Future of LG and removable batteries

[Aquila]

Depends on how much juice you need. I have 2 spare batteries. And a battery pack. They serve different purposes and the batteries are very light. But for what you mention, I think a battery pack is a good idea. (But remember...when you're charging it's hard to use the phone...that's where the extra battery comes in.)

The bigger battery packs have become remarkably compact and can give you a ton of juice in a fairly small form. Here's the Anker that I use. What I like about it:
--relatively small for its capacity
-- Supports QC 3.0 quick charge.
--Quality company.

Anker PowerCore 20000

There is a 26,000 now, too, I believe. That is right at the limit of what airlines allow, so since I travel a lot, I decided not to push that issue, even if I am currently in the right. And of course they have some things that are more along the lines of emergency power that have a ton of capacity--but that likely won't be something you want to carry around while hiking.

I have a few portable chargers for business trips, etc. The 20,100 RAVPOWER one is approx the same height and width as a large phone in a case, though it is quite a bit thicker. That's probably my favorite one.

 

[Mike Dee]

If I were going to be out in the wilderness for an extended time, I'd look into the solar powered battery banks. That way you can hang it on your backpack while hiking, biking, etc. to recharge it as needed. Otherwise, I'd just go with one or two extended phone batteries, depending on my stay.

Most of the places that are wilderness require a satellite phone

 

[monsieurms]

Most of the places that are wilderness require a satellite phone

Easy to lose reception, very true. Found that out last year in the mountains of Virginia. But I want my euphemistically-called "phone," even if I can't use it as a phone. Stored Videos. Stored music. Ebooks. If I could only get it to also be my shaver, my life would be complete.

 

[Mooncatt]

Easy to lose reception, very true. Found that out last year in the mountains of Virginia. But I want my euphemistically-called "phone," even if I can't use it as a phone. Stored Videos. Stored music. Ebooks. If I could only get it to also be my shaver, my life would be complete.

The back plate is metal. Sharpen one of its edges, and you have yourself a razor.

 

[SupraLB]

Thanks for all the recommendations. Just looking to hike some 8,000 footers, some beginner level day hikes. Cell service often spotty, so dont want my battery drain while looking for signals.
It's amazing how improved those large capacity portable chargers have become! I have a 32,000mah Poweradd from 3 years ago I used for long flights, and its like a huge dinosaur now.

 

[flyingkytez]

The back plate is metal. Sharpen one of its edges, and you have yourself a razor.

Great tip if you ever get stranded on an island, at least you have a tool.

 

[monsieurms]

Thanks for all the recommendations. Just looking to hike some 8,000 footers, some beginner level day hikes. Cell service often spotty, so dont want my battery drain while looking for signals.
w.

Keep the phone in airplane mode--no more looking for signals. Depending on your GPS performance, you might need to turn that off, too.

 

[Mike Dee]

Keep the phone in airplane mode--no more looking for signals. Depending on your GPS performance, you might need to turn that off, too.

You might actually want the gps

 

[monsieurms]

You might actually want the gps

At times. But you don't have to leave it turned on all the time, ESPECIALLY if it isn't actually working anyway. It depends on the trail. I got badly lost hiking once to the point where I feared I'd be spending the night in the woods. Somehow, I managed to avoid panic. But some commercialized areas with well marked trails make life pretty simple.

 

[LeoRex]

I have a few portable chargers for business trips, etc. The 20,100 RAVPOWER one is approx the same height and width as a large phone in a case, though it is quite a bit thicker. That's probably my favorite one.

Yeah, I have one of those RavPower 20.1K packs... a QC port, a USB-C port and a high current standard micro USB port... thing works great and can charge stuff right quick.

 

[Errol Macy 1]

I would disagree with the "at best" part, for two reasons. 1) The industry is almost unanimously moving towards sealed batteries and there are reasons for doing so. So on that point, there's obviously a debate that can be had - and that's at the very least, even if we were to assume that the majority of people disagree with those reasons (and they don't). 2) I believe that if you spent 5 minutes or so trying to reason what my reasons for preferring sealed batteries might be, you could probably come up with some arguments, even if you don't personally buy into them as much as your own counterpoints. That would also indicate that there are differing opinions that could reasonably be compared and contrasted.

But that said, I don't think "it makes a device inherently better" is my argument.

 

[Errol Macy 1]

It seems the Note 7 alone could be counted as millions of phones that would not have had problems if the Battery had been removable. and if it did by chance still have the problem it would have been easily remedied

 

[Aquila]

It seems the Note 7 alone could be counted as millions of phones that would not have had problems if the Battery had been removable. and if it did by chance still have the problem it would have been easily remedied

Strongly disagree. I think it would have cost Samsung billions more if it was removable and if they'd tried to only recall batteries. Because they didn't know what the issue was and they didn't know that their second wave of batteries also had a fatal flaw. We'd be talking about batteries exploding in pockets, cradles, etc. We'd likely have many severe injuries or deaths plus Samsung Mobile on the way to bankruptcy if they were that stupid.

 

[Errol Macy 1]

Strongly disagree. I think it would have cost Samsung billions more if it was removable and if they'd tried to only recall batteries. Because they didn't know what the issue was and they didn't know that their second wave of batteries also had a fatal flaw. We'd be talking about batteries exploding in pockets, cradles, etc. We'd likely have many severe injuries or deaths plus Samsung Mobile on the way to bankruptcy if they were that stupid.

I thought there problem was caused by packing to much battery in too tight a sealed space.
Physicaly impossible with a removable.
The reason phones with removables tend to have smaller batteries than equally sized sealed phones.
Historical side note. There have been ip ratings on phones with removable backs.

 

[Aquila]

I thought there problem was caused by packing to much battery in too tight a sealed space.
Physicaly impossible with a removable.
The reason phones with removables tend to have smaller batteries than equally sized sealed phones.
Historical side note. There have been ip ratings on phones with removable backs.

That's what the speculation was, but turned out to actually be flaws in the batteries themselves. But the larger point was that the recall decision was made with no knowledge of what the exact issue was, meaning they had no idea whether or not replacing the battery could solve the problem. Even if it was removable, without that certainty, they couldn't justify only recalling the battery rather than the device.

 

[Mike Dee]

That's what the speculation was, but turned out to actually be flaws in the batteries themselves. But the larger point was that the recall decision was made with no knowledge of what the exact issue was, meaning they had no idea whether or not replacing the battery could solve the problem. Even if it was removable, without that certainty, they couldn't justify only recalling the battery rather than the device.

I'm thinking true for first recall, possibly not true after second recall. We would have to see a timeline with facts to know for sure when they knew what they knew.

 

[xavier X]

I would think it is safe to say a removable battery is not the driving for LG. I am sure it is a perk and for some it is a must have but I doubt majority buy simply for that one reason alone.

It's the reason I switched from Samsung to the LG G5. Really, that was the only difference that made me switch. I love having a removable battery, never having to worry about charging.

Make me a phone with a sealed battery that lasts a good day and a half with heavy use and I'll buy it. In a year the battery will only be good for a day but that will still be good. In the meantime I'm hoping that LG keeps the removable battery in the V30.

 

[xavier X]

I thought there problem was caused by packing to much battery in too tight a sealed space.
Physicaly impossible with a removable.
The reason phones with removables tend to have smaller batteries than equally sized sealed phones.
Historical side note. There have been ip ratings on phones with removable backs.

Yep, I loved my Samsung Galaxy S5, IP67 rating with removable back and swappable battery. God forbid it had a plastic back, oh the horrors! I hate the iPhone, or more accurately the reviewers and media for creating the whole idiotic "premium look and feel" that all the lemmings had to follow... It's a phone, ABS plastic is a far superior material to make the shell than metal or even stupider, glass.

 

[rushmore]

Seems replaceable batteries are done. The V20 did not sell enough to justify keeping it, even though the Note 7 gave it some sales.

I love my Note 4 and replaceable battery, but the industry does not like people keeping devices beyond two years on average. Sealed batteries force a shorter retirement cycle and that is what the industry wants.

If the V20 sold millions, perhaps different outcome.

 

[Mike Dee]

Seems replaceable batteries are done. The V20 did not sell enough to justify keeping it, even though the Note 7 gave it some sales.

I love my Note 4 and replaceable battery, but the industry does not like people keeping devices beyond two years on average. Sealed batteries force a shorter retirement cycle and that is what the industry wants.

If the V20 sold millions, perhaps different outcome.

It's not gone yet