Energizer’s ludicrous P18K phone may still have a future, despite Indiegogo disaster

UPDATE 30/04: The Indiegogo campaign for the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop has now closed. Just £11,551 was raised − that’s 1.25% of the overall target. However, this might not be the last we see of the handset. 

“Thank you to everyone who backed up this campaign,” Avenir Telecom, the Energizer licensee that set up the Indiegogo campaign page has announced.

“Although it didn’t reach its goal, we will work on further improvement on the P18K (design, thickness, etc.) as we do believe there is a rising interest for smartphones with incredible battery life, which can also be used as power banks.”

The original article continues below.

The story of Energizer’s incredible 18,000mAh battery-toting Power Max P18K Pop − also widely known as the “thicc boi phone” (don’t ask why) − appears to be coming to a very sorry end.

The handset was one of the most talked about products at MWC 2019, thanks largely to its ludicrous battery capacity and incredibly hefty 22mm thick profile. However, two months down the line, it’s no longer feeling the love.

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The Indiegogo campaign for the smartphone-cum-power bank, which was set up by Energizer licensee Avenir Telecom on March 20, is due to end in less than 24 hours.

At the time of publication, a measly £6757 (0.73%) of the £927,109 fixed target has been raised. And that money has come from just 11 backers.

Simply put, the chances of, ahem, “thicc boi” hitting its goal are very slim indeed. Barring a near-miraculous uptick in contributions, it’s a sad end for a device that brought a smile to so many faces when it was initially unveiled back in February.

“At 22mm thick, it’s by far the chunkiest smartphone I’ve ever seen. Pocket-stretchingly thick. You could clobber people with this thing,” was what I wrote after getting my hands on the Power Max P18K Pop on the MWC show floor.

It’s safe to say I won’t forget about it anytime soon.

“At present, we have an initial functioning prototype of the P18K that we built with our industrial design partners and that was presented and tested at the Mobile World Congress 2019,” the campaign page currently reads.

“Our teams are now working to finalise mechanical engineering, PCB and radio electronics for the P18K. We’ll also be working with our factory to launch the mass production.

“Our aim is to have the product available for shipping to the first backers of our campaign in October 2019. We will be providing our backers with regular updates on the P18K’s progress.”

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If you were one of the 11 people who have backed the campaign (so far) and want a refund for your contribution, you need to spring into action before the campaign comes to an end − here’s what you need to do.

Tell us about a product that was dear to you (and few others) on Twitter @TrustedReviews.