reviews, from people who have tried the camera to know for sure how good the Honor camera’s.

7. Software, extras, and durability

OS & skin: Runs Honor’s MagicOS (reports mention MagicOS 10 based on Android 16/15 variants in different writeups). Software features will include Honor’s battery modes, performance tuning, and camera software suite.

Durability claims: Honor lists IP69K / IP68 ratings and SGS five-star reliability testing (drop/shock/compression). IP69K is a higher-end ingress rating targeting protection against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. These certifications are meaningful if you need robust resistance to water/dust and accidental environmental exposure.

Extras: Wireless features include NFC in some listings, IR blaster (useful for remote control), and an advertised advanced RF enhancement chip for improved signal. Some sources mention an in-display fingerprint sensor and strong network antenna design.

8. Pricing, availability, and variants

At launch in China, reported prices are: CNY 2,699 for 12GB/256GB, and CNY 2,999 for 12GB/512GB. Converting roughly, that places the device in a competitive midrange price bracket while offering the standout battery capacity. Honor said sales in China start around 9 January (preorders open earlier). There was no immediate announcement of a global rollout at the time of launch coverage — Honor often launches in China first and then expands to other markets if demand and logistics align.

Here is how you can understand this price: the price is really high for what you get. You’re getting a phone that has a bigger battery than most other phones and you are paying a price that is not too expensive it is like the price of a regular phone, not a very expensive special phone. The phone has a battery that is better than most phones and the price is more like a regular phone price, not a very high price for a special powerful phone, like the niche power devices.

9. Competition. Who are the people that play in this space?

Realme / Redmi battery phones: Realme and Redmi have pushed into large battery territory (6–8K mAh) and are expected to bring competing models with similar charging tech and aggressive pricing.

Honor’s own lineup: Honor’s Power series and WIN series previously targeted battery-centric customers; the Power 2 continues that lineage.

Traditional flagships are different from the Power 2. The Power 2 is not like the Samsung S or the Apple iPhone or the OnePlus Pro. These flagship devices have good cameras and fast silicon. The Power 2 does not have these things.. The Power 2 lasts a long time on a single charge and it is cheaper. So the Power 2 is a choice, for people who want a phone that lasts a long time and does not cost too much. The Power 2 is a different kind of phone.

If you really want a phone that has a battery life and can last for many days without needing to be charged the Power 2 is a great choice.

It does a good job in this area.

If you care more about the camera or the operating system or you want a phone that’s really fast you might like other phones better.

The Power 2 is not the best at these things so you should look at options if they are important, to you.

10. Pros and cons — quick checklist

Pros

Exceptional battery capacity for multi-day use.

Slimmer and lighter than you’d expect for a 10,000mAh device.

80W fast charging and 27W reverse wired charging add practicality.

Competitively priced for the battery and hardware offered.

Cons / caveats

Camera system is competent but not class-leading.

Full charging time for 10,080mAh will still be longer than for smaller batteries even with 80W.

Global availability and long-term software update policy uncertain at launch.

11. Who should buy the Honor Power 2?

The Honor Power 2 is a phone. People who like the Honor Power 2 should buy the Honor Power 2.

If you want a phone like the Honor Power 2 then you should buy the Honor Power 2.

The Honor Power 2 is good, for people who want the Honor Power 2.

Frequent travellers who need multi-day battery life without carrying a power bank.

Users prioritising longevity (field workers, outdoor professionals, students on long shifts) who want a regular smartphone experience but need exceptional uptime.

People who buy things and want to get a deal are looking for a phone with a big battery that lasts a long time and works well for everything. They want to pay a price for it too. The phone should have a battery and be good, at everything that is what these value buyers want.

If you are always near power plugs and you want the camera you should get a flagship.. If you want a phone that lasts a long time the Power 2 is a good choice. The Power 2 is a phone that is made for people who need a phone that will last all day it is not the best for taking pictures. It is very good, at lasting a long time.

12. Final verdict (pre-review)

Honor Power 2 is an ambitious and practical product: it takes the “battery phone” idea and makes it wearable in mainstream ways (slimness, lightweight feel, modern design). The Dimensity 8500 Elite combo delivers solid performance while staying mindful of power efficiency. At Chinese launch prices, it’s compelling for anyone who values autonomy above all. Independent long-term battery degradation tests, camera shootouts, and real-world charge time testing will determine whether Honor’s engineering claims hold up outside lab conditions.

13. FAQs

Q: How long will the battery last in everyday use?

A: Honor claims multi-day use with specific figures (video: ~26 hours; navigation: ~17 hours; gaming: ~14 hours) which are useful reference points — actual battery life depends on brightness, network conditions and app usage.

Q: How fast is full charging?

A: It supports 80W wired charging. Because the battery is very large, a full charge will take longer than a 5,000mAh phone even at 80W, but partial top-ups will be relatively quick. Exact times should be confirmed with hands-on tests.

I want to know if the company Honor will make this product available, around the world. Will Honor release this product globally?

A: At launch the phone is confirmed for China with sales from around January 9; Honor hasn’t detailed global availability at the time of reporting. Historically Honor sometimes expands select models to other markets later.