Smartphone battery woes? Then try this dual-battery, Lollipop-toting handset

Battery
When one battery isn't enough, go for two

If you're often frustrated at how quickly your battery loses its juice then the Gionne M5 could be of interest, as it will come with two batteries, which should let you use it for a lot longer between charges.

It will be the world's first Android Lollipop smartphone with dual 3,000mAh batteries, which means you don't have to sacrifice having the latest and greatest mobile operating system from Google for an extra battery.

A previous handset, the Innos D6000, has already been announced with dual batteries – but that's stuck on Android KitKat.

The details of the handset haven't been released by Gionee, but were revealed by China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center when it passed the handset.

The two batteries with a combined capacity of 6,000mAh could last for up to four days, according to rumours, and you can run the handset on just a single battery while you charge the second – letting you swap out the batteries when they need charging for continuous use.

Big on batteries, low on specs

The Gionee M5 is a mid-range smartphone with a 5.5-inch 720p AMOLED screen, a quad core 1.3GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage – though this can be boosted with a microSD card.

Gionee M5

Source: Android Authority

It also comes with a 5MP front-facing camera and a 8MP rear camera, and as you'd expect from a phone that boasts a large screen and two batteries, this isn't a slimline device.

We're looking at dimensions of 152 x 176 x 8.6mm and a not insubstantial weight of 213g – almost one and a half times the weight of the iPhone 6 Plus.

You'll certainly notice the Gionee M5 as you carry it around with you, but will the extra heft be worth it for extended battery life? We don't have a price or launch information yet, so we might be stuck with our single battery devices for a while longer.

Via Phone Arena

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.