Changing the battery of a mobile is something too common, unfortunately; with the obligatory passage by the technical department that this implies. But there was a time when anyone could renew their phone in less than half a minute: its battery was removable. What happened to those phones? Does it make sense that today’s smartphones don’t support such a simple battery change?
Currently, you have to go through the technical service to change the battery of the phone and, normally, leave a good sum of money in exchange for the trip. Ten years ago (plays the melody of backtrack), it was enough to remove the cover of the phone, remove the old battery, put a new one and seal the back side with the ‘click’ of the casing against the mobile. Easy, fast, suitable for everyone and for much less money. What time, huh? Seen in perspective, I would like them to come back. Or not?
Unibody, the concept phone that killed the swappable battery
Samsung Galaxy S5, latest Galaxy S with removable battery
During the evolution from a “dumb” mobile phone to a “smart” mobile phone, we have witnessed various design changes that have come to shape the device we carry on our backs. The screen has increased in size to the enormous diagonals of today; photography has become so important that phones have more sensors and lenses than film cameras; the miniaturization of components has allowed manufacturers to get the most out of the interiors of their products
Making the body of a phone using a single piece, metal (usually aluminum) or plastic makes the devices more resistant, also more compact. Since the screen steals the most space in a phone’s dimensions, keeping its body as contained as possible reduces size inconveniences and adds strength to the overall device. With some collateral damage, such as the loss of removable batteries.
Apple’s original iPhone was not the first mobile to do without the interchangeable battery, Vertu already had luxury models in 2006, 2 years before the first iPhone (the Vertu Constellation 2006) arrived on the market. market. However, Apple has established a chair, at least with smartphones: currently there are hardly any models in which the battery can be easily changed. According to GSM Arena, 2022 brought 12 Android phones with removable batteries; among them, the Samsung Galaxy Xcover6 Pro, one of the most recognizable on the list.
Of 505 mobiles launched in 2022, only 12 have an interchangeable battery, i.e. 2.38 of the total (data from GSMArena)
Cell phones with removable batteries aren’t completely dead, they’re banned from physical and online storefronts. A model aimed at great resistance survives, Nokia maintains several in its lowest range. Despite the diehards, easily changing the phone battery is no longer an option.
Users have been cut off from possibilities
After removing the option to easily change the phone battery, we users have lost much of the ability to fix them easily. Since the battery is the component that decomposes the fastest with the use of devices, manufacturers have increased their turnover; with a greater advantage on paper: a battery change in the official technical service usually exceeds 60/90 dollars. Now well, It also means more spending on warranties
We have lost power over what we buy, and the removal of removable batteries creates a parallel activity of repairs: previously, it was enough to buy a battery and change it manually, a process that took half a minute; now, you can lose several days and up to six times more budget (a good quality clone battery wasn’t too expensive). However, the increase in the commercial margin is not the only reason why there are no more mobile phones with removable batteries:
- The compact design of the mobiles makes the materials gain in strength and lose in thickness. The best way to combine these advantages is to use a monocoque body.
- Component protection becomes vital, especially with dust and water resistance. A phone that includes interchangeable components is not easy to protect and increases the risks for the user (poor placement of the case is enough for the phone to be damaged by humidity).
- It is cheaper to design a phone that cannot be disassembled by the user than to prepare everything inside the phone so that the parts can be easily interchanged. This cost ends up being transferred to the final price.
- The space inside the mobiles is minimal. And, since the battery is the biggest part of said interior, installing it in such a way that it can be removed by removing the cover makes the end use of the phone difficult, as it would make it thicker (brands have insisted that phones be as thin as possible whether we like it or not).
- The internal components of the battery have evolved. Old phones were equipped with NiMH batteries, which were much less durable, less reliable and without the risk of explosion. Lithium-ion batteries have been a huge advancement for smartphones: they last for several years without a noticeable drop in capacity; so that they can be sealed in unibody mobiles. This also reduces the risk of manipulation.
It is true that we lost a lot of possibilities. And that, surely, the manufacturers have gained from the change. Even so, there are more reasons why the unibody design, with batteries that cannot be removed, triumphed, as we have already seen. And one last: How much better looking are one-piece compact phones with no moving parts? Yes, so that later we can cover them.
There is no turning back: the interchangeable battery will not return
Chart Xataka
Maybe we miss it (I do), it’s clearly brought some noticeable benefits to phones, but there’s not much we can do about it: the removable battery isn’t coming back. At least for commonly used smartphones: 2016 was the year that mobiles without swappable batteries overtook their opponents. In 2022, only 2.38% of Android smartphones dodged what has become the norm.
Xataka Data
The removable battery still exists, yes, in non-smartphones: feature phones (halfway) and mute (classic mobiles). Perfect for those who only need to call or text; even to send WhatsApps. But for not too much more.
