Do you miss phones with replaceable batteries? By 2027, you won’t anymore because, by law, almost every smartphone will have them again.
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Remember that consumers expect certain things from smartphones nowadays, which will mean that OEMs can’t just go back to the old way of doing things. An IP68 rating would be very difficult to obtain while still offering a premium-feeling device with an easily replaceable battery, for example. These are hurdles OEMs will need to get over to be in compliance.
this is straight-up BS. there were many phones with ip68 and user-replacable batteries back when sealing the battery in a phone was frowned upon. not all but many.
Yeah, I scuba dive and have multiple pieces of equipment with replacable batteries that are good down to 500+ ft. Not only do some of them get opened frequently, and without replacing seals or anything, but they’re also all way cheaper than my phone! Anyone who says you can’t easily meet an IP68 rating on a phone with replacement batteries is full of shit.
One of them being the Galaxy S5 (I think)
You’re correct, though the Galaxy S5 is a bad example though - the device looked and felt like a Fischer Price toy. It had flaps everywhere, was annoying to use, and even had a billion software notifications to keep reminding you to monitor and close said flaps. Nowadays we can certainly do better.
There still are today. Samsung Xcover series.
I had a Galaxy S5 which I think was IP67 (someone fact check me on that), and a removable battery. It definitely didn’t have a premium feel, and it got eviscerated in reviews for that. That didn’t bother me though. Though, the backing cracked and the little plastic clips broke off rather quickly. I think if they had a metal backing that was held on by a regular (albeit tiny) Philips head screw(s), they could have a user replaceable battery on a premium phone with IP68 no problem.
It’s mentioned in this thread here that there is the xCover model series which have user replaceable batteries still. The 6 pro was released just last year So much for manufacturers having to figure things out from ground up bollocks
I have that device. It’s definitely a thick boi but in no way does it not feel “not premium”. I vastly prefer the grippy texturized back cover and sides to slippery glass/aluminium. It’s one of the few devices that feels great in had without a case.
Premium means different things to different people. Plastic is never premium.
Does it really even matter though? Vast majority of people are going to put it in a plastic case anyways.
Philips head screw(s)
Nooooooooo
Pretty much all Androids I have taken apart were Phillips head screws. iPhones have like 5 slightly different types in each phone, it’s nonsense
The term “premium-feeling” does a lot of heavy lifting in that paragraph, one might almost say that it’s a bit subjective.
It’s true though. I’ve become very accustomed to the premium experience of being forced to use premium apps and services that don’t work half the time in a very premium manner.
What they really mean is “very slightly thinner than the previous generation or current rival because we think that’s a super marketable thing still even though we’ve reached the practical limit where it no longer makes sense to go thinner.”
Meanwhile the phone can’t lie flat on its back because the camera protrudes.
I think it would be pretty premium if I could have a spare battery on the charger for a quick swap rather than relying on a cable to charge my phone.
Move over 2010. Who uses a cable?
I do? And most people I know?
I have a two-way radio which floats in water and has a replaceable battery. It’s just excuses. However I do believe they got rid of replaceable batteries to save on space and thickness of the devices.
I have an old LG V20 (released in 2016) with a removable battery that’s just 7.6mm thick. By comparison the Iphone 14Max is 7.9mm thick, the Samsung S23 Ultra - 8.9mm and the Oneplus 11 - 8.5mm.
IMO the purpose of non-replaceable batteries is (just like everything else) profit. Companies want to push us to replace the entire phones every two years rather than just the batteries. They’ve been remarkably effective at doing just that.
I think you’re right. They then quickly learned that it’s in their best interest to have a sealed system. Makes it cheaper to obtain higher IP ratings. Sells more devices. It obviously did nothing that hurt sales. Samsung is making an IP68 rated device with replaceable battery and still takes SD cards right now. It’s only $600 to boot making it handedly cheaper than flagships. So why isn’t it what everyone’s pointing at in these threads? Cause the majority of people, even in these very threads, aren’t buying it. These are not the factors that decided buying a phone. Otherwise removable batteries, SD cards and 3.5mm jacks would still be ubiquitous, but here we are.
The Galaxy Xcover 6 pro is a box full of lies in terms of IP68 rating and associated warranty. I have written about my utterly disappointing experience of getting caught in a storm a couple of months after I bought it quite extensively elsewhere. Save to say I will not be buying another samsung product. It seems they have forgotten how they used to make that design work.
Great phone, just not waterproof at all.
Honestly, I never buy a phone without an audio jack and sd card.
Thickness is the only concern I have. I’d love to be able to replace the battery in my iPhone safely and easily, but I don’t really want to give up having a phone that’s less than 10mm thick.
Thickness of your phone is now dictated by cameras. Because of focal lengths and what not, they need to be a certain size, that’s why they’re always with an overhang.
The size thing is just another excuse.
There were/are phones with replacable batteries that are thinner than most current phones. Some were 7.5mm and even less.
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The main factor to consider in making an ultrathin phone in 2023 has nothing to do with the battery. It’s the requirement for a certain level of build quality to be suitable for end consumers. At some point we just need to develop new materials, because we can’t make it any more ultrathin without it also becoming ultrafragile using the materials available.
It hasn’t really been a focus since we realised back around the iPhone 5 that making these sweeping compromises for thinness was yielding diminishing returns and causing other problems. Today that’s still the thinnest mainline iPhone, only the SE and 12 Mini are thinner. 13 mini is thicker, and there is no 14 mini.
Yeah my 2023 XCover 6Pro has a removable battery and ip68 rating. You wouldn’t be able to tell the back cover comes off. The only clue that something’s off is that it’s texturized plastic instead of glass or aluminium.
Good. I also read appliances (like your electric toothbrush or headphones) will also have to follow this guidance. This should make it easier to repair and recycle electronics.
My toothbrush uses AA for just that reason.
A lot of rechargeable gadgets like Philips Sonicare do not.
Producers got away with going to non-replaceable batteries because because “most” people replace their phone before the battery wears out. Only a portion of consumers have a problem with it.
I’m sure there’s a few of us that can comfortably get six years off a phone. In fact the phone I’m currently using is coming up on three years. I could probably get another three years out of it, but I’m going to have to replace it soon because of battery wear.
Non-replaceable batteries are bad for the consumer and bad for the environment. It forces obsolescence putting more financial strain on consumers and increases environmental impact with higher production and waste.
A phone replaced before three years could be sold second hand with a battery replacement. Otherwise consumers could keep a phone twice as long. So they’re basically doubling the rate of production and waste to squeeze as much money as possible out of the consumer. Then there’s zero regard for the environment. But you know that’s typical of how corporations do business, rape the Earth, screw the consumer. We have to keep a leash on these guys.
I just barely replaced my galaxy s8, and it wasn’t the battery that became the issue, it was the lack of any new software updates.
I was starting to have software compatibility issues, where installing new apps would say “android verision x is not supported”. Also, I’m pretty sure it was getting any security patches from either samsung or upstream google.
I’m now looking at repurposing the s8 into a security camera since I think it’s a waste to just throw it in a drawer.
I had an old galaxy a5 with a badly degraded battery sitting around. A few weeks ago I had nothing better to do so I opened it (breaking the glass back in the process because of how strongly it was glued), ripped the battery out and soldered a charging cable straight to the phone’s battery contacts. It now lives on a phone stand in my car, connected to a bluetooth OBD2 scanner and I use it to show a couple of additional gauges like oil temperature, instant fuel economy and engine load while driving. The 12v output provides just enough power for the phone to reliably run and with the lack of battery I don’t have to worry about it exploding if it sits in the sun for hours. I haven’t found a way to make it turn on as soon as it gets power, so it’s mildly annoying to turn it on manually every time I start the car, but I can live with that.
That’s pretty clever I’m starting to think of doing that to my old Google pixel to play mp3s
While I do agree that we need more modular phones, laptops, etc. having a replaceable battery would prevent phones to be fully water proof.
But I do agree with you, I have a 2-year old phone and I already experience the battery degradation. I would most likely use this phone for another year, max two, but then would be pissed by how often I need to charge it and start looking into purchasing a new one.
Planned obsolescence is definitely a thing that enriches corporations
I don’t really mind that my battery doesn’t work well. It lasts through the day, though I’m perpetually at 40% or less and I don’t use it that much. If it’s really a problem then a battery bank charge mid day totally fixes it.
However, if I could replace the battery for $50 I would.
I don’t think an actual waterproof phone even exists. They’re water resistant.
My Samsung Galaxy XCover 6Pro has a removable battery (and a headphone jack) and it’s ip68 rated. You wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside that the back cover comes off.
They could just incorporate a gasket + screws. There are a ton of waterproof devices that have replaceable batteries.
There are so many ways you can waterproof a phone and have a user replaceable battery and still keep it thin and sleek. But that doesn’t sell a new iPhone to someone every 2 years. It’s why anytime Apple, or any company like them, spouts off about how green they are, I know they’re full of shit. They intentionally cause so much waste it’s insane.
I wish they had some truly modular phones. The phone I am currently using is quite bulky compared to slim model phones and even a lot of Iphones, I don’t care. I don’t see why I shouldn’t be able to swap put almost every component other than the screen, it’s not like the phone frame themselves have really changed much from the original Iphones. Battery, Storage, Processor, RAM, Speaker, Receiver…even the camera. I see no reason why those couldn’t be part of modular systems.
The Galaxy S5 active is evidence that you’re just wrong. Classic removable battery but still IP67.
The question I’ve been asking, since this whole water resistance thing became a trend, is why do we even need water resistant phones in the first place?
We survived just fine with flip phones, walkmans, Gameboys, pagers, etc that had no water resistance.
I love water proof phones, it’s a massive reduction in anxiety and means I don’t have to avoid bringing it into the bathroom.
They’re not even waterproof though, just water resistant. But even the weather resistance from a few years back when phones had headphone jacks and replaceable batteries seemed sufficient. Now they’re overkill, being able to handle being dipped in water. I mean it’s fine if they make phones like that, but does everything need that kind of resistance?
My S8 has been dunked in water and sprayed by the shower plenty of times with no issue. It might not be strictly water proof but it’s kind of a semantic difference.
And nah, not everything needs that kind of resistance, but it’s nice to have
The yellow sony walkman was waterproof.
Waterproof ratings are all nonsense anyways IMO. The way appliances are tested does not take into consideration human error.
Gotta drop the phone a couple times onto concrete to simulate how morons like me treating it, then check its water resistance.
Based EU
I absolutely loathe the EU and it’s institutions, but every once in a while a pro consumer standardization is a good coming out of them.
Loathe is a strong word. Why? Honestly curious.
Loathe is a strong word. Why? Honestly curious.
EU is a a wonderland for anybody who subscribes to liberalism and American led world order and hell for anybody else and prison for those who try to deviate form it even a little. EU never became a another pole in the world, it just became a American vassal management system and enemy of the actual living Europe. It empowers nameless bureaucrats and is fundamentally anti-democracy and pro-global oligarchy, and at best basically has made a vassal of every small to medium sized nation in EU to Germany and France, countries like Greece being at the bottom, in permanent debt and austerity hell. I could extend this list for days.
So if I understand you correctly, based on your reply, it’s a liberal versus conservatism thing?
I’m looking to upgrade my iPhone 11 for no reason other than the battery life is starting to bug me. None of the features released since the 11 hold any interest for me, I literally just want more battery life. Looks like that’ll cost me about $1000 if I want to stay with iOS. Absolutely insane.
Although I am not experienced with iPhone prices, shouldn’t a non-official replacement cost somewhere between $30 and $50? I tend to repair my Android phone batteries every 2-3 years at home, and alongside light software mods they become impressively more usable in the long run.
I wonder what percentage of the user base is wanting this? Seems like most people wouldn’t care about it at all… a battery seems to last a few years and costs about $100 to replace with a genuine part including the warranty of opening watertight phone and maintaining its integrity.
In certain countries and cities there aren’t many repair services that work on niche android phones. Often they will only say iPhone/Samsung
quite a lot of Samsung users with the recent years of battery swollening that instead of 100 dollars can be replaced with easily available 30 dollar battery if they were replaceable. Iphones could stop throttling their phones once the battery starts dying do you wouldn’t have to buy a new one (they will still throttle but for different reasons)
However, there is an exemption for high-performing and durable batteries until 2027. This means devices with high quality batteries that retain over 80% of their capacity after 1000 charge cycles do not need to comply with the removable battery requirement until 2027.
So premium phones like the iPhone would be exempt.
I don’t think you said anything differently? The article said ALL batteries must comply by 2027. You appeared to say high performing batteries don’t have to follow the law until 2027. Both of these statements, the original post and your revision, are true – all phones, including high performing batteries, must comply in the EU by 2027.
Has anyone else always had a spare phone battery in the pocket to swap on the go?
Imagine you could just do that.
You can carry around an external battery pack with any phone. It’s not quiiiite as convenient because you have have your phone plugged in and that can sometimes be awkward to carry (but not bad if you normally carry a purse or backpack). Though it does avoid the need to power cycle your phone and my battery pack can charge my phone several times (and can charge multiple devices).
Honestly, best purchase I’ve ever made. It’s so stressful having a phone die and the battery pack keeps that from happening.
I had an S3 for ages because you could get a replacement battery for like $12. Upgraded to an S10, can no longer swap the battery. Biding my time.
I hate this forced upgrade/payment model and how phones seemed to double in cost almost overnight.
They’re even trying to get sneakier with the contracts. 3 years now to payoff your device, instead of 2, but the payment is the same. Absolutely bonkers.
I wonder how apple will react to this
By designing a model of iphone with replaceable battery, of course.
Apple fanboy here… but they’re probably gonna market the feature with some cool new trendy name and make the battery replacements proprietary.
Oh you probably shouldn’t go around admitting that so willingly.
It will be built from the ground up 😂
Overcomplicated, overpriced, and they’re gonna incentive just getting the next gen phone.
You mean built by some other manufacturer and marketed to seem like it was built from the ground up from Apple themselves.
Now i hope it says something about availability of the replacement batteries…
Due to unexpectedly high demand, the $300 battery you ordered has 5 months waiting list. Payment in advance, of course, for your convenience.
$300 battery for your iPhone
They’re going to see the battery is replaced and show your phone down. Just to be safe you know.
I think they’re already complying. Tri-tip bits are already bought easily and affordably on Amazon. Same with suction cups, picks and tweezers. Literally $30 or less to get all of the above in one nifty carrying case. If you have suction cups then you can break the screen seal without using heat and let’s be honest, hair dryers are perfectly adequate for these repairs. It’s literally what I use for friends and family repairs that I do at home rather than in my workshop.
I think it’s a step in the right direction but not even remotely strong enough to force change on current cell phones.
Probably voiding warranty for any phone that has its battery replaced by the user instead of having it done at an apple store/apple vertified store. Or some good old planned obsolescence where the phone detects a replacement battery and just stops working as fast as it used to. Anything to get people to buy the next new iphone every year.
*In the EU.
Manufacturers aren’t going to make a different model for the rest of the world. It’s much cheaper to just make one model.
A good example is Tesla models 75D and 100D - they both have the exact same battery pack but the 75D is electronically limited so that the range is less than on 100D so it’s cheaper tho it’s the same car.
Its NOT just smartphones
Its damn near everything!
Electric cars, other electronics etc
Some are just not “user replacable” (such as a cars batteries)
this law will change all iPhones. It will also change all tablets, laptops, EVs, e-bikes, and anything else with a rechargeable battery
Headphones, gaming mice, gaminh controllers. Its gonna be great
The big one at the moment - at least in the UK and IMHO - is disposable vapes. I see them everywhere, just tossed on the ground or at the side of the road. The reason I see them is because of their flashing blue LEDs still running, meaning there’s at least a working battery and support circuitry in there. It’s disgusting that something like that is tolerated. I’m hopeful that the requirement to have user-replacable batteries will eliminate them by making them uneconomical compared to standard vapes.
I don’t understand why disposable vapes are even legal at all. I mean we banned friggin’ plastic straws but this thing is fine?! Who even came up with such a terrible product in current times?
The EU by going after the self-mixing market. Bullshit like allowing duties on liquid that doesn’t even contain nicotine so you end up paying through your nose for flavoured glycerine/propylene glycol mix. Limiting nicotine-containing liquids to 20mg/ml max, and 10ml bottles at that, while there were never any issues with what was legal here (Germany) under ordinary toxic substance laws (without being a chemist): 50mg/ml in any size you bloody want (usually 100ml because it degrades once you open it).
Before those laws the market was largely modular systems, tank and mod separate, plenty of replaceable batteries, with all that bullshit added on vaping sensibly became so expensive that people went “meh, can just as well use a pre-built”.
The UK actually were the sensible ones in that area, but I guess the market shift reached them by sheer force of Chinese production capacity.
They would just “underdevelop” other areas to make their phone “breakable” or “prone to accidents”. I am not that hyped because of that.
