Alessandro
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|  #1 Posted on 12.6.13 0723.30
Reposted on: 12.6.20 0723.30 | My current phone (a Motorola Droid X) is going on two years old now, so I figure it's about time for an upgrade ... I've been (generally) happy with my phone's performance, so I've been looking into getting the updated version of this particular model. However, I've found that the newer Droid phones (and seemingly most Android phones in general) are no longer being designed with a removable battery.
What "frightens" me about this is that there have been a couple of times in the past where my phone would completely freeze up, and the only way to "reboot" the system was to open the phone up and physically remove the battery before popping it back in again ... If the ability to remove the battery is taken out of the equation, what is one supposed to do in this situation? Take it back to the store? Just let it sit and wait for the battery to run out?
Also, I've spoken with a few salespeople, and they've claimed that pretty much all companies going forward are going to be selling phones with non-removable batteries; the kicker is that if the battery goes bad, then the whole phone needs to be replaced (I guess you can buy a one-year warranty to provide a free replacement should that happen, otherwise you're outta luck).
Anyone have any information on whether or not Android phones are REALLY going to all be going "non-removable battery" in the future? I'm hoping this is just the current "fad" and that some/all models will go back to having a removable battery in later iterations ... | Promote this thread! |             | samoflange
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| #2 Posted on 12.6.13 0812.53
Reposted on: 12.6.20 0813.04 | I have no idea about what is to come, but Samsung phones, including popular ones like the Galaxy S3 and S4, have mostly all had removable batteries (as well as microSD slots).
Also, I think the mid-range phones from most companies still have them. One of the reasons to not have removable batteries is so the body of the phone can be made slimmer in size and sleeker/smoother in appearance, so many of the top-of-the-line phones have gone that way. Mid-range phones aren't trying to look like the coolest phone in town so they have room to have removable batteries. | thecubsfan
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| #3 Posted on 12.6.13 0938.52
Reposted on: 12.6.20 0939.51 | | Ha. I just ordered a Samsung Galaxy S4 to replace my Droid X. Like samoflange said, it looks like the Samsung phones are sticking with removable batteries. The HTC One does not have that option. | Texas Kelly
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| #4 Posted on 12.6.13 1151.32
Reposted on: 12.6.20 1152.02 | | I also just picked up a S4 and can verify that yes, the battery is removable (even if the back of the case is a little annoying to get off to get to the battery). Non-removable battery is a deal-breaker for me for a lot of the reasons you mentioned, and I agree it's a racket phone manufacturers are rigging to force you into upgrading before you want to. I'm prepared to keep this S4 for many many years unless there's a drastic leap in technology, which I doubt there will be given that most of the telcos are still getting their 4G networks up to full capability. | Mr Heel II
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| #5 Posted on 12.6.13 1314.35
Reposted on: 12.6.20 1315.10 | For what it's worth, when my iPhone has locked up and even trying the power button doesn't work, holding the Home key and the power button at the same time for a few seconds seems to do the same thing a battery reset did in my previous handsets.
Also the Sony XPERIA line of handsets I've seen have to date all have removable batteries. | DJ FrostyFreeze
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| #6 Posted on 12.6.13 1405.31
Reposted on: 12.6.20 1405.34 | Originally posted by Mr Heel II
For what it's worth, when my iPhone has locked up and even trying the power button doesn't work, holding the Home key and the power button at the same time for a few seconds seems to do the same thing a battery reset did in my previous handsets.
I have the Motorola Droid Razr M (not the Maxx, not the HD, just "M") and I had the same experience you described above. My phone locked up, I held down a couple buttons (I forget which ones now) and it reset itself just like my old phones used to when I removed/replaced their batteries. | Alessandro
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| #7 Posted on 14.6.13 0907.52
Reposted on: 14.6.20 0908.13 | I dunno, my phone has frozen before where holding the power button down restarts things ... but there were one or two times when nothing I tried - aside from physically taking the battery out - would do anything (maybe I just didn't have the right combination of buttons).
Anyway, I got some very helpful information at Best Buy yesterday (thanks Ryan!), and it looks like I may have to seriously consider switching allegiance to the Samsung Galaxy S3 ... although he did mention rumors about the "Google X" phone (ign.com) replacing the Motorola brand entirely, which was totally new information to me.
Argh, another wrinkle to consider! | samoflange
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| #8 Posted on 14.6.13 1044.45
Reposted on: 14.6.20 1046.15 | Perhaps phones without removable batteries have more robust 'button reset' functions?
I don't see the reset thing as being the main problem with removable batteries. I have not heard of many, if any, cases where someone with a non-removable battery could not use their phone (barring anybody in the ROM hacking scene).
IMO the biggest problem with non-removable batteries concerns people who use their phone way more than they can keep them charged. They can either keep a spare to swap in partway through or get an higher capacity battery to use. With a non-removable battery, those high usage users would need to get something like a portable power source which is usually more expensive, bulky, and complicated than just swapping in a spare battery.
And for people who tend to buy older used phones, being able to buy a new battery for $5 online when the current ones starts to show decreased capacity is rather critical. I'm using a nearly 3 year old Android phone now and am on my 2nd new battery since I've owned it. I have never damaged my phone and obviously have never lost it, but if the battery was non-removeable I would probably have upgraded long ago.
(edited by samoflange on 14.6.13 1147) | | ALL ORIGINAL POSTS IN THIS THREAD ARE NOW AVAILABLE |
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