4 ms·

I often wonder why there still hasn't been a YC-backed attempt to disrupt the "replace your phone every couple of years because your battery became slower" cart

I often wonder why there still hasn't been a YC-backed attempt to disrupt the "replace your phone every couple of years because your battery became slower" cartel in 2026. Seems like such a low-hanging fruit, especially given the very visible success of companies like Framework.

jojobas 9mo ago
Because people who don't want to buy a shiny gadget every couple of years and would rather pay more upfront and use for longer are a small minority.
lbreakjai 9mo ago
Am I missing something? I've kept the iPhones I bought for 6 years or so. I replaced the battery on each phone, and all it cost me was 50€ and half an hour waiting for the local non-Apple phone shop to do the work. That surely counts as batteries being replaceable in all but name?
- eloisant 9mo ago
  I'm happy that worked out for you, but the whole cryptography signature of Apple batteries that throttle your phone if you get the wrong one is VERY different from "just pop out the back and get your new battery in".
  - testdelacc1 9mo ago
    I feel like the price Apple charges for batteries is very reasonable. I kept my phone going for 4.5 years thanks to a battery replacement 2 years in. They’re basically doing it at cost, considering parts and labour. Also, your information is slightly out of date. It’s possible to do the replacement yourself if you want. Here’s an ifixit guide based on apples official repair guide - https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+17+Battery+Replacement/196398 https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+17+Battery+Replacement/1...
    - marci 9mo ago
      It is so, so long... I barely reached the middle before my brain just "Nope." They are talking about this kind of battery replacement: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Fairphone+3+Battery+Replacement/125674 https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Fairphone+3+Battery+Replacement... . The "TV remote" battery replacement kind.
KeplerBoy 9mo ago
Because phones are incredibly cheap and its hard to compete with that. You can get something like a "Motorola Moto G86 5G" for less than 200$ and that comes with a 120 hz full hd screen, 8 gigs of ram, 5200 mAh battery and so on. Basically everything you could ever need unless you're deep into photography or gaming. Instead of ordering a battery at 40$ and replacing it, I might as well buy an entire new phone and get a minor upgrade on everything every few years.
- vovavili 9mo ago
  Minor upgradability might as well be baked into a phone.
hobofan 9mo ago
> Seems like such a low-hanging fruit, especially given the very visible success of companies like Framework. Is there very visible success of Framework? How many people in your everyday live have you encountered with a Framework laptop? I love there mission, but Framework from all the feedback from users online seems to still be a product that you'll only buy if you put sustainability over performance/convenience. > a YC-backed attempt If any successful attempt would be launched, there would be no reason for it to go through YC. In the mass consumer hardware market their little funding and the network they provide doesn't do much. I would strongly assume that a challenger would appear in a similar form as it did with framework with nrp.
- vovavili 9mo ago
  >still be a product that you'll only buy if you put sustainability over performance/convenience That would product that I and countless others would be gladly willing to buy on the smartphone market.
  - hobofan 9mo ago
    So are you buying a Fairphone right now? Because from my rough estimation Framework and Fairphone are about the same when it comes to performance/convenience tradeoff right now. I mostly focused on the "YC disruption" part in GPs question without considering whether there is actually an opening for a disruptor. I think Fairphone may already be filling that gap.
    - vovavili 9mo ago
      I don't see a reason to buy a new phones when I can buy refurbished flagships from a couple of years prior. The fact that this is the best option available is precisely what strikes me as being so straightforward to fix.
      - hobofan 9mo ago
        So what would your straightforward "fix" look like? Buying refurbished phones is nothing to "fix", and undercutting the psychological effect of pre-ownership price-drops is essentially impossible. I'm really not sure what you are getting at.
aurareturn 9mo ago
Is the average Framework truly more environmentally than an average MacBook. MacBooks tend to last a long time. I used my 2012 Macbook Air for 7-8 years easily. It's still working today. My M1 Pro 16" has had no issues at all for nearly 4 years. They’re extremely reliable (except butterfly era). Personally, I don’t think Framework laptops are. I think they are only more environmentally if you upgrade your MacBook every year or every other year. I think this is extremely niche. Not only are you getting a laptop with much worse battery life, noise, heat, screen, build quality, you are also getting a significantly slower CPU and GPU. AMD and Intel chips simply can't keep up with Apple Silicon.
- darkwater 9mo ago
  They are reliable but, are they marketed as such? How many HNers are routinely upgrading their 3 years old MBP just because they can and they want a new one? I bet many
  - aurareturn 9mo ago
    HNers are very niche. My point stands.
    - darkwater 9mo ago
      I think that the average Apple MB user is pretty loyal to the brand and updates HW much more than a Dell / Lenovo / HP / whatever
- prmoustache 9mo ago
  I don't know I had contemplated buying a second hand macbook for a family member and...most macbook available in the second hand market have hardware issues. Every time I checked laptops in the 300-500euros price range it was easier to find a lenovo thinkpad, dell latitude, or fujitsu in good conditions with a fresh new battery and ssd installed than it was finding a macbook.
- izacus 9mo ago
  Yes, it absolutely is. Fair phones won't be scrapped because the company killed them remotely like MacBooks: https://www.vice.com/en/article/apple-macbook-activation-lock-right-to-repair/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/apple-macbook-activation-loc...

jojobas 9mo ago

Because people who don't want to buy a shiny gadget every couple of years and would rather pay more upfront and use for longer are a small minority.

lbreakjai 9mo ago

Am I missing something? I've kept the iPhones I bought for 6 years or so. I replaced the battery on each phone, and all it cost me was 50€ and half an hour waiting for the local non-Apple phone shop to do the work. That surely counts as batteries being replaceable in all but name?

eloisant 9mo ago
I'm happy that worked out for you, but the whole cryptography signature of Apple batteries that throttle your phone if you get the wrong one is VERY different from "just pop out the back and get your new battery in".
- testdelacc1 9mo ago
  I feel like the price Apple charges for batteries is very reasonable. I kept my phone going for 4.5 years thanks to a battery replacement 2 years in. They’re basically doing it at cost, considering parts and labour. Also, your information is slightly out of date. It’s possible to do the replacement yourself if you want. Here’s an ifixit guide based on apples official repair guide - https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+17+Battery+Replacement/196398 https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+17+Battery+Replacement/1...
  - marci 9mo ago
    It is so, so long... I barely reached the middle before my brain just "Nope." They are talking about this kind of battery replacement: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Fairphone+3+Battery+Replacement/125674 https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Fairphone+3+Battery+Replacement... . The "TV remote" battery replacement kind.

KeplerBoy 9mo ago

Because phones are incredibly cheap and its hard to compete with that. You can get something like a "Motorola Moto G86 5G" for less than 200$ and that comes with a 120 hz full hd screen, 8 gigs of ram, 5200 mAh battery and so on. Basically everything you could ever need unless you're deep into photography or gaming. Instead of ordering a battery at 40$ and replacing it, I might as well buy an entire new phone and get a minor upgrade on everything every few years.

vovavili 9mo ago
Minor upgradability might as well be baked into a phone.

hobofan 9mo ago

> Seems like such a low-hanging fruit, especially given the very visible success of companies like Framework. Is there very visible success of Framework? How many people in your everyday live have you encountered with a Framework laptop? I love there mission, but Framework from all the feedback from users online seems to still be a product that you'll only buy if you put sustainability over performance/convenience. > a YC-backed attempt If any successful attempt would be launched, there would be no reason for it to go through YC. In the mass consumer hardware market their little funding and the network they provide doesn't do much. I would strongly assume that a challenger would appear in a similar form as it did with framework with nrp.

vovavili 9mo ago
>still be a product that you'll only buy if you put sustainability over performance/convenience That would product that I and countless others would be gladly willing to buy on the smartphone market.
- hobofan 9mo ago
  So are you buying a Fairphone right now? Because from my rough estimation Framework and Fairphone are about the same when it comes to performance/convenience tradeoff right now. I mostly focused on the "YC disruption" part in GPs question without considering whether there is actually an opening for a disruptor. I think Fairphone may already be filling that gap.
  - vovavili 9mo ago
    I don't see a reason to buy a new phones when I can buy refurbished flagships from a couple of years prior. The fact that this is the best option available is precisely what strikes me as being so straightforward to fix.
    - hobofan 9mo ago
      So what would your straightforward "fix" look like? Buying refurbished phones is nothing to "fix", and undercutting the psychological effect of pre-ownership price-drops is essentially impossible. I'm really not sure what you are getting at.

aurareturn 9mo ago

Is the average Framework truly more environmentally than an average MacBook. MacBooks tend to last a long time. I used my 2012 Macbook Air for 7-8 years easily. It's still working today. My M1 Pro 16" has had no issues at all for nearly 4 years. They’re extremely reliable (except butterfly era). Personally, I don’t think Framework laptops are. I think they are only more environmentally if you upgrade your MacBook every year or every other year. I think this is extremely niche. Not only are you getting a laptop with much worse battery life, noise, heat, screen, build quality, you are also getting a significantly slower CPU and GPU. AMD and Intel chips simply can't keep up with Apple Silicon.

darkwater 9mo ago
They are reliable but, are they marketed as such? How many HNers are routinely upgrading their 3 years old MBP just because they can and they want a new one? I bet many
- aurareturn 9mo ago
  HNers are very niche. My point stands.
  - darkwater 9mo ago
    I think that the average Apple MB user is pretty loyal to the brand and updates HW much more than a Dell / Lenovo / HP / whatever
prmoustache 9mo ago
I don't know I had contemplated buying a second hand macbook for a family member and...most macbook available in the second hand market have hardware issues. Every time I checked laptops in the 300-500euros price range it was easier to find a lenovo thinkpad, dell latitude, or fujitsu in good conditions with a fresh new battery and ssd installed than it was finding a macbook.
izacus 9mo ago
Yes, it absolutely is. Fair phones won't be scrapped because the company killed them remotely like MacBooks: https://www.vice.com/en/article/apple-macbook-activation-lock-right-to-repair/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/apple-macbook-activation-loc...