The Removable Battery Thread - now with more poll!

[Medion]

One thing that gets old, and I'm partially responsible for, is how many threads get derailed into a debate over whether or not the phone has a removable battery. So in this thread, please vote for your preference. If you can, please explain why in a follow-up post.

For those who "need" a removable battery, can you cite specific reasons why?

For those who prefer that a phone NOT have a removable battery, can you cite the specific reasons why?

 

[Medion]

I voted for option 2. A removable battery is such an important feature to me that I will go so far as to purchase the slightly inferior device (S4 over HTC One) just to make sure that I have it.

Batteries have a life cycle. For the average mainstream user, you can expect 18-36 months of solid battery life in a smartphone. Now, how many [H] users qualify as mainstream? My batteries get down to 50% usable life within 12 months. It happened with my HTC Incredible. It happened with my Galaxy S2. It WILL happen with my next phone.

I tend to make my phones last as long as possible. My Incredible was a short buy. I had it from April 2010 to October 2011. My Galaxy S2 I've had since May 2011 (yes, they overlapped) through the present. I've had a spec-target for a few years on what I want for my next phone, and now that it's out, I expect it to last me a minimum of 2 years, just like the S2. If I were to get the HTC One, the phone would last me about a year. At that point, replacing the battery is expensive and requires going without the phone for at least a few weeks. For the S4, replacing the battery will be $10-$40, depending on brand, and will take a minute or less once received in the mail.

When I've made this statement before, I've received the following "questions." So, to prevent them from occurring again, here's my pre-retorts.

Q: If you expect a battery to fail, why not buy a different brand? (typically followed with, "Like HTC?")
A: All batteries have a life cycle. This occurred when I used HTC and Samsung. Many of the batteries for both brands are made by the same battery manufacturer. The only way for me to avoid smartphone battery failure is to avoid smartphones. I'd rather just replace the battery.

Q: Then why not just get an iPhone?
A: Yes, I really have gotten this question (several times). The iPhone doesn't run Android (my preferred OS). It doesn't have a user replaceable battery. Therefore, it's not a solution to my problem.

Q: Why does it matter? X feature is far more important than a replaceable battery.
A: Different people have different priorities. I won't drive my car without gas, so I won't use my phone without a battery. I'd rather have a functional brick over a pretty but dead brick.

 

[jojo69]

there are 2 kinds of batteries

brand spanking new and toxic waste

non replaceable batteries are planned product failure pure and simple, will not support

 

[Aurelius]

The poll is stacked in favor of the removable option, I think. For example, there's no option to say that you're willing to go with a non-removable battery if you think a given design has enough advantages.

Having a removable battery doesn't automatically make for a better phone, and there are often sacrifices involved, such as absolute capacity and structural rigidity. The decision comes down to whether or not you're actually getting something in return, and that applies both ways. The Droid DNA's battery life is too short for the non-removable battery to really be worthwhile, but a removable battery is almost an insult if it's simply making up for poor battery life -- just ask someone who bought a 2011-era LTE phone how they like needing a second battery just to get through a single day of use.

To me, the HTC One is superior to the GS4... full stop. I wouldn't compromise the quality of the body, camera, screen, software and speakers just to get a fresh battery pack more quickly in a couple of years.

The iPhone is an odd duck in this situation. The battery life on an iPhone 5 is average, but the non-removable battery is also why Apple can get that kind of runtime out of something so thin and (relatively) small despite having a fast processor and LTE. Also, iPhone users don't have to go without a phone for days/weeks during a battery swap, like some Android counterparts do. They just have to get a loaner from Apple for a few days.

 

[Sinker]

I voted for the second option even though I have a tablet which does not have a removable battery (I have never seen one with an easily removable battery)

I like putting extended batteries in my devices so a removable battery is a must. With my s3 I went from a day to a day and a half on the stock battery to 2 to 4 days in between charges with my zero lemon battery.

 

[Medion]

The poll is stacked in favor of the removable option, I think. For example, there's no option to say that you're willing to go with a non-removable battery if you think a given design has enough advantages.

There's wiggle room. While I picked option 2, had the Nexus 4 had LTE and 32GB of storage, I would be ok with that. The battery is relatively easy to replace (takes 5-10 minutes). And even if it was sealed like the HTC One, replacing a $350 phone every year is not as bad as replacing a $600 phone every year. This is because the removable battery is very important to me, but I can make concessions (that's why I didn't word it as an absolute in the poll).

Having a removable battery doesn't automatically make for a better phone, and there are often sacrifices involved, such as absolute capacity and structural rigidity.

I respectfully disagree on this. First, absolute capacity is a fallacy. The S4 manages to have a much larger battery than the One, yet is still user replaceable and thinner. As for structural rigidity, we've had unibody phones with replaceable batteries. The HTC Desire HD was one such example. It does require special engineering, and thus, would add to the overall cost of the phone.

To me, the HTC One is superior to the GS4... full stop. I wouldn't compromise the quality of the body, camera, screen, software and speakers just to replace the battery pack more quickly in a couple of years.

And you are totally correct in this, because it's an opinion. Those are YOUR priorities. I do respect them, but they don't apply to everyone. Please note, the thread was posted in response to someone who continually derails threads over those that prefer a removable battery. He doesn't like that others have a different opinion. I respect your differing opinion, because you're not forcing it on anyone.

but the non-removable battery is also why Apple can get that kind of runtime out of something so thin and (relatively) small

It's thin because Apple uses a comparatively tiny battery. While Android devices today are using 2k+ mAH batteries, the iPhone 5 uses a 1440mAH battery. If they had to use a 2000mAh battery like the Lumia 920, it wouldn't be so small.

Also, iPhone users don't have to go without a phone for days/weeks during a battery swap, like some Android counterparts do. They just have to get a loaner from Apple for a few days.

The Apple store we had to take my wife's phone to, she had two options. She could swap her phone with a refurb right there for $199 and leave, or she could pay the fee and a nerd in the back would replace the battery with same-day pickup. I assume you were either referring to their mail/internet approach, or perhaps I'm just lucky and not all Apple stores have on-site battery replacement. Either way, I'm just expanding on the fact that Apple's battery replacement is far more convenient to user than HTC. But Samsung (and LG, outside the Nexus) is more convenient still.

 

[blitzkommando]

I'm not pedantic enough to rage over something that I will replace every 18-24 months.

 

[SirMaster]

For me, the batteries last long enough. I don't care that the iPhone doesn't have a quick swap battery. But it is still "easy" IMO to replace the battery. 2 screws and its open, and a simply battery latch to connect it. No warranty seals even so Apple wont know you opened it. Jsut keep the old battery and put it back in if you are concerned.

But anyways, I always get a new phone every 12 months because for me it wouldn't make sense not to. It's $199 for me to get the lastest iPhone each year, and then I sell the one year old one on craigslist for around $300, so I make $100 a yr by upgrading it every year. Obviously my situation is not common, but as I mentioned it's easy to replace the battery in a phone like the iPhone which I think some people classify as a non-removable battery once a year as you wear it out.

 

[Aurelius]

There's wiggle room. While I picked option 2, had the Nexus 4 had LTE and 32GB of storage, I would be ok with that. The battery is relatively easy to replace (takes 5-10 minutes). And even if it was sealed like the HTC One, replacing a $350 phone every year is not as bad as replacing a $600 phone every year. This is because the removable battery is very important to me, but I can make concessions (that's why I didn't word it as an absolute in the poll).

It's more the number of options, really -- that and the removable options are polarizing. There are people who sit in between "doesn't matter at all" and "it's a life-and-death concern" on both sides.

I respectfully disagree on this. First, absolute capacity is a fallacy. The S4 manages to have a much larger battery than the One, yet is still user replaceable and thinner. As for structural rigidity, we've had unibody phones with replaceable batteries. The HTC Desire HD was one such example. It does require special engineering, and thus, would add to the overall cost of the phone.

I should clarify -- the capacity and rigidity arguments hold mostly when all other factors are equal. HTC had different objectives and design considerations with the One: it wanted dual speakers, an ergonomic grip and a premium-feeling design. It's hard to say that the One would have had a higher capacity if HTC had simply been trying for thinner-uber-alles, but you need one-for-one comparisons. The quintessential example is Apple's MacBook Pro line: it got faster processors and Retina displays without a battery life hit when it moved to embedded batteries.

It's thin because Apple uses a comparatively tiny battery. While Android devices today are using 2k+ mAH batteries, the iPhone 5 uses a 1440mAH battery. If they had to use a 2000mAh battery like the Lumia 920, it wouldn't be so small.

I agree here! I'm just saying that Apple's alternatives would be to either build a chunkier phone to make the battery removable, or else sacrifice some of its battery life. It's a very tightly packed design.

The Apple store we had to take my wife's phone to, she had two options. She could swap her phone with a refurb right there for $199 and leave, or she could pay the fee and a nerd in the back would replace the battery with same-day pickup. I assume you were either referring to their mail/internet approach, or perhaps I'm just lucky and not all Apple stores have on-site battery replacement. Either way, I'm just expanding on the fact that Apple's battery replacement is far more convenient to user than HTC. But Samsung (and LG, outside the Nexus) is more convenient still.

In this case, I was going with the conservative option; I didn't want to assume it would be that quick, because I remember that it wasn't always that way. It's one of the things to consider when deciding on removable versus non-removable batteries, as the penalty of non-removable batteries for the end user could be rather small... sometimes.

 

[Medion]

Without breaking down and quoting everything, I concur with most of your post. I also want to add that I called HTC to ask them about the battery replacement. I'm curious, because if the battery replacement could be done in a quick, cost effective manner, then that would negate that issue and propel the One back to consideration for me.

So, the rep told me that the process is as follows;

• Call HTC and request a RMA number for this issue.
• Ship (at your expense) the phone to HTC.
• Upon receipt of the phone, HTC will email you whether or not they can replace the battery. If under warranty, this is free. If beyond the 1-year warranty, this has a cost (which the rep could not tell me).
• Once you accept the terms, it takes 2-weeks for them to repair and return the phone to you. Return shipping is included in the cost of the repair or as part of the warranty.

So, it's up to the individual user if that is an issue. She didn't specify at what point the phone's battery would be replaced under warranty because I failed to ask, but most warranty terms specify a life of 70% or less within the first year.

I then looked at my credit card warranty terms (Visa Signature, World MasterCard, and most American Express have these up to a full year, lesser cards range from 90 days to a year). Phone batteries are considered a wear and tear item and thus are not covered. Had they been covered, the credit card issuer would, at their discretion reimburse you for the repair, or reimburse you for the initial cost of the phone (for people who purchased on contract, that's cheaper than the repair in most cases).

 

[Tup3x]

It's a nice plus but hardly a deal breaker.

 

[jojo69]

wow, guess I'm an outlier

going on 6 years on this phone

 

[Medion]

wow, guess I'm an outlier

going on 6 years on this phone

It's a matter of recharge/discharge cycles. A battery is only expected to handle so many. My Nokia E71 would last 3-5 day on a full charge because it had a tiny non-touch screen and a SLOW application processor. My more recent devices rarely last a full day (though I tend to get an entire weekend out of the S2). As such, I'm charging more often, leading to more charging cycles, leading to a quicker death.

I'm not surprised that you've gotten nearly 6 years out of your phone. That predates Android, which means you're likely using something where battery life is measured in days, not hours

 

[Pylon]

The poll is stacked in favor of the removable option, I think. For example, there's no option to say that you're willing to go with a non-removable battery if you think a given design has enough advantages.

This. Also, what if the battery is sealed but fairly easy to access with a pair of screwdrivers? (e.g. iPhone 5).

There's also the question of say, a larger sealed battery vs a smaller phone with a removable battery - e.g. a Droid Razr HD Maxx with sealed 3300mah vs a Galaxy S3 with a removable 2100mah. Would that win over the people that want a removable battery solely for the purpose of extending battery life?

 

[Gorankar]

I hand down devices. (I Otterbox everything) My Captivate, Atrix, Infuse, GS2, and Gnote 1 are still going strong for one family member or another. I know the older ones would be all but useless now if we could not replace the batteries. While I seldom have need of it anymore, the ability to battery swap and go, is a very desirable feature for me. That said, I might not out and out refuse to buy solely based on whether you can replace the battery or not, but it is a very big consideration.

 

[BDV]

I've used the same phone for about 8 years once. It didn't die because the battery died, it died because the speaker stopped working.

Does not matter either way, in fact I prefer sealed due to durability.

edit: It was a dumb phone...

That being said, I've also worked in telecommunications/mobility industry for the past 7 years.

I've killed batteries, but not from regular consumer usage... I even killed an E71 (E72 actually, but who's counting ?)

 

[Oldie]

Removable because I like being able to toss in a spare when I'm away from convenient charging.

 

[limitedaccess]

There needs to be a distinction, as mentioned by several other posters, between replaceable on the go and user serviceable. The latter would address the issue of people worrying about battery longevity.

Also from how it phrased I don't see why anyone would actually prefer a phone without a removable battery as you would be taking a feature away. Hypothetically if everything else were equal than of course you would want a battery where you could swap easily on the go. Of course in reality you need to accept trade offs between phones.

Regarding the HTC One, it seems like there is a mentality from some people that the phone could be the exact same as it is now but the battery was purposely designed this way to get people to upgrade or pay service fees really makes no sense. HTC at this point is not a dominant player in the market (and far from having any monopolistic powers), purposely omitting a feature and being disadvantaged compared to its larger more popular competitors would not make much sense. The reality is HTC could not design the One to be as it is and have a replaceable battery. Yes you can cite other phones but you have to keep in mind that HTC has to work within its own design criteria as well as constraints.

 

[Deleted whining member 223597]

Do not care either way. I always thought a replaceable battery is really important...that is until I realized I never needed that function. I always upgrade phones every 2 years max, and I never found the need to replace a battery in that time period. Honestly, if I don't like the battery life on my iPhone 5/it starts to get worse I can just buy a battery case, but for my use I won't need it anyways.

 

[Medion]

With multiple people stating it, clearly my choice of wording was poor. I didn't intend to lead it one way. So I apologize for that.

Regarding the HTC One, it seems like there is a mentality from some people that the phone could be the exact same as it is now but the battery was purposely designed this way to get people to upgrade or pay service fees really makes no sense. HTC at this point is not a dominant player in the market (and far from having any monopolistic powers), purposely omitting a feature and being disadvantaged compared to its larger more popular competitors would not make much sense. The reality is HTC could not design the One to be as it is and have a replaceable battery. Yes you can cite other phones but you have to keep in mind that HTC has to work within its own design criteria as well as constraints.

I would agree with you, but HTC said that they could not have a MicroSD slot on the phone due to space issues. They then included a MicroSD slot in the Japanese/Chinese variant that seems to have the same body dimensions. I think HTC wants to be the "Apple" of Android devices, with a simple yet elegant UI, and a nice looking/feeling handset. Their phone isn't even a unibody, as some mistakenly believe. It's a sandwiched chassis. They could have replaced the glue with clips/hinges and made it openable by the user to replace the battery. If it were unibody, I'd understand, but it's not.

 

[mtbvfr]

For convenience (i.e. no need to make a trip to a specialist store), bicycle touring in the middle of nowhere (being able to carry 1 or more spare batteries could be a life saver) and functionality (install a higher performance battery), I would definitely want the battery to be User Replaceable.

 

[limitedaccess]

I would agree with you, but HTC said that they could not have a MicroSD slot on the phone due to space issues. They then included a MicroSD slot in the Japanese/Chinese variant that seems to have the same body dimensions. I think HTC wants to be the "Apple" of Android devices, with a simple yet elegant UI, and a nice looking/feeling handset. Their phone isn't even a unibody, as some mistakenly believe. It's a sandwiched chassis. They could have replaced the glue with clips/hinges and made it openable by the user to replace the battery. If it were unibody, I'd understand, but it's not.

HTC's explanation for the lack of microSD is there was moderate space savings due to the difference in radio bands that need to be supported I believe. Also the Asian version were released later (? not sure here), perhaps there were iterative improvements to their design? Remember the HTC One's release in NA already had issues itself. At the same time I can see some possible carrier pressure, to get users to consume data, in North America for this reason but that would not really apply to the battery. Let us look at it this way, HTC is already fighting an uphill battle versus Samsung and Apple. Both of which are in a much stronger position to pull a "my way or the highway" or marketing bombardment approach, HTC intentionally pushing out an inferior product is not (not saying the One itself is inferior, but in this aspect).

Also compared to the iphone, the battery on the HTC One is very "sealed" (if you want to use that term). The iphone battery is not replaceable on the fly but is actually rather easy to service. Even if you do not want to do it yourself I know around here corner grocery stores that offer cell phone repair services will actually offer to do it for well under $50 (I believe $30?) including the battery fee. Essentially the HTC One would be purposely flawed compared to both Apple and Samsung products in aspect.

If you look at the actual tear down of the HTC One the components really seem "shoehorned" and crammed in together almost (if we want to draw another S4 comparison here, the internal aesthetics, compared to the external, are basically flip flopped here with the S4 looking much better). There would need to be a rather large redesign to ease battery replacement much less make it replaceable on the fly like the S4. Something like MicroSD support would be much easier to work with as the required space is comparatively trivial than having to reposition the battery.

I think HTC prioritized their new aesthetic design philosophy while at the same time lacked the budget (they had been taking large hits financially) and lacked the experience/know how (factor in this is their first approach with this new design) as such some trade offs had to be made. Also I think the aspect of wanting to beat the S4 to market (understandably) may have also contributed to some shortcuts being made as well, even though this strategy did not exactly work out for them. I really find it unlikely they purposely designed it this way.

Samsung has also commented on how working with new materials and large redesign is very difficult and resource intensive as one the reasons the S4 did not receive those.

 

[rudy]

I voted for a removable battery.

Just for the record I once (Evo 4g lte picked over Samsung galaxy s3) selected a sealed batter because I liked the phone better and people said the phone was lasting longer. Well longer wasn't long enough and the phone degrading in battery time within 1 year. After that I decided I will take a reasonably inferior phone to get a removable battery. Now I am not saying the S3 is inferior just that it wasn't as right for our use. But every since I owned my first extended capacity battery I now pretty much buy those batteries within 1 week and I don't want to rip a phone apart to make it work. And should my extended capacity battery fail I want to be able to go home and grab the original battery and be up and running. The amount of money saved by going with user replaceable battery is much larger than just meets the eyes. If your phone is important you could easily find yourself in some phone store paying full retail for a lame battery and a tech to service it.

I also think its utter BS now that a removable battery needs to be sacrificed for any reason. Samsung has been knocking out removable batteries in smaller more efficient designs then the competition. This means it is marketing hype and lies that a sealed battery is needed. It is 100% planned obsolescence and nothing more, it is just very frustrating that the only phone maker left who seems to care is Samsung. If Samsung goes with sealed batteries we are screwed.

The most phones I have owned are HTC phones, and they have lost all of my support since the move to sealed batteries. They dig their own grave sorry.

 

[Warrior]

With multiple people stating it, clearly my choice of wording was poor. I didn't intend to lead it one way. So I apologize for that.



I would agree with you, but HTC said that they could not have a MicroSD slot on the phone due to space issues. They then included a MicroSD slot in the Japanese/Chinese variant that seems to have the same body dimensions. I think HTC wants to be the "Apple" of Android devices, with a simple yet elegant UI, and a nice looking/feeling handset. Their phone isn't even a unibody, as some mistakenly believe. It's a sandwiched chassis. They could have replaced the glue with clips/hinges and made it openable by the user to replace the battery. If it were unibody, I'd understand, but it's not.

Wow, just saying this you have lost all credibility from me...

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/HTC+One+Teardown/13494/1

The number one standout feature of the One is certainly the aluminum unibody, which required much custom tooling on HTC's part to achieve the perfect fit and finish.

Of course there is a little sandwiching involved, you can't make a screen out of aluminum, so there is more to the phone then just the unibody. Which the phone most certainly has.

But, getting back on topic, I couldn't care less if a phone has a removable battery or not. Like someone said above, It's not going to be a deal breaker, at all. I upgrade just about every year, and the phone's batteries definitely last that long. So, with that said, I'll take the solid rigidity of the HTC One over some cheap thin plastic S4, and in fact, I did. I've had plenty of Samsung phones to know that they make the battery covers like shit, and fly off all the time when a small drop happens. No thanks. I need something more solid...

 

[niomosy]

Given my ability to destroy a battery, I'm definitely going to want a removable battery especially when handing the phones down. I'd like to give my wife a phone that will still last after having had it for a year or two.

 

[Trombe]

As a non-power user, I don't think it matters unless I expect to hold onto the phone for more than 2-3 years and/or plan on handing it down to a family member. For the most part I think initial battery capacity/usage time between charges is a more important consideration.

 

[radeon962]

Thought I needed it, but with the newer phones they are efficient enough to get me through at least a day of normal use. Using a HTC One now after using S2, S3, S4, Note 2 and Nexus 4. Obviously, Samsung phones had removable batteries but in most cases the extra battery just sat charged.

One is getting about 3.5-4 hours on screen time, so that's more than enough for me and my daily use.

 

[GreenMonkey]

Poll options don't have a lot in the middle. It's a good feature to me, but I don't feel THAT strongly about it. I care more about an SD card than a removable battery.

I just swapped from a Evo V (3D) to a Nexus 4. I'd prefer a removable battery, but hey, can't have everything in a phone.

 

[Zorachus]

I didn't vote, because I've had both phones, ones with removable battery, and I so rarely ever replaced it, and I'm a heavy user, draining my phones fast. And now with my current Nexus 4, I can't replace the battery, and I kill this phone dead in 9-10 hours easily on a workday.

But I've become so married to wall chargers, and car chargers over the years, I'm so used to always having my phone plugged in most of the day, either in the office, or in the car, or at home, its plugged in a lot of that time.

 

[kuyaglen]

I prefer a removable battery...sometimes hard resets just dont cut it for me.

 

[Warrior]

I like to keep a "battery bank" with me on those long trips where a charger might be slim. I also know that normal car chargers are shit, and barely charge a phone at all, so i keep a car 12v converter with me in my car to plug in the real charger, and the charge is significantly better then a USB car charger.

I'm fully accepting that I will have to charge my phone at least everyday. And, with heavy usage, maybe 2x a day. I used to keep extra batteries as replacements, but one time one blew up on my in my backpack on a hot day, I guess. It fucking sucked. I learned my lesson. Never again. The Portable battery chargers seem more reliable then a bare-ass battery. And sometimes I can get 2-3x the full charges on them. It's nice just getting out of class or work (after heavy use) and just plugging it in to the "Battery Bank" and throwing it in the backpack, and it's sitting in there charging as I'm on the go. A replacment battery would be a pain. And you still would have to charge them in the end. Just solve t from the start.

Again, it's a non issue for me. I upgrade soon enough to never even see this battery degredation that people have reported. Makes me sad for the people using the phones that I have sold to them over the years. lol...

EDIT: I also want to add, did you know there is a limited warrenty with your Samsung Battery? It's 6 months.... Not for the HTC One, the full 1 year.

 

[Medion]

EDIT: I also want to add, did you know there is a limited warrenty with your Samsung Battery? It's 6 months.... Not for the HTC One, the full 1 year.

I'm not sure about that. Here is Samsung's reference.
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/s...d_mdl_cd=SGH-I337ZWAATT&prd_mdl_name=SGH-I337

Granted, this is one carrier model of the S4, but please try to find me one that's different. Also, unlike most companies which require the battery to degrade to beneath 70% capacity, Samsung will replace at 80%.

EDIT: verbatim on an S2, so this seems to be company wide.
http://www.samsung.com/us/support/s...d_mdl_cd=SCH-R760IBAUSC&prd_mdl_name=SCH-R760

Phone 1 Year
Batteries 1 Year
Case/Pouch/Holster 90 Days
Other Phone Accessories 1 Year

This Limited Warranty covers batteries only if battery capacity falls below 80% of rated capacity or the battery leaks

 

[Warrior]

Well, that's new. Good for them.

Apparently anywhere else around the world, it's not 1 year.

 

[///AMG]

Its not a deal breaker for me at all. If the phone has sufficient battery life to last me through a day no matter what I do then I would rather it be sealed because almost every case a sealed battery leads to a smaller and thinner phone. If it cannot last a day then I would want removable batteries. Its really dependent on the phone. For my past android devices since the battery life all sucked ass, if it didnt have a removable battery I wouldnt buy it because I would need two batteries to last me for the day. Note 2 has been good lasting me a day for medium usage. All iPhones to date unless I was playing games all day I never worry about battery life so the lack of removable battery doesnt matter to me.

EDIT: also of note I usually buy new phones every 6 months or so which was right when my android phones battery stopped holding a decent charge so I am kind of weird in that case. I have probably one of the largest stacks of smartphones you would ever see, iphones I tend to sell back, android phones I tend to keep because the resell value is shit.

 

[Medion]

Well, that's new. Good for them.

No, it's not. Here's the same warranty as it was on February 19th, 2011. Apparently, holsters were separate from cases back then. Batteries were still 1 year and 80%.

http://web.archive.org/web/20110219...om/us/support/service/warranty/SGH-T959HABTMB

Apparently anywhere else around the world, it's not 1 year.

Depends on the laws in the country. For example, in the UK the full warranty is 24 months and fully transferable between users (as required by law). For the Galaxy S4 though, the phone itself is warranted for 24 months, included accessories are warranted for 12 months, and the included battery is warranted for 6 months (as you stated). Australia and New Zealand have similar terms.

And that warranty would royally suck if there wasn't a cheap and convenient way to replace that battery

 

[rudy]

If you are going to seal a battery then the warranty should be AT LEAST 2 years parts and labor, the length of a contract. Anything less is an insult.

 

[Medion]

If you are going to seal a battery then the warranty should be AT LEAST 2 years parts and labor, the length of a contract. Anything less is an insult.

I went and checked HTC's website in the UK, but they hide their warranty per device really well. If anyone can find it, that would be appreciated.

In the US, they don't list a percentage of degradation on the battery. Apple lists 70%, and Samsung lists 80% (higher is better). Both are for one year. HTC uses ambiguous terms, which could (in theory) give them more wiggle room to deny a claim for the battery. But to be fair, this isn't uncommon. LG is the same way.

 

[Warrior]

Depends on the laws in the country. For example, in the UK the full warranty is 24 months and fully transferable between users (as required by law). For the Galaxy S4 though, the phone itself is warranted for 24 months, included accessories are warranted for 12 months, and the included battery is warranted for 6 months (as you stated). Australia and New Zealand have similar terms.

And that warranty would royally suck if there wasn't a cheap and convenient way to replace that battery

Well, no shit it comes down to the country laws... Everything you stated reaffirmed what I said....


OK. So, apparently someone is overly passionate about something that is so stupid that is a removable battery on a phone. But, this person also doesn't know a unibody when he sees one...

Whatever. It's not like anyone will ever change their mind... I've already stated my opinions. Well, other then the fact that Touchwiz is enough to steer me away from a "feature" like a removable battery. The common consumer, and logical people, don't give a shit about a removable battery, when the common person gets a new phone 2x a year. The only time where a non-removable battery matters to me is if i was going to buy a used phone. I would never buy a used phone that has the life stolen from the non-removable battery already.

Sorry man, but this thread/poll sucks. It's purly a feature that is all based on personal preference...

 

[rudy]

The common person does not get a phone 2x a year, they buy one maybe every 2 years. I will argue that common people are learning to care about removable batteries. Most people got their first smart phone within the last 5 years they have had very little time to learn what is important, they mostly just bought what they thought was cool or a sales men told them to get. Now after years of owning phones and running into problems with batteries they are starting to care and that is showing in samsungs massive sales and its ability to crush most of its competition who have slowly moved away from simple things like expandable storage and removable batteries. Now doubt Samsung does other things well but each item adds up.

 

[Trimlock]

Its funny you mention crush, because that is exactly what they are doing. Seems people are voting with their wallet in this case. I hate to support one company but sammy is doing a lot of right currently and others are barely catching up.

To be fair, this year will most likely mark my first samsung phone buy since their very first color phone (no camera!) That was also a flip.