Phone manufacturers should go more into the removable battery route.

[kyrax12]

I have been deciding long and hard whether to get the HTC one or the Galaxy s4. After spending like an hour playing around those two phones, I have come to the conclusion that they are gorgeous phones. However, I do have some concerns about phones that have non-removable batteries. Especially with the HTC one and its almost impossible to fix quality.

I want my phone to last as much as possible. Logically, a galaxy s4 should last longer than a HTC one because of its removable battery feature. Once the battery fails or if it showed signs of degradation, the user can simply replace the battery.

For those people that are asking why someone would keep their phone for more than two years. The answer is simple.

If someone is spending $600+ on a phone, it would make a lot of sense that they would want to have their phone to last for more than two years. Maybe four years or more even. Even if people upgrade right when their contract expires, it is always good to keep the previous phone as a back up.

Well that's my reasoning. What do you guys think of this issue.

 

[Trombe]

Two words: planned obsolescence.

 

[jpiniero]

Don't buy a $600 phone then?

 

[EagleKeeper]

Still do not see where you are spending $600 on a phone?

I do not like sealed phones but I can understand.
My EVO 1200 battery lasted 3-4 hours when on and minimal talk. I replaced it with a 3500 battery from Amazon. Much longer life of a charge.

However, had the replacement of the battery caused damage to the phone, one could send the phone back with the old battery while under repair. Consumer damaged phone, but warranty covers cost. This should not be allowed and may have led to the sealed issues.

 

[kyrax12]

Don't buy a $600 phone then?

Name a current smartphone in the market that has top of the line flaghship specs that don't cost more than $600.

Go ahead.

 

[soulcougher73]

Name a current smartphone in the market that has top of the line flaghship specs that don't cost more than $600.

Go ahead.

Nexus 4 is current enough you won't see much of a difference and only $250

 

[kyrax12]

Nexus 4 is current enough you won't see much of a difference and only $250

Except I want a phone that is the newest one out so I can be somewhat future proof for the next 2-3 years.

 

[jpiniero]

Name a current smartphone in the market that has top of the line flaghship specs that don't cost more than $600.

Go ahead.

iPhone 5C?

 

[kyrax12]

iPhone 5C?

Current.. Not future phones.

That phone isn't even out yet. I doubt it is going to have top of the line specs anyways.

 

[zerogear]

I sell my phone every 6 to a year to minimize resale value loss. So this issue, to me, is a non-issue.

 

[ImDonly1]

Name a current smartphone in the market that has top of the line flaghship specs that don't cost more than $600.

Go ahead.

Optimus G from ATT $400.
Nexus 4, not best specs but smooth and will get updates long after many other phones.

 

[jpiniero]

That phone isn't even out yet. I doubt it is going to have top of the line specs anyways.

I guess it depends on whether you think the current 5 is "top of the line specs". Because that's what it's going to be, or very close to it. The BoM of the 16 GB 5 is only like $210, so it's not a stretch that they just took the 5 and put a plastic back to save a bit of money (and to differentiate it with the 5S).

 

[shortylickens]

I like my note 2. Got a 3rd party battery thats about 25% stronger but not bigger.

 

[WelshBloke]

Personally I'm ok as long as the original phone has a decent battery life (most modern phones hit this) and the battery is not a pain in the arse to replace if it goes wrong (Iphone 4 where it was just a couple of screws and a bit of prying fit here).

I prefer the approach Samsung takes just because I usually replace the stock battery for one with a bit more grunt but I'd be happy with the razr Maxx approach if they made it slightly easier to replace the battery.

 

[SpongeBob]

The only reason I ever wanted a replaceable battery was so I could stick a huge aftermarket battery in the phone. Since Moto started the Maxx line, this has become a non-issue for me.

 

[WelshBloke]

The only reason I ever wanted a replaceable battery was so I could stick a huge aftermarket battery in the phone. Since Moto started the Maxx line, this has become a non-issue for me.

Apart from the having to buy a Moto phone I agree with you there. :whiste:

 

[386DX]

I agree that removable battery is a big plus in the pro column. Even with phones that have good battery life when new in a year or two the battery capacity can decrease to 80% or less of the original charge. Having a removable battery also gives me peace of mind for situations like when the phone freezes and becomes unresponsive to everything; knowing I can pop the battery out and restart it instead of frantically pressing buttons in horror as nothing happens until five minutes later the device spontaneously decides to restart itself. A removable battery is also a life saver when you drop your phone in water, typically the quicker you can remove power from the device the better chance the device won't suffer any permanent damage once dried out.

 

[jhansman]

Manufacturers? Who besides the arrogant asshats in Cupertino think that phone owners don't want or shouldn't have access to the battery (or storage, for that matter)? Any maker who denies buyers these upgrades is just asking to lose business these days.

 

[tommo123]

i just like being able to use my phone for 10 hours on a flight, then swap batteries as i get off the plane. i end up going straight out to the hotel whereas others end up looking for one of those charge posts and hang around there being unable to leave their phone in case it's stolen as it's being charged

 

[MotionMan]

i just like being able to use my phone for 10 hours on a flight, then swap batteries as i get off the plane. i end up going straight out to the hotel whereas others end up looking for one of those charge posts and hang around there being unable to leave their phone in case it's stolen as it's being charged

I just use a Mophie on the flight so that my phone is at 100% as I walk off the airplane.

MotionMan

 

[I Saw OJ]

I wouldn't buy a phone that I'm not able to swap batteries with relative ease. BTW the battery life on my S4 is amazing. (coming from a Galaxy Nexus)

 

[Crono]

My opinion of phones is that if I'm going to spend a lot on one, I'm actually less likely to hang on to it for more than two years than a cheap phone. At the end of the day, a smartphone is just a plan piece of technology, like a desktop or a component. And that means if I'm putting money into a purchase expecting high end performance, chances are that Moore's law is going to make it have the performance of a mid range phone in about that amount of time.

So if I really wanted a good value for more than two years, I would buy an inexpensive or middle of the road device, not a 600 dollar phone. It's the same reason I wouldn't plop down 500 dollars for a video card and hang on to it for 4 or 5 years in my main computer. Any device or component that is relatively expensive, I would rather sell early in its life cycle while it still has value and before the newer mid range phones start beating it in every area.

I'm selling my HTC One when my contract is up, and by that time I doubt the battery life will have been degraded by much. I've never had the need to replace my battery, though I've also never kept a phone longer than 3 years at maximum.

The old phone as a backup doesnt make much sense to me. Not that I don't have backup phones, but it's cheaper to buy a new unlocked phone off contract and keep it as a backup than deliberately spending a few hundred dollars more on a flagship phone to keep it around 4 years, not to mention older backup devices may not have been updated via software in that time. I have a Lumia 521 and a ZTE Open and both devices cost 80 dollars. Makes more sense to me to have one of those than an Android phone from 4 years ago and pay for a new battery.

For the price difference between an HTC One and an S4 with an additional battery or two, microSD card, and a case, I bought the Lumia with 3 batteries ($5 each) and a 32GB microSD. Not only is it a backup phone, but it's a dedicated GPS and media player that I don't have to worry about. And I still get great battery life and have enough space (25GB useable) on my One for me. Not to mention my One came with a wireless HDMI streamer and $25 Google Play credit (which I'm waiting on, but oh well). So I think I'm fine without the S4.

 

[Eug]

I used to care about removable batteries in iPhones until Apple implemented the $79 replacement battery program. Then I stopped caring about it.

I only need more battery life under specific circumstances, like when I'm travelling by air, but then I can take an external USB battery pack which solves that problem. It's become even less of an issue recently though because some planes now have USB charging stations at every seat.

 

[soccerballtux]

Still do not see where you are spending $600 on a phone?

I do not like sealed phones but I can understand.
My EVO 1200 battery lasted 3-4 hours when on and minimal talk. I replaced it with a 3500 battery from Amazon. Much longer life of a charge.

However, had the replacement of the battery caused damage to the phone, one could send the phone back with the old battery while under repair. Consumer damaged phone, but warranty covers cost. This should not be allowed and may have led to the sealed issues.

nah. batteries don't damage phones.

 

[soccerballtux]

I just use a Mophie on the flight so that my phone is at 100% as I walk off the airplane.

MotionMan

oh. that's why they make those.
now I understand the target market.

still its much easier to swap a battery takes 2 seconds than to dangle a thing out the usb port all day