Other Why are we not DEMANDING a return to replaceable batteries?

[pgoelz]

With all the talk about battery life, phone throttling, battery ageing, battery replacement cost....... why isn't there a massive tidal wave of us customers demanding that phone manufacturers return to producing phones with user-replaceable batteries?

Especially in usage scenarios involving a full charge every day (ie., 350 charge cycles per year), battery wear out is a given.... and long before the phone is obsolete.

Apple's offer of a $29 battery replacement is a good move (and comparable to the cost of a user-replaceable battery), but that low cost is only temporary for one year.

And finally.... if you think manufacturers made money on your phone, you would be shocked to see what they are making on a $79 battery replacement that consists of a $2 lithium cell, a small cable and connector and some shrink wrap.

Paul

 

[Marshall73]

Because most customers never have to replace their batteries and often replace the device long before the battery fails. Others just have the battery replaced by the phone/gadget shop in their town for a few quid. Long gone are the days when you had a Nokia with a battery charging stand and carried 3 spare batteries around with you to just get through the day.

 

[MacDawg]

I don't demand anything from a manufacturer
I find a product that meets my needs and buy it instead of buying something that doesn't and complaining about it after the purchase

 

[off_piste]

With all the talk about battery life, phone throttling, battery ageing, battery replacement cost....... why isn't there a massive tidal wave of us customers demanding that phone manufacturers return to producing phones with user-replaceable batteries?

Especially in usage scenarios involving a full charge every day (ie., 350 charge cycles per year), battery wear out is a given.... and long before the phone is obsolete.

Apple's offer of a $29 battery replacement is a good move (and comparable to the cost of a user-replaceable battery), but that low cost is only temporary for one year.

And finally.... if you think manufacturers made money on your phone, you would be shocked to see what they are making on a $79 battery replacement that consists of a $2 lithium cell, a small cable and connector and some shrink wrap.

Paul

While I loved having replaceable batteries you have to consider a couple reasons against them: 1) size due to required additional packaging/protection which either creates more bulk or reduces battery capacity, 2) shape, manufacturers have more flexibility with component layout in ever shrinking phones, and 3) now you have water resistance as a feature.

 

[nburwell]

Long gone are the days when you had a Nokia with a battery charging stand and carried 3 spare batteries around with you to just get through the day.

Well made point. I do not miss the days when I had 2-3 spare batteries for my old Nokia/Palm phones back in the day. Plus, I generally upgrade my devices each year, so I don't experience the battery issues some users have who hold on to their devices longer.

 

[pgoelz]

Buying something else because a given product does not meet your needs is "demanding" a particular feature. Unfortunately, is is so indirect it is not always easy for a manufacturer to figure out that there is a market for said feature. And in the case of replaceable batteries, there almost isn't any competing product to turn to that would generate marketing data.

I'm talking here about turning all the energy I see in the "why are they throttling my phone" threads into a concrete solution.... "give me a replaceable battery". With an affordable replaceable battery, all battery complaints would (mostly) go away, including safety recalls of entire phones.

As for most people replacing their phone before the battery gets to the point of needing replacement..... I understand that logic. What I don't understand is why so many seem to be so willing to spend that kind of money every one to two years.

Yes, I agree that the additional packaging required to protect a replaceable battery does subtract slightly from its volume and therefore its capacity. But I'd like the option of a phone that is (maybe) 1mm thicker or has slightly less run time. Assuming no one wants it is just that.... an assumption. I'd bet most people would have assumed the 4"phone was dead. But look what happened when Apple put one on the market again. No, not everyone wanted it. But enough did that it was a success.

When I wanted a smaller phone I settled on the SE because there wasn't anything in the Android world like it. One major factor in that decision was that although the battery is technically not user replaceable, it does not look too difficult to replace. Not so for the glued together glass and metal waterproof phones out there.

I may be a lone voice here. But I suspect there are a lot of people who would welcome replaceable batteries as an option. I also find it interesting that when I ask a question like this, I get a lot of answers about why it can't be done. Where would the phone industry be if that was the real answer from the manufacturers when investigating new features and hardware? And good grief, this isn't even a new feature request.... it is just a revival of an old one!

Paul

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't demand anything from a manufacturer
I find a product that meets my needs and buy it instead of buying something that doesn't and complaining about it after the purchase

This post is way too logical and has been reported to the mod staff for review and possible sanction.

 

[Treyhunna]

no one wants to walk around with a pack of batteries.
more movable parts means less waterproofing
less streamlined designed phones
likely lower capacity batteries since its now needs to be moduler and in a hard casing now
thinker phones
cheap extended battery knockoffs being sold
no money in that for OEs
warranties will be modified and probably cover less.
just to name a few

 

[Strelok]

Because it’s expensive. There are no standardized replaceable batteries between manufacturers, heck even some models from the same manufacturer use different sized batteries. Internal batteries don’t have this issue.

 

[sevvere]

This post is way too logical and has been reported to the mod staff for review and possible sanction.

This “logical” viewpoint is, of course, ignoring the reality of collusion between companies that stifle healthy competition and nerf technological progress.

 

[pgoelz]

This post is way too logical and has been reported to the mod staff for review and possible sanction.

OK, clever responses I guess. But how do they advance the discussion? Am I to understand that your stance is that it is unacceptable to ask for / demand a particular feature that is not currently available? Isn't that how new features (or revivals of old ones) come into being?

Perhaps I wasn't clear.... I bought an Apple phone (my first, BTW) knowing it does not have a user-replaceable battery. I am NOT complaining about it. It is what it is. I am merely asking why the droves of people that ARE complaining about Apple throttling their phones when the battery degrades aren't demanding a return to phones with replaceable batteries. That was the question in the OP.

Paul

 

[naturalstar]

Because it’s moving backwards in technology.

 

[DevinNj]

I have a 4s that I use all the time as a backup, and it's perfectly fine. This has been blown way out of proportion. As far as sealed batteries, real simple, everyone went to this for water/dust resistance.

 

[pgoelz]

You are all missing the point of my original question.... why are WE not DEMANDING a return to replaceable batteries.

I did not ask why the manufacturers are not making user replaceable batteries as an option. I know the answer(s) to that one. However, none of those answers is a reason that batteries can't be replaceable. Just that the perceived need does not.... currently.... outweigh the (possible) feature tradeoffs.

Hey, if you all are happy spending upwards of $600 to $1000 every two years and therefore never running into a degraded battery, more power to you. You sure are keeping Apple in business. For me, no way. I would like to be able to replace my battery easily when needed and choose to upgrade my phone when it no longer suits my needs. Those two items are not always concurrent.

Paul

 

[MacDawg]

You are all missing the point of my original question.... why are WE not DEMANDING a return to replaceable batteries.

I did not ask why the manufacturers are not making user replaceable batteries as an option. I know the answer(s) to that one. However, none of those answers is a reason that batteries can't be replaceable. Just that the perceived need does not.... currently.... outweigh the (possible) feature tradeoffs.

Hey, if you all are happy spending upwards of $600 to $1000 every two years and therefore never running into a degraded battery, more power to you. You sure are keeping Apple in business. For me, no way. I would like to be able to replace my battery easily when needed and choose to upgrade my phone when it no longer suits my needs. Those two items are not always concurrent.

Paul

How do you propose to demand they do this?
Really, how specifically do you propose this be done?
Here is your chance to lay out your master plan to force companies to do your bidding
We are all ears

 

[rugmankc]

I don't know the answer OP. Perhaps most people don't want to have to replace the battery. MR members are a small percentage of users. We may not mine doing it. I have never had to replace a battery on an iPhone. Nor have my family members. We did on our Samsungs though. The reactions here are, unfortunately, the mindset of many MR members at the moment. Some very unhappy with Apple. And, some tired of all the battey threads. Although, yours is a different take.

 

[Newtons Apple]

You can demand all you want. For Apple to make the phone with removable batteries it would have to be much thicker. I wish their next iPhone was twice a thick so the battery was so big we no longer had to worry about it. Likely will not happen as Apple is all about thin, so thin phones were bending a few years back.

 

[RichardMZhlubb]

You are all missing the point of my original question.... why are WE not DEMANDING a return to replaceable batteries.

I did not ask why the manufacturers are not making user replaceable batteries as an option. I know the answer(s) to that one. However, none of those answers is a reason that batteries can't be replaceable. Just that the perceived need does not.... currently.... outweigh the (possible) feature tradeoffs.

Hey, if you all are happy spending upwards of $600 to $1000 every two years and therefore never running into a degraded battery, more power to you. You sure are keeping Apple in business. For me, no way. I would like to be able to replace my battery easily when needed and choose to upgrade my phone when it no longer suits my needs. Those two items are not always concurrent.

Paul

They still sell phones with user replaceable batteries (LG, in particular, sells several models like that). If that’s what you want, buy one of them.

 

[pgoelz]

How do you propose to demand they do this?
Really, how specifically do you propose this be done?
Here is your chance to lay out your master plan to force companies to do your bidding
We are all ears

Are you serious? How about for starters the same way people who are complaining about Apple throttling their phone caused Apple to respond.... rapidly..... with an apology, an explanation and a reduced cost battery replacement. Social media, conversation on boards like this, direct contact with Apple, etc. Is that so mysterious?

But I think at this point, if this is the level of discussion to be had here I'll just back out. Sorry I bothered anyone.

Paul

 

[AmazingRobie]

I see alot of nonsense logic on this thread. You demand replaceable batteries by complaining to the manufacturer, not buying their product and by supporting companies that offer that option. All of the people saying gone are the days of carrying around battery chargers to get through the day, yada, yada, yada...sorry, battery technologies have advanced immensely since the 80s/90s. The simple reason replaceable batteries arent available is to force upgrades. Period. Any other reason given is false. Companies need to stop causing people to generate incredible amounts of trash and pretending to be "green" by offering recycling services. Real change that makes sense needs to take place.

 

[rockitdog]

Hard to demand a return to someplace that we've never been.

 

[pakupakuman]

While I agree with your concerns, I must confess $29 for a battery, installed, isn’t that bad. I wonder if that includes preserving “waterproofeness”, though.

 

[hipsheik]

The simple reason replaceable batteries arent available is to force upgrades. Period. Any other reason given is false. Companies need to stop causing people to generate incredible amounts of trash and pretending to be "green" by offering recycling services. Real change that makes sense needs to take place.

Yup, I'm sure Apple has sold way more iPhones because the batteries are user not replaceable.

Which is a complete waste, because the 6s is probably fast enough for most people.

 

[Tubamajuba]

I don't demand anything from a manufacturer
I find a product that meets my needs and buy it instead of buying something that doesn't and complaining about it after the purchase

In all fairness, I can't fault the OP even though I disagree with him- he respectfully lays out his argument unlike the vast majority of users who have complaints. I have zero issue with threads like this.

But yes, so many people around here need to just buy an Android phone and hang out on Android forums.

 

[Pez555]

Phones that have user replaceable batteries imo look tacky. Just reminds me of the floppy plastic back covers you used to see on Samsung devices.

It doesn’t scream premium.