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Those who choose non-user replaceable batteries are prioritizing some socially valueless sense of aesthetics over the real negative social value incurred by e-w

by uoaei 3y ago

Those who choose non-user replaceable batteries are prioritizing some socially valueless sense of aesthetics over the real negative social value incurred by e-waste. Different choices have different externalities and sometimes certain choices have net-negative outcomes no matter how well-intentioned the chooser or how much they insist on recasting the question as one of personal choice.

trabant00 3y ago
I take care of my batteries, I charge them slow and usually up to 80%. All my phones (Android) where retired after about 4 years with perfectly good battery left. What would a user replaceable battery do for me? And when I think about it I don't know anybody in my circle that replaced a phone because of the battery. It's usually because of old hardware, no software support left and a cracked screen and banged up body on top of it all. And even if the battery would be the problem you can go to a phone repair shop and get it replaced there. There's no need for me to easily be able to do it.
- UtopiaPunk 3y ago
  I do think a major consideration is guaranteed software updates. In Android-land, the standard is a measley two years of updates for the OS. Running an old OS that isn't receiving security updates is risky. Screens and shells should be repairable, of course.
- jbstack 3y ago
  "And even if the battery would be the problem you can go to a phone repair shop and get it replaced there. There's no need for me to easily be able to do it." This one is easy to counter. For the majority of low and medium end phones, by the time you need your first battery replacement, the cost of having it done in a shop will generally be close to, or exceed, the value of the phone itself. The last time I had a phone with replaceable batteries, I was able to purchase several spare batteries for a fraction of the cost of a shop replacement.
- uoaei 3y ago
  A lot of people are either bad with their finances or have too much money to care (too often both -- see the existence of DoorDash and ilk). They won't put that effort in. Replaceable batteries are an outlet that provides those folks with better choices via the market to divert (i.e. delay) e-waste.
osigurdson 3y ago
It seems odd that people would throw away an iPhone just because the battery is dead. Why not go to the store, get the battery replaced and sell it instead?
- notahacker 3y ago
  When I had an iPhone battery that died (it was one of the early generations, and it had lasted a while), it died by swelling up and rendering the phone beyond repair...

by uoaei 3y ago

trabant00 3y ago

I take care of my batteries, I charge them slow and usually up to 80%. All my phones (Android) where retired after about 4 years with perfectly good battery left. What would a user replaceable battery do for me? And when I think about it I don't know anybody in my circle that replaced a phone because of the battery. It's usually because of old hardware, no software support left and a cracked screen and banged up body on top of it all. And even if the battery would be the problem you can go to a phone repair shop and get it replaced there. There's no need for me to easily be able to do it.

UtopiaPunk 3y ago
I do think a major consideration is guaranteed software updates. In Android-land, the standard is a measley two years of updates for the OS. Running an old OS that isn't receiving security updates is risky. Screens and shells should be repairable, of course.
jbstack 3y ago
"And even if the battery would be the problem you can go to a phone repair shop and get it replaced there. There's no need for me to easily be able to do it." This one is easy to counter. For the majority of low and medium end phones, by the time you need your first battery replacement, the cost of having it done in a shop will generally be close to, or exceed, the value of the phone itself. The last time I had a phone with replaceable batteries, I was able to purchase several spare batteries for a fraction of the cost of a shop replacement.
uoaei 3y ago
A lot of people are either bad with their finances or have too much money to care (too often both -- see the existence of DoorDash and ilk). They won't put that effort in. Replaceable batteries are an outlet that provides those folks with better choices via the market to divert (i.e. delay) e-waste.

osigurdson 3y ago

It seems odd that people would throw away an iPhone just because the battery is dead. Why not go to the store, get the battery replaced and sell it instead?

notahacker 3y ago
When I had an iPhone battery that died (it was one of the early generations, and it had lasted a while), it died by swelling up and rendering the phone beyond repair...