Batteries in smartphones - any thoughts please.

Tringa

Tringa

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I've eventually decided to catch up with the modern world in a small way and replace my aged mobile with a smartphone.

I did my research and found one I really liked - the Motorola Moto G4. The only things that concern me are (a) it fairly new and possible problems might not have emerged yet, but more so (b) the battery is not removeable.

I've read the pros and cons of removeable v non removeable batteries but if the battery goes kaput then it seems all you have is an attractive paperweight. Even if the battery lasts I'm a bit concerned that over time it might not hold the charge well and I would not be able to cure this by putting in a new battery.

I don't know if I'm overthinking this but any thoughts, views, experiences of removeable/non removeable batteries will be appreciated.

Thanks

Dave
 
I wouldn't worry about it, I have a first generation MotoG must be 4 years old and battery life is still at least two days with light use.
It hasn't really changed.
Compared to my previous Nokia 3510 - which will sit on standby for a week or more I was concerned about battery life too initially and bought a powerbank style thing but in practice it is easy enough to keep it topped up in car or PC USB.
In fact it normally sits plugged into smart TV USB so is hardly ever on the actual charger.
USB charging has become much more the norm with a range of products the last few years.
 
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Like 4wd i had an LG G2 which had a sealed battery. I used that phone solid for 2 years and prior to its rendevuez with the driveway it would happily hold its charge for 2-3 days under moderate use.

Personally i wouldnt let a sealed battery worry you.
 
Not had a phone with a removable battery for probably 10 years now. I would say it is a non-issue these days.
 
just to echo everyone else, the battery in these devices typically outlast the average upgrade cycle.

however some of the "non-removable" ones can be replaced if you have a reasonable level of technical ability.
 
I have a Motorola Moto G3 as does my wife and my Son has the G2. Whilst the batteries are "non removable" they can be replaced.
It just take undoing a few screws on the back to remove the back cover.
 
Thanks for the comments, all.

Dave
 
Dave

I went through a similar process years ago when I got my first smart phone - like you I was worried about not being able to change the battery, then my wife chirped up "have you actually changed one " ? No was my answer, then got "right, so the battery dies tonight and it's going to cost £xx to buy a new one on a phone that's 5 years old, would you "? No was my answer again, to be met with, well what the @@&£ are you worrying about, bet it bought - well we all know we must obey :D so, bought I did and had no issues and not looked back.

Funny enough, I had the same conversation with a mate at work who was worried about not being able to change a battery...

As others have said, there is still a possibility to change one, even if it says not replaceable...
 
It is quite funny as Apple got slated for it by most. My original iPhone from 2007 is still fine. My current phone a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge now also has a none user replaceable battery. It is a total non issue introduced by people who want to justify their own purchases. Sure there is some argument for some people, when they are in the rare conditions when they cannot charges once per day. I was in that position a while back and I had two batteries for my BB Z10. The annoying thing is that you have to restart it as well and for some phone it can take a long time. Much simpler solution for those edge cases would be to buy an external battery pack.

Also many new phones have a fast charge mechanism where something like 80% is charged within 20 minutes. Nope I would not worry about that, I would be more concerned about how regularly updates and security patches will be released.
 
Oh and BTW the Moto G4 has got fantastic reviews! Should be a good choice :thumbs:
 
I got a LG G4 6 months ago when it was on sale with Vodafone and purchased a spare battery for it which comes with it's own little storage box which doubles as a charger as well so you can charge it up outside of the phone. Just can't beat the ability to pop in another battery when you're low rather than have wires dangling about connecting you to a battery pack.

It also has a fantastic camera with full manual mode and optical image stabilisation.
 
The only reason I don't have a phone with a sealed battery is for travelling, its real nice to have a spare fully charged battery in my bag on long haul or like now we are in crete and using TomTom Go Mobile on the phone all day eats the battery.
 
Another vote for the LG G4, removable battery, and the ability to add a memory card (another thing that is disappearing on modern smart phones)

The camera is great too, manual controls and the ability to shoot in RAW

These were both taken on my LG G4, i'm no landscape photogrpaher, but were taken on a recent holiday in Northumberland


Royal Border Bridge by Richard Smith, on Flickr


Royal Border Bridge by Richard Smith, on Flickr
 
Mr Bump said:
The only reason I don't have a phone with a sealed battery is for travelling, its real nice to have a spare fully charged battery in my bag on long haul or like now we are in crete and using TomTom Go Mobile on the phone all day eats the battery.
Click to expand...


Given the fairly constant road changes in Crete, I'm surprised that any satnav works at all!!! Combine that with the variable town and village spellings and it's a recipe for disaster. Hope you're having a great time.
 
I haven't bought a new phone in... I don't know how long. A good few years. Maybe it's because I'm a skinflint, or maybe it's because I desperately don't like generating electrical waste.
I currently have a Galaxy S4 which I was given as someone elses cast off after the S3 before it was treated to a spin in the washing machine. I bought a new battery and flashed it with CyanogenMod. Honestly, I can't really tell the difference between that and my work-issued S6.
 
Nod said:
Given the fairly constant road changes in Crete, I'm surprised that any satnav works at all!!! Combine that with the variable town and village spellings and it's a recipe for disaster. Hope you're having a great time.
Click to expand...

quite easy to be honest, we are googling the locations and adding them to the tomtom go manually . sometimes just on locations of junctions its abeen enough for us to park up the scooter and go walking.
 
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