7 ms·

I wish there were better approaches to solving the problems around replacing batteries. This solution has downsides in terms of size (extra material required to

I wish there were better approaches to solving the problems around replacing batteries. This solution has downsides in terms of size (extra material required to surround the battery) and waterproofness. I like the features that will have to trade off against replaceable batteries. I wish there were more opportunities for creative solutions to ewaste rather than the specific outcome being regulated.

eppp 3y ago
I would make the weight trade in an instant to get replaceable batteries back. I dont see why waterproofness has to be sacrificed to get it though.
- constantcrying 3y ago
  Modern phones include glued in gaskets to enable water proofing. This is incompatible with any kind of easy removability.
  - eppp 3y ago
    Glue in all the gaskets around the electronics and then epoxy the battery terminal wires into the waterproof area. Let the battery get wet if you can get a new one.
    - constantcrying 3y ago
      This is what phones did previously. The issues with it are an increase in complexity and size (you need to physically seperate the components, have terminals, etc.) and that you still absolutely do not want water to get trapped in the battery compartment and possibly expose the battery to water.
candiddevmike 3y ago
I blame Apple for everyone's obsession with size. Or really, thinness, as everyone seems to have pop tart phones as thin and fragile as glass--with such a large phone, what value does thinness really add? I'd rather have a less delicate, easily serviceable, thicker phone.
- jjcm 3y ago
  Have we forgotten about the Motorola RAZR? Thinness obsession was a thing long before Apple entered the game.
  - marcosdumay 3y ago
    Whatever the culprit, I would really like my next phone to be thicker than its camera¹. This is such a bullshit design, but every single phone manufacturer adopted it. 1 - Without paying 4 times more. I don't think I can get it even paying 4 times more nowadays, but this was always how phone manufacturers lied about the features they wanted to push, by offering an alternative that costs 4 to 10 times more and using it to show nobody wants it.
- RobotToaster 3y ago
  Not to mention a thicker phone could have a bigger battery in the first place.
- upon_drumhead 3y ago
  Have you purchased a fair phone? They exist promising that exact product and yet I've never come across a single person that actually purchased what they claim to want. Personally, I love the thin phones. I'd pay extra for it. It feels better and is easier carried. And the large screen makes it easily readable for my poor eyes.
  - Moldoteck 3y ago
    I would have bought a fairphone in a second if they had camera performance similar to pixel 2/3 or 7. And no, gcam port is not a solution sadly( as usual- people want both nice software and hardware and fairphone has nice hardware but software isn't that good
    - COGlory 3y ago
      I'd buy one, even with poor performance, if it was available in the US.
RobotToaster 3y ago
Cameras have been weatherproof with replaceable batteries for years, it's called gaskets.
- constantcrying 3y ago
  >Cameras have been weatherproof They usually can resist some splashes. Not in any way comparable with modern phones.
  - RobotToaster 3y ago
    I wash my pentax under the tap if it gets dirty, not sure how that compares to an iphone?
    - constantcrying 3y ago
      Iphones can be submerged for significant amounts of time.
- joemi 3y ago
  Cameras are also much larger, so there are more options for how to optimally weatherproof them, such as thicker gaskets or moving circuitry to better locations.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
iso1631 3y ago
I can replace my watch battery and it's waterproof
johnfernow 3y ago
The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro has an IP68 rating (same as Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14) and has a replaceable back (and Samsung sells official OEM batteries for less than $50.) It also has a headphone jack, and is only 1mm thicker than the S23 Ultra. https://www.samsung.com/us/business/mobile/phones/galaxy-xcover-pro/ https://www.samsung.com/us/business/mobile/phones/galaxy-xco... Unfortunately, replacement parts are hard to come by for the Galaxy XCover6 Pro (Samsung doesn't sell them, iFixit doesn't sell them, and I can't even find certain parts from random sellers online), so it's arguably less repairable than other mainstream phones. An iPhone's battery is significantly more difficult to replace than that of the XCover6 Pro's, but if the screen, camera, speaker, port, buttons, etc. break on an iPhone, it's at least possible to replace them, unlike the XCover 6 Pro, so it's not the device for me and hard for me to recommend to others, as even if one doesn't do repairs themselves, with a more mainstream phone they can pay someone to repair their phone (either at an Apple Store if an iPhone, or some mobile repair shop for popular Android phones.) I don't drop my phone often, but I've still had an optical image stabilizer that shook the camera violently, a vibration motor that worked sometimes, and a mute switch that worked sometimes, so replacement parts are very important. But even still, the Galaxy XCover6 Pro is proof that you can have a waterproof phone with a headphone jack and replaceable battery that isn't very thick. If they sold replacement parts and committed to as many years of OS updates as Apple, I'd strongly consider it for my next phone.

eppp 3y ago

I would make the weight trade in an instant to get replaceable batteries back. I dont see why waterproofness has to be sacrificed to get it though.

constantcrying 3y ago
Modern phones include glued in gaskets to enable water proofing. This is incompatible with any kind of easy removability.
- eppp 3y ago
  Glue in all the gaskets around the electronics and then epoxy the battery terminal wires into the waterproof area. Let the battery get wet if you can get a new one.
  - constantcrying 3y ago
    This is what phones did previously. The issues with it are an increase in complexity and size (you need to physically seperate the components, have terminals, etc.) and that you still absolutely do not want water to get trapped in the battery compartment and possibly expose the battery to water.

candiddevmike 3y ago

I blame Apple for everyone's obsession with size. Or really, thinness, as everyone seems to have pop tart phones as thin and fragile as glass--with such a large phone, what value does thinness really add? I'd rather have a less delicate, easily serviceable, thicker phone.

jjcm 3y ago
Have we forgotten about the Motorola RAZR? Thinness obsession was a thing long before Apple entered the game.
- marcosdumay 3y ago
  Whatever the culprit, I would really like my next phone to be thicker than its camera¹. This is such a bullshit design, but every single phone manufacturer adopted it. 1 - Without paying 4 times more. I don't think I can get it even paying 4 times more nowadays, but this was always how phone manufacturers lied about the features they wanted to push, by offering an alternative that costs 4 to 10 times more and using it to show nobody wants it.
RobotToaster 3y ago
Not to mention a thicker phone could have a bigger battery in the first place.
upon_drumhead 3y ago
Have you purchased a fair phone? They exist promising that exact product and yet I've never come across a single person that actually purchased what they claim to want. Personally, I love the thin phones. I'd pay extra for it. It feels better and is easier carried. And the large screen makes it easily readable for my poor eyes.
- Moldoteck 3y ago
  I would have bought a fairphone in a second if they had camera performance similar to pixel 2/3 or 7. And no, gcam port is not a solution sadly( as usual- people want both nice software and hardware and fairphone has nice hardware but software isn't that good
  - COGlory 3y ago
    I'd buy one, even with poor performance, if it was available in the US.

RobotToaster 3y ago

Cameras have been weatherproof with replaceable batteries for years, it's called gaskets.

constantcrying 3y ago
>Cameras have been weatherproof They usually can resist some splashes. Not in any way comparable with modern phones.
- RobotToaster 3y ago
  I wash my pentax under the tap if it gets dirty, not sure how that compares to an iphone?
  - constantcrying 3y ago
    Iphones can be submerged for significant amounts of time.
joemi 3y ago
Cameras are also much larger, so there are more options for how to optimally weatherproof them, such as thicker gaskets or moving circuitry to better locations.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

iso1631 3y ago

I can replace my watch battery and it's waterproof

johnfernow 3y ago

The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro has an IP68 rating (same as Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14) and has a replaceable back (and Samsung sells official OEM batteries for less than $50.) It also has a headphone jack, and is only 1mm thicker than the S23 Ultra. https://www.samsung.com/us/business/mobile/phones/galaxy-xcover-pro/ https://www.samsung.com/us/business/mobile/phones/galaxy-xco... Unfortunately, replacement parts are hard to come by for the Galaxy XCover6 Pro (Samsung doesn't sell them, iFixit doesn't sell them, and I can't even find certain parts from random sellers online), so it's arguably less repairable than other mainstream phones. An iPhone's battery is significantly more difficult to replace than that of the XCover6 Pro's, but if the screen, camera, speaker, port, buttons, etc. break on an iPhone, it's at least possible to replace them, unlike the XCover 6 Pro, so it's not the device for me and hard for me to recommend to others, as even if one doesn't do repairs themselves, with a more mainstream phone they can pay someone to repair their phone (either at an Apple Store if an iPhone, or some mobile repair shop for popular Android phones.) I don't drop my phone often, but I've still had an optical image stabilizer that shook the camera violently, a vibration motor that worked sometimes, and a mute switch that worked sometimes, so replacement parts are very important. But even still, the Galaxy XCover6 Pro is proof that you can have a waterproof phone with a headphone jack and replaceable battery that isn't very thick. If they sold replacement parts and committed to as many years of OS updates as Apple, I'd strongly consider it for my next phone.