G6 and the non-removable battery

[Jaycemiskel]

Well, you guys can always get the V20. You can change the battery life out and don't have to worry about replacing it for a while since planned obsolescence will be difficult with that.

 

[tsarcams]

Well, you guys can always get the V20. You can change the battery life out and don't have to worry about replacing it for a while since planned obsolescence will be difficult with that.

Already have a V20, but since I have JOD with Tmo, I like to upgrade as often as possible (usually 2-3x a year). I may just go with a Note 8 until the V30 rolls out though, because the G6 doesn't seem like much of an improvement spec wise.

 

[Aquila]

Sounds like the V30 will come out within a month or so of the Note 8, both looking at end of summer/early fall.

 

[flyingkytez]

LG G6 3300 mAh non removable but wireless charging vs LG V20 3200 mAh removable battery. Which is the smarter choice?

The V20 of course. Give it 8 months and watch the battery performance go down.

 

[Carrtman]

LG G6 3300 mAh non removable but wireless charging vs LG V20 3200 mAh removable battery. Which is the smarter choice?

The V20 of course. Give it 8 months and watch the battery performance go down.

Agreed I'd rather have the V20 than the G6 so disappointed with them. Non removable battery is a no go

 

[Morty2264]

I am disappointed that it will most likely be non-removable, but that is what all the cell phone manufacturers are doing these days - it's not surprising that LG followed suit.

 

[erwaso]

I'm a fan of both removable and non removable. Now the real challenge is battery life. If the non removable can last my personal use for a day then I'd be good to go.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I hate to say it, but it was inevitable since they wanted to go with water resistance.

Yes, they can do that with a removable back plate, but after seeing Fisher's Galaxy S5 Active review, maybe it might not be the best choice over a long term.

I'll miss it a ton.

 

[tsarcams]

LG G6 3300 mAh non removable but wireless charging vs LG V20 3200 mAh removable battery. Which is the smarter choice?

The V20 of course. Give it 8 months and watch the battery performance go down.

it's such a no win situation...the battery is bigger but non-removable, the phone is waterproof but has half the storage capacity of the V20. the V20 will be 6 months old by the time the G6 is released and it will still be a better phone in so many ways.

i'm disappointed.

 

[Aquila]

LG G6 3300 mAh non removable but wireless charging vs LG V20 3200 mAh removable battery. Which is the smarter choice?

The V20 of course. Give it 8 months and watch the battery performance go down.

I'd pick newer SoC with a larger battery every day if those were the only differences. But those aren't the only differences...

 

[kramer5150]

I hate to say it, but it was inevitable since they wanted to go with water resistance.

Yes, they can do that with a removable back plate, but after seeing Fisher's Galaxy S5 Active review, maybe it might not be the best choice over a long term.

I'll miss it a ton.

IMHO none of the manufacturers ever really gave it any chance to develop further. A removable, water sealed case back is nothing new in other industries who have been using it for decades+. They prematurely bailed out on the idea all together, once they realized they could disguise a forced obsolescence in 18-24 months.

 

[Joshua Luther2]

A non removable battery forces you to buy a new phone when the battery no longer performs like a new one. Win win for the manufacturer but a loss for the consumer. However, most people do upgrade their phones before that actually happens. It also means that you will not be able to keep an older phone as a backup phone once you do get a new phone, as the older phone will only get worse. I had a Moto X2 as a backup phone for a while with two spare batteries and they both swelled right around 2 years time. I know battery technology is getting better, but I still prefer removable batteries in my phone.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

IMHO none of the manufacturers ever really gave it any chance to develop further. A removable, water sealed case back is nothing new in other industries who have been using it for decades+. They prematurely bailed out on the idea all together, once they realized they could disguise a forced obsolescence in 18-24 months.

Here's the problem with trying to make a removable water resistant back for consumer devices.

These devices also need to be tough. However, to appeal to consumers, it can't be too bulky. So the rear covers tend to be more flimsy than those you'd find on dedicated rugged phones like a Kyocera.

The rubber gasket will do a good enough job against spills and a certain degree of immersion if the cover is perfectly sealed. However, rubber degrades over time and when the phone is dropped, there's a chance that the cover can either pop open or becomes slightly distorted.

It is possible, but manufacturers are aiming for a mainstream market, a market who's aiming for looks and durability. A rugged Kyocera is obviously not aimed towards the mainstream, so it can be seriously beefed up without issue. But on a mainstream Galaxy and whatnot, you have to make some sort of compromise.

 

[recDNA]

I'm in the minority but I would gladly trade the removable battery in my v20 for wireless charging and water resistance

 

[kramer5150]

Here's the problem with trying to make a removable water resistant back for consumer devices.

These devices also need to be tough. However, to appeal to consumers, it can't be too bulky. So the rear covers tend to be more flimsy than those you'd find on dedicated rugged phones like a Kyocera.

The rubber gasket will do a good enough job against spills and a certain degree of immersion if the cover is perfectly sealed. However, rubber degrades over time and when the phone is dropped, there's a chance that the cover can either pop open or becomes slightly distorted.

It is possible, but manufacturers are aiming for a mainstream market, a market who's aiming for looks and durability. A rugged Kyocera is obviously not aimed towards the mainstream, so it can be seriously beefed up without issue. But on a mainstream Galaxy and whatnot, you have to make some sort of compromise.

Do people really want thinner and thinner devices though? I question that to some degree. The Galaxy S7 variants are thicker than their various S6 predecessors. No one complained, at least not here on AC. I honestly can not recall ONE complaint about the thickening of the S7 phones. EVERYONE however raved about and loves the higher capacity battery though. So thickness can be a good thing if there are benefits that go with it, and the companies market the benefits properly.

Rubber absolutely degrades, but there are blends of silicone that are very long lasting. Come to think of it my old Xperia Z3v had silicone gaskets and plugs to keep it splash resistant.

Looks and cosmetics however would be a major challenge. Not everyone wants to lug around a phone that looks like a piece of scuba gear.... thats for sure.

 

[kramer5150]

I'm in the minority but I would gladly trade the removable battery in my v20 for wireless charging and water resistance

Actually you're probably not in the minority on those preferences. I LOVE the Qi charge case-back on my V10, compared to the clunky/flimsy USB-B, wireless charging is a god-send.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Do people really want thinner and thinner devices though? I question that to some degree. The Galaxy S7 variants are thicker than their various S6 predecessors. No one complained, at least not here on AC. I honestly can not recall ONE complaint about the thickening of the S7 phones. EVERYONE however raved about and loves the higher capacity battery though. So thickness can be a good thing if there are benefits that go with it, and the companies market the benefits properly.

Rubber absolutely degrades, but there are blends of silicone that are very long lasting. Come to think of it my old Xperia Z3v had silicone gaskets and plugs to keep it splash resistant.

Looks and cosmetics however would be a major challenge. Not everyone wants to lug around a phone that looks like a piece of scuba gear.... thats for sure.

9mm and 11mm are quite reasonable amounts of thickness. However, anything higher and it starts to feel a little bulky for a consumer device.

I actually gave my Moto Z to some friends to try out without any case or Motomod and they loved how thin and light it was, while I, on the contrary, actually wanted it to be thicker and heavier.

 

[Nubwy]

Agreed I'd rather have the V20 than the G6 so disappointed with them. Non removable battery is a no go

The V20 was the last premium smartphone with a removable battery. I see a lot of no goes for you.

 

[Carrtman]

The V20 was the last premium smartphone with a removable battery. I see a lot of no goes for you.

Nobody knows what the Note 8 and V30 will be like so hope is alive

 

[Aquila]

Nobody knows what the Note 8 and V30 will be like so hope is alive

V30 maybe, but unlikely. Note 8 less chance of that than it being made out of plastic again.