The smartphone industry has been stuck in a strange limbo in 2026, with high-bandwidth memory prices rising due to the ever-growing demands of AI giants. This has left manufacturers with little choice but to raise prices across their lineups and cut back on hardware specifications such as RAM capacity, storage capacity, and processors to manage costs.
There is, however, one positive change that has come out of the current circumstances. Smartphone batteries have never been bigger, and 2026 has seen a steady wave of devices launching with capacities around 7,000mAh and above. The Realme P4 Power (review) and Vivo T5 Pro (review) stand at the forefront of this new wave, with exceptionally large 10,001mAh and 9,020mAh capacities, respectively.
In this story, I’ll compare the battery performance of both phones in real-world use and benchmarks to paint a clearer picture of how much performance they deliver before needing a charge. I’ll also discuss whether having such large cells is truly a boon or if there is a point where diminishing returns kick in.
Table of Contents
PCMark battery test
We’ll start with a benchmark we regularly use here, which provides decent insight into the total runtime a device can deliver. In the PCMark battery test, the Realme P4 Power sits slightly ahead of the Vivo T5 Pro, with a roughly 3-hour gap.
While the former’s result is in line with its capacity, the latter’s result is a bit lower than our expectations. At least, in this round, the win goes to the Realme P4 Power.
YouTube streaming
Next up is your plain old streaming performance. Almost all devices today do pretty well at streaming videos, but it is an important aspect, given that most of us use our smartphones a lot to watch videos, whether on Instagram, YouTube, or OTT apps.
| YouTube battery drop (1 hour) | |
| Realme P4 Power | 3% |
| Vivo T5 Pro | 4% |
The results here are pretty much on par, considering both phones have a gap of just 1 percent over an hour of streaming. I’ll still give the win to the Realme P4 Power, since it has a lead here.
Gaming optimisation
Now, this will be the most detailed test on this list since I consider gaming to be one of the most demanding use cases for a phone. We tested the devices across 3 different games for varying periods at identical graphical and brightness settings. This will help us measure how well both phones manage battery utilisation while gaming.
| BGMI battery drop (after 40 minutes) | CoD: Mobile battery drop (after 40 minutes) | |
| Realme P4 Power | 5% | 4% |
| Vivo T5 Pro | 5% | 5% |
For the first bit of testing, we played BGMI and CoD: Mobile for 40 minutes each on both devices at identical graphical settings. The results here are pretty much on par with each other, so we can’t really make a conclusion based on these tests alone.
| Hitman battery drop (after 2 hours) | |
| Realme P4 Power | 16% |
| Vivo T5 Pro | 22% |
I also ended up playing Hitman: Absolution on both devices for around 2 hours each. The increased duration was precisely because I wanted to see if there was a steep decline in results with long hours, as heat buildup can cause battery performance to drop.
The answer is yes, and we got a pretty decisive result here. The game consumed more power on the Vivo T5 Pro, as you’d see above. The Realme P4 Power is in the clear lead here, with a good margin over the Vivo T5 Pro in battery optimisation.
Charging speed
Another aspect often overlooked in battery performance is how fast a device recharges. This becomes even more important when such huge batteries are in conversation. A phone with a massive battery, much like a power bank, is great to have. But a phone that recharges like a power bank? Not so much.
| Smartphone | Battery Capacity | Charging Support | Charging time (20% to 100% ) |
| realme P4 Power | 10001 mAh | 80W Ultra Charging | 1h 20m |
| vivo T5 Pro | 9020 mAh | NA | 55m |
This is one particular aspect where the Vivo T5 Pro absolutely dominates the Realme P4 Power and takes just a little under an hour to recharge from 20 to 100 percent. One key reason it charges faster is that it supports 90W charging, compared to 80W fast charging on the Realme P4 Power.
Conclusion
The Realme P4 Power and Vivo T5 Pro are closer in terms of battery performance than their capacities suggest. Across most tests, the results are quite neck and neck, and it is only after a long gaming session that the Realme P4 Power (review) decisively takes the lead. For extremely heavy users, such sustained efficiency does make a difference, and the Realme P4 Power is the superior battery phone of the two, no question.
But apart from that, battery life is not the only thing that matters here. The Realme P4 Power is a thick, heavy device, and you will feel that in daily use. The Vivo T5 Pro (review), on the other hand, while not much lighter, is extremely comfortable to hold and use. It feels like a regular smartphone despite packing a 9,000mAh cell, which is no small feat.
So the question you need to ask yourself is this: is the slightly better battery output worth carrying around a bulkier phone every day? If you are a power user who needs every last drop of performance, the Realme P4 Power is the one to get. If you want great battery life without the resulting bulk, the Vivo T5 Pro is a tough choice to beat.
