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EU-specific models, just because it seems to be the most spiteful option
By having the battery cost almost as much as a new phone.
I hope they tackle next phone software support. It should last for 5 years minimum.
That's already done, but IIRC it enters in effect in 2027
Theres an exception if the phone complies with IP Standards, so most likely nothing will happen
That would require them to make devices that don't instantly fail due to water damage or similar environmental hazards.
Do modern cell phones meet these requirements? I'm seeing at least two or three different points of failure on my OnePlus right off the cuff.
Just about every mid range phone upwards meets these.
My genuine hope is that this puts an end of the stupid "thinness wars" and we actually see innovation in devices again. I'm beyond sick of the "tall, skinny, razor-thin rectangle" form factor.
At some point, the super thinness hampers proper ergonomics. Also has to affect rigidity and durability.
Some companies are still trying.
I've got a ulefone 27T. It's the phone equivalent of a tank. It also includes thermal and night vision, and underwater video modes. I would also give it good odds of surviving being used as a self defence weapon.
Downside is it's a relatively unknown Chinese brand.
Yeah, some are. It's just unfortunate that you frequently have to pre-order, fund a kickstarter, or roll the dice with some unknown Chinese brand that may or may not ever see a software update/3rd party ROM support. That, or they're more expensive because of the smaller production runs.
I really like the PlanetCom ones, but they're a bit pricey and have some quirks that would probably make them not a good fit for me as a daily driver. Not sure I'd want to pay those prices for a secondary device.
I did order a Minimal Phone the other day (July batch), so hopefully should have that toward the end of July/early August.
Until then, I'll keep using my Cat S22 Flip which I have grown to actually love.
They keep making them taller and thinner but my pockets stay tiny :(
MORE CAMERAS
50:1 aspect ratios!
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There's Unihertz. They have some interesting devices, but unfortunately they aren't sold where I live. A lot of them are just screwed together.
Unihertz believes that there should be different types of smartphones for all kinds of people. That’s why we are committed to making unique smartphones. We hope people can have more diverse choices.
I can get it from resellers on places like Allegro, but I am really worried about returns or warranty. I have some specific requirements that I basically just need to try out, and then if necessary, return the device.
Last time I bought 3 candidates before making the final decision.
Never heard of them so I just checked it out and they have phones with DLP projectors built in? That's some wild shit but I do like to see some actual innovation. I like that they also have phones with real keyboards. Are they US based by chance? It seems like every phone I have marginal interest in over the last decade is only sold in the EU and doesn't support TMobile's bands.
Edit: thar DLP phone is 30mm thick?! Also it only supports 4G?
Edit 2: looks like they have a 5G version of this monster phone. 23,000mAH battery!
Chinese.
The projector thing isn't quite new, actually. Samsung Galaxy Beam did this in 2012. Though that projector was 15 lumens, Unihertz has one with 100 lumen projector. It also has a cooling fan for that, and huge battery that makes it a bit of a brick.
I myself have Ulefone Armor 24, and I do like the brick form-factor, but I know most people probably wouldn't.
These are listed for the Tank 3 Pro: 2G GSM (Bands 2/3/5/8), 3G WCDMA (Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19), 3G CDMA2000 (Bands BC0/BC1), 4G FDD-LTE (Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28A/28B/66), 4G TDD-LTE (Bands 34/38/39/40/41/42), 5G NR (Bands N1/2/3/5/7/8/12/13/20/25/26/28/38/40/41/77/78)
You can find band number list on Wikipedia to get the frequency.
Checking T-Mobile US website, it seems to lack 600MHz for both "extended range" 4G and 5G as well as mmWave 5G support.
Keep in mind the possible lack of updates with no custom ROMs available. That just sucks, and is usual with such Chinese brands.
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I hope they standardise the battery too. Otherwise we'll be back in the early 2000s where every submodel of phone had a unique connector.
I want a phone that takes Dewalt cordless tool batteries
My smartphone is a camera, phone, and orbital sander.
Ryobi for life
I'll use the FlexVolt model with a million-nit screen.
I'm not sure why you're worried about the connector since USB-C is mandated. Batteries will likely still be model specific since they'll need to come in different shapes and sizes depending on the model and it's internal hardware layout. I'm sure they'll just use standard connectors on the battery itself since there's little upside to engineering something special when the battery is already going to be specific to the phone.
I can understand your perspective.
My concern is from a tech support perspective I'll be required to stock at least a few of each variation and need to teach people which ones and how to replace it. Plus the ecological concern of perfectly good batteries are going to waste because the next model can't use them.
And I'll inevitably have clients that will attempt to use the wrong one while on a mission critical trip to somewhere. And of course it's not available anymore or some other road blocker.
This problem was mostly solved ages ago in other small electronics with things like AA batteries being a popular standard.
So I'm hopeful for a future where there's an AA equivalent for phones and laptops.
The connectors were just an example of how manufacturers prefer proprietary solutions because of profit, and how it needs regulation to prevent such things
Back when removable batteries were a thing, the couple of phones I had both were removable without screws.
I have no strong feelings about what a removable battery should look like, but I love the idea of increasing a phone's longevity easily.
I had a phone with a back cover that popped off without screws. It was the stupidest fucking design.
Drop your phone? Phone explodes and battery falls out.
Put your phone in your tight pants pocket wrong? Back cover comes off.
Toolless designs are great for things you access frequently. The only time I had to open the back of that phone was to put a sim card in it. Phones should be more repairable, but I want them to be held together with screws so they don't fall apart during the 99.9999% of the time they're not being opened.
Drop your phone?
I'm careful with my phone, and for the last 15 years I did not have such problems. except when I had, but then the battery flying out was a very small problem compared to others
Having a spare battery in the bag, and just switch them over mid-day? Glorious. Would love to see that again.
It's freedom to be able to bring extra batteries and not need a charger for days.
i’d tape a screw driver to the battery.. the tiny drivers you’d need for modern phones could be tiny: look at the sim ejectors… that, but as a screw driver
Not to mention that a removable back plate would eliminate the waterproof and dust-proof seals that I have come to appreciate quite a bit over the years.
The exploding phone was actually a lot less likely to break. Making the phone a rigid bar of glass and aluminum makes it more likely to be destroyed when you drop it.
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Apple will accept genuine Apple Battery Pro Max for the same price as the phone itself.
iPhones are already one of the best phones around in terms of battery replacement- maybe not for DIY, but for the fact that Apple will replace your battery for you themselves for a very reasonable price.
https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/battery-replacement
An iPhone 13 Pro battery replacement, done officially through Apple, is USD$89. They will replace your battery on models all the way back to the iPhone SE or iPhone 6. At that price I can’t understand why anyone would go third party/diy.
Even the newest 16 Pro Max is only $119 for a brand new battery fully installed officially by Apple. If you’ve got apple care it’s “free”.
One thing to note is that Apple will only replace the battery if the phone turns on. If the battery stops taking a charge and won't turn on, they'll tell you to get a new phone.
If the phone doesn’t turn on then there’s something more than just the battery, and a new one won’t do any good.
While the phone not turning on can indicate other issues, sometimes it's just the battery.
Thought it was dankpods, but it was his mechanic James:
It's generally not just the battery though. A battery going completely dead in a recent mobile phone and not holding any charge whatsoever or even functioning is extremely rare.
If it's a removable back cover, I wonder how hard it would be to have a third-party back cover...with a larger battery?
Back in the day, the Galaxy Note 4 had this monster of a battery made for it by Anker, and yes it came with a replacement door. It was a beast.
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Weaker glue, solder-less battery connector and a kit with tools and new glue/tape.
Waterproof certifications will be dropped.
The waterproof IP rating is a misdirect. We had waterproof phones with replaceable batteries, they just weren't required for most people. Batteries fail at a predictable rate, and decreasing or dead batteries are the primary reason people upgrade their phones.
Phone manufacturers wanted to seal their devices to make people buy a new phone when the battery dies. They started making a big deal about IP ratings, because it was a byproduct of gluing everything shut. But how often do you actually get your phone wet? Everyone has one story about dropping a phone in the toilet, or falling in a pool, but those instances are rare. not every phone will get wet or dusty, but every phone battery will die eventually.
Which will be absolutely dumb. It's been proven a few times that removable batteries are possible with waterproof certifications.
Waterproof certifications will be dropped.
Not sure about that...
I mean, its technically do-able:
See: Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro - Removable battery, headphone jack, IP68 rating, "Military Grade" (MIL-STD-810H compliant), expandable storage (sd card slot), 1080p 6.6-inch LCD display, Gorilla Glass victis+, USB 3.2 25W charging, fingerprint sensor. The whole package.
Only downside is the shitty cameras and slow processor.
You seal everything but the battery in one watertight compartment. The battery is a sealed, self-contained package, in a second compartment. Dunk the phone, the only thing that gets wet are the battery contacts, which are protected the same way that earbuds with magnetic chargers are protected: if the contacts get wet, the battery shuts itself off until it has been dried off.
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They'll probably find some way to make the process as tedious as possible and sell batteries for way more than they should.
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this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025
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