6 ms·

Then, irony of ironies, people put their ultra-thin devices in cases to protect them, carry multiple batteries for them, or external charging bricks, and my fav

by M_Grey 10y ago

Then, irony of ironies, people put their ultra-thin devices in cases to protect them, carry multiple batteries for them, or external charging bricks, and my favorite... the oversized extended battery. Throws hands up in air

tru3n0rth 10y ago
Is that really a bad thing, though? It seems like it gives the consumer a choice between having an ultra-lightweight device, or compromising on that front in favor of more battery life and protection.
- jhobag 10y ago
  Exactly. People that do tasks more intensive than watch youtube videos and work on spreadsheets don't need any more battery life so thinness is a priority for regular laptops. People doing intense work use t h i c c laptops
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- dperfect 10y ago
  I agree with this point, but with laptop battery life, unfortunately the alternatives are all significantly worse than simply having a slightly thicker/heavier laptop. They almost always involve carrying additional devices (needing their own protective enclosures, cables, etc) and require additional cognitive load (Which spare battery is charged? Where did I leave that battery?). A bigger internal battery eliminates all of that. There are very few options (if any) in between.
Tloewald 10y ago
Here's the thing — of you want more endurance you can get extra batteries (and with USB-C you can probably start using interchangeable standard power bricks) but if battery life is adequate you don't need to. How is this worse? One of the things that has changed my life for the better is switching entirely to devices that can use any USB power brick or USB charger in a pinch. This includes my cameras, tablets, phones, audio gear, and so on. The only remaining outlier is laptops.
scarface74 10y ago
I can't speak for laptops but I can speak for the utility of having a thin phone and a battery pack that makes it thicker and heavier than it would be if Apple just included a bigger battery: I've only used my battery pack four or five times in the year and a half I've had my 6s. Most of the time I'm not far away from a plug - either at home, in my car, at work, etc. But when I travel, a slightly bigger battery wouldn't be enough. I would want twice the battery life - something I can get by using a battery pack - but I probably wouldn't get from a slightly larger iPhone. If you have to optimize, why optimize for the edge cases instead of the most popular case and give options for those times people need it.
- qeternity 10y ago
  Or just have an external battery pack that powers any of your USB devices. As you say, this represents maybe 5% of my usage. Most of the time I don't worry about battery, but sure enjoy having a slim phone.
  - tmd83 10y ago
    Honest question what do you enjoy about the super slim phone? In the last years have you seen any phone thats too thick to hold or hard to put in pocket or just about don't fit in any place? Why slimmer, I honestly don't understand since it only makes it more slippery, harder to grip, more fragile. I don't see any use for further slimming than making a fashion statement or a notch for the marketing team. I can understand if someone says they want even lighter.
    - hulahoof 10y ago
      Lighter is always my main concern, I never really hear other people complain but I often support the bottom of my phone with my pinky when using with one hand (bad habit) - and I definitely feel every extra gram ...
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- 10y ago
cgriswald 10y ago
Even if devices weren't ultrathin they'd need to be in protective cases. Cases can be damaged and easily replaced. A damaged device is more expensive and less convenient to repair or replace. As for battery packs, I have multiple devices, but I carry one battery pack that can charge all of them as needed. My phone is much lighter in my pocket for not having to have a larger battery (that I don't usually need), my ipad is easier to handle, etc.
caycep 10y ago
My mom throws her 11" MBA in her purse, and charges it only at night.

by M_Grey 10y ago

tru3n0rth 10y ago

Is that really a bad thing, though? It seems like it gives the consumer a choice between having an ultra-lightweight device, or compromising on that front in favor of more battery life and protection.

jhobag 10y ago
Exactly. People that do tasks more intensive than watch youtube videos and work on spreadsheets don't need any more battery life so thinness is a priority for regular laptops. People doing intense work use t h i c c laptops
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
dperfect 10y ago
I agree with this point, but with laptop battery life, unfortunately the alternatives are all significantly worse than simply having a slightly thicker/heavier laptop. They almost always involve carrying additional devices (needing their own protective enclosures, cables, etc) and require additional cognitive load (Which spare battery is charged? Where did I leave that battery?). A bigger internal battery eliminates all of that. There are very few options (if any) in between.

Tloewald 10y ago

Here's the thing — of you want more endurance you can get extra batteries (and with USB-C you can probably start using interchangeable standard power bricks) but if battery life is adequate you don't need to. How is this worse? One of the things that has changed my life for the better is switching entirely to devices that can use any USB power brick or USB charger in a pinch. This includes my cameras, tablets, phones, audio gear, and so on. The only remaining outlier is laptops.

scarface74 10y ago

I can't speak for laptops but I can speak for the utility of having a thin phone and a battery pack that makes it thicker and heavier than it would be if Apple just included a bigger battery: I've only used my battery pack four or five times in the year and a half I've had my 6s. Most of the time I'm not far away from a plug - either at home, in my car, at work, etc. But when I travel, a slightly bigger battery wouldn't be enough. I would want twice the battery life - something I can get by using a battery pack - but I probably wouldn't get from a slightly larger iPhone. If you have to optimize, why optimize for the edge cases instead of the most popular case and give options for those times people need it.

qeternity 10y ago
Or just have an external battery pack that powers any of your USB devices. As you say, this represents maybe 5% of my usage. Most of the time I don't worry about battery, but sure enjoy having a slim phone.
- tmd83 10y ago
  Honest question what do you enjoy about the super slim phone? In the last years have you seen any phone thats too thick to hold or hard to put in pocket or just about don't fit in any place? Why slimmer, I honestly don't understand since it only makes it more slippery, harder to grip, more fragile. I don't see any use for further slimming than making a fashion statement or a notch for the marketing team. I can understand if someone says they want even lighter.
  - hulahoof 10y ago
    Lighter is always my main concern, I never really hear other people complain but I often support the bottom of my phone with my pinky when using with one hand (bad habit) - and I definitely feel every extra gram ...
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
10y ago

cgriswald 10y ago

Even if devices weren't ultrathin they'd need to be in protective cases. Cases can be damaged and easily replaced. A damaged device is more expensive and less convenient to repair or replace. As for battery packs, I have multiple devices, but I carry one battery pack that can charge all of them as needed. My phone is much lighter in my pocket for not having to have a larger battery (that I don't usually need), my ipad is easier to handle, etc.

caycep 10y ago

My mom throws her 11" MBA in her purse, and charges it only at night.