6 ms·
On the other hand phones are now thing and waterproof. Not saying that replaceable batteries are bad but it’s not like this was an entirely arbitrary decision.
by IgorPartola 4y ago
On the other hand phones are now thing and waterproof. Not saying that replaceable batteries are bad but it’s not like this was an entirely arbitrary decision.
- londons_explore 4y agoThere are also a lot of laws and regulations about shipping and selling batteries that don't apply to devices with non-removable batteries.
- IgorPartola 4y agoNot to mention aftermarket batteries. Imagine someone putting a $5 battery off Wish into their $1000 iPhone and starting a fire.
- jeroenhd 4y agoThe Galaxy XCover 5 is waterproof (IP68) and has a replaceable battery. It's built for extreme conditions so it looks a little funky, but it's clearly possible to have both. Sure, gluing the battery into a closed container is a lot easier than developing novel waterproofing methods, but it's not impossible to do so.
- Gigachad 4y agoAlmost all consumers would prefer to take their phone in for a battery replacement than have it look weird. Considering a replacement is something you do maybe once while the form factor is something you will always be affected by.
- thescriptkiddie 4y agoI used to carry a spare battery with me and swap them in 10 seconds when the one in the phone died. Now I have to carry a much bulkier battery powered charger and USB cable that takes an hour to recharge the phone.
- Gigachad 4y agoThat stopped being an issue for most people a while ago. The latest gen phones last all day under reasonably heavy usage and charge within a few minutes on a wall charger.
- seanmcdirmid 4y agoPower banks are pretty small these days. If you have magnetic inductive charging capabilities on your phone, you can even just snap them on and keep going. Otherwise, get a power bank that has a small cable built in.
- ghaff 4y agoI found the lack of swappable batteries somewhat irritating at first. But these days, for the relatively few times when I run low on juice I'd rather just use an external battery pack than carry a bulkier phone around all the time. And as you say, with inductive charging, there are pretty unobtrusive options.
- thescriptkiddie 4y agoMagnetic inductive charging has an efficiency of <50%, so now the battery has to be twice as big and your phone gets really hot in your pocket.
- ethbr0 4y agoWe've been waterproofing watches for almost 100 years. If Apple cared, it's absolutely possible.
- IgorPartola 4y agoIf you find a way to run a phone off a watch battery you will make a lot of $$$
- mmastrac 4y agoThe point is not to run off a watch battery. The point is that you can open and close a watch without affecting its waterproofing rating.
- simondotau 4y agoA watch mechanism is (typically) circular, ideal for devices that need to be opened and closed frequently. And the mechanism is a much smaller percentage of a watch's overall volume; much more of its volume is enclosure material.
- ethbr0 4y agoI can't find the rating for the 1926 Rolex Oyster (if there was one), but the Submariner in 1953 was 100m. ... I daresay we're not talking about that level of waterproofing, so circularity of sealing gaskets and case structural integrity shouldn't be as critical. Although if Apple made an iPhone Deepsea, I have no doubt they'd have buyers at any price point, a vanishingly small percentage of whom would actually submerge it.
- simondotau 4y agoCircularity allows for threads which can give significant, robust and uniform clamping pressure, without need for any adhesives. But really the distinguishing factor is the ratio between case volume and mechanism volume. If phones had a similar ratio to watches, you could just bolt them shut with a dozen screws.
- lstodd 4y agoWhat's so novel about rubber gaskets? My Nokia 5210 from 2002 was waterproof, and its electronics were actually suspended inside shock-absorbing case so that it survived being thrown against a wall repeatedly.
- razodactyl 4y agoIf a group of government scientists can deploy devices into the field with waterproof enclosures and replaceable battery banks - it makes me wonder if Apple could do it :P
- IgorPartola 4y agoGaskets are not 0 size. You can absolutely make a waterproof case. It’ll just be thicker.
- jackpeterfletch 4y agoI guess the question is should they be _made_ to do it. If someone comes along and creates a device that has those features, like we've seen with the Framework laptop, that's great. For the people that want that kind of device with that specific set of benefits and trade-offs that's awesome. Personally not my device though. my usage patterns means it makes more sense for me to take the more integrated solution, and just forego any upgrades all modularity for the life of the product.
- vvillena 4y agoThe first Motorola Defy was a comparable device to its competitors when it was released, and its big feature, being water-resistant, didn't make any compromises apart from rubber caps on the ports (not necessary in modern phones) and a better back cover with a manual latch. Sealing phones isn't needed at all. It's a decision driven by the market makers.
- lupire 4y agoThe Defy weight over 8oz, a huge compromise. It's too heavy for the average personn to handle comfortably.
- MerelyMortal 4y ago8 oz is 227 grams The iPhone 13 Pro Max is 8.46 ounces (240 grams) The iPhone 13 Pro is 7.19 ounces (204 grams) The Defy is only 11% heavier than the iPhone 13 Pro, and lighter than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Doesn't seem like much of a compromise to me.
- vvillena 4y agoI'm talking about the first Defy, back in 2010. It weighted 118 gr (just over 4 oz), more or less the same as its competitors.
- ghaff 4y ago>extremely specialised tools which ensure every repair is perfect with little room for any human error. I'm not sure I see the problem. Apple is saying that this is the "right" way to do the repair. Alternatively, you can have them do it. You can also, although Apple won't endorse it, take it to a third-party, order a kit from iFixit, or otherwise do it yourself. Ford will also not endorse doing repairs yourself, using an independent mechanic, using parts from a junkyard, etc. but they don't generally prevent you from doing so.
- bogwog 4y agoThe issue with right to repair isn’t that phones are too hard to repair due to being thin/waterproof/etc. It’s that Apple’s business decisions and contracts with suppliers are designed to monopolize the repair process, so that third party repair shops can’t fix peoples’ phones without resorting to extreme measures (like buying blackmarket parts that were likely stolen from Apple factories by rogue employees). This repair program is trying really hard to frame it as: “look how risky and complicated it is to fix your own phone! Nobody actually wants to do this!”. Drawing attention away from the obvious alternative where people send their phone to an independent repair shop rather than do the repair themselves (and benefit from competitive pricing rather than Apple exorbitant ones) As an example, you can’t buy a replacement screen from this program unless you provide a valid IMEI. This means that a repair shop can’t possibly offer same day repairs since they can’t keep any screen in stock.