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Seriously, why do you want a removeable battery?

ANDROIDPIT battery 5
© nextpit

This topic is talked about unendingly. Last week I wrote an article which had a single mention of removable batteries and yet it became its most discussed topic. Today I’m going to investigate what I believe to be the four key areas of this discussion to provide further insights into the debate.

ANDROIDPIT battery 1
Removable batteries: do we really need them? / © ANDROIDPIT

1. Convenience

One of the most frequently voiced arguments in favor of removable batteries is that they don't require a user to be near a power outlet. If you're away from a power source for an extended period of time, a removable battery can be used to put some life back into your phone.

The problem is that loading a removable battery does require a power outlet. As with portable power banks, you can’t charge a battery without a current. 

Your smartphone must also be switched off to swap a battery, and then restarted. Typically this doesn’t take very long, but this is less convenient than simply plugging in a portable charger.

That being said, to load a device with an external charger you must have it connected to the power bank. Carrying the charge pack and USB cable in your hand or pocket while you wait for your device to charge isn't as easy as just carrying your device with the new battery inserted. 

androidpit external usb battery pack 18
Just connect a portable charger to your device to charge it. / © ANDROIDPIT

To sum up: rebooting a device and swapping a battery requires more time than plugging in a USB connector. As does swapping the spare battery in and out of the device to load it. But carrying the extra power bank and USB cable with you while you charge your phone may be more hassle than carrying your phone alone after swapping batteries. 

2. The lifetime of a battery

Batteries have a lifespan. There is a cap on the number of charge cycles they can receive (estimated to be in the hundreds) before they lose their ability to hold a charge. Having the option of a removable cell could enable you to keep using your smartphone after its first battery has 'burnt out'. 

Battery University, an oft-cited authority on battery products, explains this further, and from its research you could conclude that after a year of usage – and presuming you charge your smartphone every day – your smartphone battery could lose more than 20 percent of its original capacity (see figure one at the previous link). 

Additionally, Battery University also claims that manufacturers themselves specify that that battery life of "most consumer products" is between "300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles".

Controversially, in the Xperia M user manual, Sony states: "Charge your device often. This will not affect the lifetime of the battery." This is untrue, as even heat has a degrading effect on batteries, which is always generated when charging.

AndroidPIT sony xperia m5 vs sony xperia m4 2
Sony's devices are famed for their battery life. / © ANDROIDPIT

I'm not an expert on lithium-ion technology but I think the closest we can come to a conclusion in this area is to say that smartphone batteries have the potential to drop in capacity after repeated charges to some degree, but there's no guarantee that the effects will be significant, and there's no telling how long it will take for these effects to be felt.

3. Dimensions

Another factor separating smartphone batteries from portable power packs is size. Most, if not all, portable battery packs are physically larger than the internal battery cells in smartphones with the same milliampere capacity.

Portable power banks are functionally different from smartphone batteries and usually require USB input and output ports. 

Right now, milliampere capacity is constrained (to some degree) by the physical dimensions of its container and the method by which the power is transferred.  

Smartphone battery cells, then, are generally thinner and lighter than portable chargers. 

4. Cost

Portable chargers invariably cost less than official branded batteries of the same or greater milliampere capacity. The fact that portable batteries can be bigger is part of the reason for this, but manufacturers also charge premium prices for official accessories (like how an official PS3 controller invariably costs more than a third-party option, for example).

This replacement battery from a major smartphone brand, coming around 18 months after the product was first released, costs $25. You can find portable batteries with twice this capacity for at the same price on Amazon and the cheapest of these chargers costs around $10.

androidpit external usb battery pack 1
Portable power packs come in all shapes and sizes. / © ANDROIDPIT

Further considerations

Portable power packs can load your device at different speeds, and may be better or worse for your battery when charging it long term. What's more, swapping a battery can put your device to fully charged state instantly (if the spare battery is charged to 100 percent), a portable power pack will take some time to fully load your phone.  

There's also the chance that a battery will leak, expand, or become otherwise damaged inside your device, and it's easier to correct this problem if you can just swap it out for a new one. With proper use this is unlikely to happen, however, but even if it does, there is also no guarantee that it won't harm your handset even if it is removable. Further, these kinds of problems are covered by device warranty, if it's purchased new.

Speaking of which, a removable battery might be preferred by users purchasing second-hand smartphones, since there is no way to tell if the original owner was using the device and power supply correctly. 

What is your position on removable batteries?
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Conclusions

There are positives and negatives to both approaches and I don’t think there is a right and wrong answer as to which is best. I only aim to make the arguments on both sides a little clearer.

If you do want my personal opinion, I'd say that a removable battery is a bonus, but not an essential feature. In other words, I wouldn't let this dictate what smartphone I purchased in the future. The chances of me encountering a situation where a removable battery would be required (like a dramatic loss in battery life after extended usage, or the battery becoming damaged) are so slim that I don't worry about them. 

Where do you stand on the removable battery debate? Let me know in the comments. 

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Scott Adam Gordon

Scott Adam Gordon
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Originally from the UK, Scott graduated in Popular Music Studies at Newcastle University and attributes much of his success there to his beloved Samsung Galaxy S2. His current aim is to write cool things about Android. And he loves it.

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37 comments
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  • 1
    Sara Teubert Sep 2, 2017 Link to comment

    Aside from the convenience of being able to pop out your dead battery and pop in a charged one, having a removable battery is extraordinary helpful for times when your phone freezes up and is non responsive, and especially for times when your phone accidentally gets wet. With a waterlogged phone that has a charged non-removable battery, your phone has more of a chance of getting fried than if it had a removable battery that you could take out and help prevent shorting and reduce the chances of water droplets becoming trapped in the battery compartment, thus making your efforts to save your phone from a watery grave more effective. Besides, you can still use Powerbanks with removable battery phones, (even though its almost as much of a massive pain in the ass as putting


  • Adrian Falah Diratama 2
    Adrian Falah Diratama May 29, 2016 Link to comment

    The most important thing why am I always choose phone with removable battery is for securing my data on my phone. Why do i say it, because i read somewhere, Phone with non-removable battery is really easy to get hacked by someone whether the phone is fully charged but off or the battery is discharged and off.

    Sorry for my english, english isn't my 1st languange. But I still keep trying to say what i think in english :)

    Jerry's W.


  • 13
    Dazzler May 25, 2016 Link to comment

    There is no denying that repeated charging will reduce the battery life. My old Lumia went from 3 days without charge to 2 days at a push in the space of 18 months, roughly 200 charges.

    I have just bought an S7 Edge, considerably more expensive than my last Lumia. I know in 3 years time the processor, RAM etc will still be superfast, the only reason to upgrade would be the battery life.

    When they include the ability to replace the battery, people become less likely to upgrade, especially as smartphones continue to rise in price.


  • Paolo 17
    Paolo May 25, 2016 Link to comment

    This article is so narrow and short-sighted it's almost amazing! We get it, you can actually afford to upgrade to a new phone every two hears, heck for not even a YEAR (Good for you in that regard) hence you don't have to worry about how long or short the phone battery life (not how long you can use it, how long it LASTS in months and years) but there are plebs like us who literally can't upgrade to a new phone when it's out and the battery literally lasts only two-three years. I have a Note 3 and use my mum's LG G4, and all power banks do is heat the phones so much I can almost cook an egg with them!

    TL;DR, ye who thinks replacing batteries is irrelevant probably has enough money to buy a new phone when the last one goes to pot.

    Jerry's W.


    • 1
      Steve Park Jul 30, 2016 Link to comment

      You're fooling yourself if you think you can't afford a new phone every two years. It costs the equivalent of $1 a day for two years to save up for even a top-of-the-line phone. For a really good mid-range phone (OnePlus 3, $399) you would need to put aside a measly 54 cents a day. I bet you spend three times as much in two years on things like fast food and video games.


  • Mike Brinker 5
    Mike Brinker May 24, 2016 Link to comment

    I demand a removeable battery. I currently own the Galaxy S5 and expect to keep it for another year. I change my batteries once a year so that they keep a long charge. I use my phones for a minimum of 3 years.

    Hans FJerry's W.Paolo


  • 2
    Apache53 May 24, 2016 Link to comment

    If i do a hard reset on my LG G3 D851 will it remove T-mobile downloads ( updates ) also


  • Dean L. 34
    Dean L. May 24, 2016 Link to comment

    I used to think a removable battery was essential but not anymore. I carry a portable battery pack since I ride on public transit which has no plug in power outlets. And when I travel I carry up to 3, cause in most airports there's not an outlet to be found cause everyone's looking to charge up. So I'm okay with it being not removable, and there's always a service center that can replace the battery for you (for the popular phones anyways).


  • 10
    David Turner May 23, 2016 Link to comment

    I bought my Galaxy S4 used just as the S6 was being rolled out, and the battery that came with it wasn't up to the task of getting me through my day. I'm on the move a lot at my job, and usually can't just park my phone on a wall charger. An external battery pack isn't much better, since I carry my phone in a holster on my waist, and carrying a battery pack attached to the phone isn't a viable option. Carrying spare batteries isn't a very good option either, as I'd either have to have a dedicated pocket to carry one in to keep it from being damaged jangling around with keys or spare change, or have a case to keep the spare battery in, and at the end of the day I'd have two batteries to charge for the next day. I tried using a case with an internal battery (the added weight and bulk didn't really bother me), but this didn't work for two reasons: 1.) Come charging time, the phone charges first, then the case, but since I never completely powered down my phone, the case charged fairly slowly since the phone was always trickle-charging, and I usually needed at least eight hours to charge both; and 2.) Charging the battery from the case created a tremendous amount of heat, since heat is generated both by charging and discharging, and the two batteries were in close proximity. I regularly got overheat warnings on my phone. The solution that finally worked was an extended battery which has triple the capacity of the OEM battery and doesn't overheat my phone. Bottom line: if my phone didn't have a removable battery, the best option I'd have would be a battery case with long charge times and recurrent overheat warnings.


  • 11
    Larry R. May 23, 2016 Link to comment

    You can't always find a place to plug in a charger. So replacing the Battery ìs the only option. Some people just don't understand

    Jerry's W.


  • Deborah Sawyer 6
    Deborah Sawyer May 23, 2016 Link to comment

    I have 7 removable batteries for my Note 4, and I would have it no other way. I am out a lot, and I prefer to change the battery instead of plugging in. I am always on the phone doing tech support calls, and answering tax questions, and I need a phone that is not plugged in all the time. I prefer a battery as a "backup solution", and I need it no matter what. I am hoping the Note 6 will come with a removable battery. I don't care about it being waterproof.

    Hans FJerry's W.


  • Àlex B 11
    Àlex B May 23, 2016 Link to comment

    Where is the answer: I don't want a phone with removable battery

    joost


  • 7
    Dave Sheriff May 23, 2016 Link to comment

    I had a Sony xperia and had to get a new phone when battery died due to it not being removable, that would be the only re

    Scott Adam Gordon


    • Warren JB 10
      Warren JB May 24, 2016 Link to comment

      I think his battery just di

      Deactivated Account


  • 11
    Randy Dennis May 23, 2016 Link to comment

    I think that one of the most overlooked parts of the battery issue is lock ups. The last removable battery I had was on a Galaxy s4 and there were several times where it was so locked up I just ripped the battery out to force it to power off. I know that phones have a hard reset button combo, but there's no guarantee power off like removing the source of power.

    Scott Adam Gordon


    • Scott Adam Gordon 31
      Scott Adam Gordon May 23, 2016 Link to comment

      Yeah good point it's like a "switch it off at the socket" type thing with a PC. Still, I don't think this would be a good reason to include a removable battery in a device, from a manufacturer's perspective


      • 28
        itprolonden May 23, 2016 Link to comment

        Yeah, there are alternatives to that anyway.

        Scott Adam Gordon


      • Paolo 17
        Paolo May 25, 2016 Link to comment

        Yeah, like them blatantly not honouring warranties in many, many countries and manufacturers shafting you so you'd practucally have to buy a new phone instead. That's a FAIR alternative instead of giving end users a very easy reset mechanism, right?

        Scott Adam Gordon


  • 11
    Marc Wilson May 22, 2016 Link to comment

    So, you have spent your money on the latest smart phone that does not have a removable battery, you are now limited to the life of that battery, period. This will affect how long you own the phone or re sale value if you like changing each year and could be a problem if your battery gives up before your contract can be renewed? If like me you have a phone which had a removable battery i believe you are lucky and they should be removable. I have a note 4, i did not like the note 5 and as i am in Europe i was not able to buy one. So i skipped an upgrade and am waiting for the note 6, but i would have been forced to change my phone before now if i could not have changed my battery as it was giving up. I just hope the note 6 has a removable one, not holding my breath though. Maybe pushed towards the LG V11?

    Hans FDeactivated AccountPaoloScott Adam GordonMoni Mihailov


    • Scott Adam Gordon 31
      Scott Adam Gordon May 23, 2016 Link to comment

      Yeah this is a fair point. Potential buyers might be more interested in a device with a new battery.

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