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1. hn_thr+(OP)[view] [source] 2023-10-04 18:40:19
> How is Apple to blame for non-replaceable batteries?

How quickly we forget history. I'm not going to say they were the absolute first to do this as I'm not doing a full survey of 2007 phones, but before that (a) there was not a single phone I or my friends had that didn't have a simply replaceable battery and (b) there was a ton of conversation and press when the iPhone was first released about how unique the decision was to have a glued-in battery here.

For contrast, here are instructions for replacing the battery on the famous Nokia 3310 https://devices.vodafone.com.au/nokia/3310-2017-proprietary-....

Let's be real here: if having difficult-to-replace batteries was a money loser for Apple and other manufacturers, they would fix the situation in a heartbeat - it's not like this is a hard problem. The only reason they do this is because of desired planned obsolescence - tons of people will think "Oh, getting the battery changed is such a hassle, might as well get a new phone."

Again, essentially every consumer electronic device pre-2007 (except maybe some Mac laptops?) had easily-replaceable batteries. Convincing people that using glued-in batteries was a necessary design change, instead of a corporate decision to make more money, was a real coup for corporate marketing.

replies(1): >>theshr+7g
2. theshr+7g[view] [source] 2023-10-04 19:51:43
>>hn_thr+(OP)
The 3310 has a literal IP rating of 00.

Compared to a modern iPhone you can throw in a pool and dig out safely a few minutes later.

Batteries post 2007 have gotten REALLY good, the capacity/weight ratio has gone up so much that swapping batteries mid-day isn't a thing people do. Drones weren't a big thing in those times because you couldn't get enough power to lift one up. Now a 249 gram DJI drone can fly ~45 minutes on a single battery that's about the size of 2-3 matchboxes.

I still remember the laptop I had around that time that had two batteries so that I could swap one and still keep it running with the other.

On the other hand my current M2 MacBook lasts for two full workdays without charging easily, even more if I just sit in meetings and don't do anything CPU/GPU intensive.

replies(1): >>capita+zj
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3. capita+zj[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-10-04 20:05:19
>>theshr+7g
My Samsung XCover6 pro has a replaceable battery and an IP68 rating. It doesn't seem to be that hard to make the battery replaceable, you just keep it in a separate area from the rest of the water-tight electronics.
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