Are phones with removable batteries and SD card expansion slot going to continue?

[kyrax12]

I reckoned there would be a huge market for it. I love how I can just swap out battery on the go.

I always keep one back-up battery that is almost always in 100% charged in my bag.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Well Samsung still seems to be doing it. But apparently almost everyone else has stopped. And it doesn't seem like there is any signs that Samsung will stop anytime soon. Why should they, it's the advantage they have over everyone else.

 

[luv2liv]

i will only buy phones with expandable memory and removable battery.
it's just so stupid to have to go to a store and pay them some fees to swap a battery if its dead. but i understand this isnt a problem for most people since they update phones every 2 years.

 

[kyrax12]

Well Samsung still seems to be doing it. But apparently almost everyone else has stopped. And it doesn't seem like there is any signs that Samsung will stop anytime soon. Why should they, it's the advantage they have over everyone else.

Why have so many companies stopped doing it?

 

[Oyeve]

i will only buy phones with expandable memory and removable battery.
it's just so stupid to have to go to a store and pay them some fees to swap a battery if its dead. but i understand this isnt a problem for most people since they update phones every 2 years.

I'm on a 6 month rotation, but will probably extend that to 1 yr as i love my Note 4.

I Will never buy a phone that I can't expand the storage on. Ever.

 

[PokerGuy]

I understand why many people don't need a slot or to be able to replace the batteries, but for me there is great value in both of those. If it wasn't for the lack of SD card slot, I would have purchased a Droid Turbo phone.

 

[paperwastage]

Why have so many companies stopped doing it?

the whole focus on thinness - typically requires non-removable components to make things thinner, and maybe no space for microSD?

anyways, companies want consumers to treat phones as disposable devices... after 2 years, battery isn't that good, can't replace, easier to just (give samsung money) and upgrade the phone

 

[poofyhairguy]

I used to be in the camp that I NEEDED a removable battery, but that was more back in the S2 days when I couldn't get through an average day without flipping out the battery. With my S4 most days I didn't flip, and with my M8 yesterday was the first day I ran the phone down to nothing and it was when I was laying down. I think given the better battery life of many devices this priority has fallen down my list.

And honestly I could do without the SD card. It is kinda a pain in the ass, like a desktop that has the OS loaded on a different drive than everything else. The M8 has one and I am using it, but I would LOVE to ditch it for internal memory instead. The issue there is for me 64GB would be the FLOOR of what would be acceptable, and even then I would much prefer the 128GB option that we can't have in mainstream Android so far.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

that's why a few of my friends stick with samsung vs the htc phones.

you do have the option of using one of those compact usb chargers. could use it to charge your phone or someone elses phone also.

 

[lopri]

My friend does trade shows and all his business is conducted on his Note 3. In those environment power outlets are not always available or often times the venues will charge hefty sums for an outlet when available. He carries total 3 batteries. For the Note 3. Believe it or not he actually uses two full 3200 mah batteries in a day with the 3rd one inside the phone by the end of the day.

No other phone can possibly serve him.

As to the SD card slot - actually all Android OEMs brought them back this year, with the exception of Motorola. Sony has always had it, LG has it in G3, and even HTC made a room for it. I don't think it's going away any time soon although I would much prefer larger base internal memory.

 

[lxskllr]

When I was first shopping for a phone, I was ambivalent about a card slot. Now I doubt I would get a phone that didn't have one. It goes without saying, a sealed battery is a non-starter. I would only accept that if it were the only way all phones came, but I wouldn't be happy about it.

 

[LegendKiller]

Twice I year I go to an industry conference where I get up at 7, have meetings from 8-5, then dinner and probably out with people until 2-3am. I have 2 batteries from my GS3 and my #1 concern right now when looking at a new phone is the ability to swap batteries.

As far as memory, I find the cost for additional built-in memory ridiculous and the offerings anemic. "The cloud" sucks for total wireless use.

 

[Red Storm]

Regarding mSD, during the previous generation the S4 had it, the HTC One (M7) did not, and neither did the LG G2. The next year, the S5 had, the M8 had it, and the G3 had it. So if anything the popular flagships increased in mSD support.

 

[StrangerGuy]

It just feel like a ripoff that all the budget phones that are worth buying has MicroSD but I can't say the same for high-end devices. *cough* Moto X *cough*

the whole focus on thinness - typically requires non-removable components to make things thinner, and maybe no space for microSD?

anyways, companies want consumers to treat phones as disposable devices... after 2 years, battery isn't that good, can't replace, easier to just (give samsung money) and upgrade the phone

Times are changing. Budget Androids has become perfectly usable and ever-improving while the need and appeal of a flagship phone is steadily becoming unnecessarily. Thus longevity and value for dollar of a device is now something consumers are looking out for like microSD, removable batteries, specs/price, regular OS updates...Samsung learned it the hard way in China, while they had the first two, they failed badly in the latter two.

 

[Dari]

Removable batteries are a must for me. mSD I don't really care about since I've been around computers long enough to know that parts fail. So, I prefer to have backups somewhere. Don't care about music but every picture I take is automatically uploaded to the cloud as a backup. That's all I need for now.

 

[sequoia464]

I'm one of the few that prefers a Windows phone so I somewhat follow what is happening with those (Lumias anyway), not much consistency from them but at least the new 830 has both of those features. Thinking of replacing my 920 with one.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Regarding mSD, during the previous generation the S4 had it, the HTC One (M7) did not, and neither did the LG G2. The next year, the S5 had, the M8 had it, and the G3 had it. So if anything the popular flagships increased in mSD support.

Plus thanks to the Android One Google is in the business of selling a phone with a SD slot.

The tide turned on SD slots, hence the back peddling in Lollipop.

 

[Commodus]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the issue is not whether or not you can replace the battery or upgrade storage. It's whether the built-in battery and storage are enough to meet your needs.

If every smartphone could last a full day of heavy use and could fit everything you realistically needed, you wouldn't need removables. We're getting there -- the HTC One M8 is one of the few mid-sized phones that doesn't seem to run out of juice right at the end of the day, and there are (wildly expensive) 128GB iPhones. The tech just needs to be both cheaper and more commonplace.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I feel like there are enough users who still demand it for Samsung to continue at least, and their phones don't seem to be paying a significant penalty for it in terms of durability or size. I don't see why user replaceable batteries and microsd card slots would go away for a while yet.

I'm not going to be one of the ones who helps them stay around though. Storage space and replaceable batteries are secondary or even tertiary concerns to me. My current phone is a 16gb model with a sealed battery, and right now as I look at it I have 4gb of free space and 88% battery life remaining. It'll probably drop to no less than 50% by the end of the day. I don't feel limited in my use of it in any way.

 

[DeathReborn]

They can remove the MicroSD is they abandon 16GB & next year 32GB on high end phones. Until then MicroSD is a must have in my book along with the removable battery.

It's likely that if Samsung stops doing it some Chinese company will start just to corner the market.

 

[blairharrington]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the issue is not whether or not you can replace the battery or upgrade storage. It's whether the built-in battery and storage are enough to meet your needs.

If every smartphone could last a full day of heavy use and could fit everything you realistically needed, you wouldn't need removables. We're getting there -- the HTC One M8 is one of the few mid-sized phones that doesn't seem to run out of juice right at the end of the day, and there are (wildly expensive) 128GB iPhones. The tech just needs to be both cheaper and more commonplace.

Feel like I hear the M8 doesn't have great battery life.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Feel like I hear the M8 doesn't have great battery life.

It is a HUGE jump from my S4. Like 50%+. Anandtech' testing bears that out:

 

[Capt Caveman]

I see no need for either. The cloud and battery recharging pack, cover those issues for me.

 

[blairharrington]

It is a HUGE jump from my S4. Like 50%+. Anandtech' testing bears that out:

As a previous Nexus 5 and iPhone 5 owner I'd say both those phones have mediocre battery life. And judging by that chart the M8 isn't that much better.

 

[Mopetar]

I think it depends on how well battery technology continues to develop. If we get more features like the Turbo Charge from Motorola where ~15 minutes of charging will get you ~8 hours of battery life the need for swapping batteries decreases for most people.