In praise of removable batteries.

I've had 4 different phones with non-removable batteries, and had problems with all four that were either directly or indirectly related to the inability to quickly remove it. Guess where my praise goes.
 
To be perfectly honest, I didn't realize the LG had a removable battery until I had it in my hands. I usually have a small external battery (from Amazon, I think it was about 20 bucks) with a charging cable with various adapters. I got this my Friends and I all had the iPhone Plus (I felt like the battery was terrible on that, just my experience)

That being said, I have that back up in my purse. I know it wouldn't be handy for a man and not for everyone, but that's how I Ive lived without a removable battery since my blackberry days.....RIP BOLD :-(
 
I deal with non-removable batteries by just having another phone at the ready. That's been fun but not necessarily economical.
 
The could make a water resistant phone with a removable battery very easily but it might add a bit to the cost. All they would need to do is make the battery part of a removable back which is how some if the older phones were designed. Similar also to how the Moto mods work.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was water resistant, and had a removable battery.
 
Although I love the LG V20, I would be more enthused about swappable batteries if there was a mini battery inside the phone, that would power the phone for up to 5 minutes while you swap the main battery. Seems like a no brainer, easy feature to add.
Why can't you live without a phone for the minute it takes to swap batteries?
 
I've owned every flagship Samsung Galaxy (up until the S7). I started to miss the removable batteries and the IR blaster (missed the SD card slot on the S6). I felt "handicapped" with the removal of these essential Android features, so I decided to switch. LG did an excellent job, maintaining the essential features while having an excellent build quality. Sure the LG V20 isn't the best of the best, but it caters to my needs. Kinda strange how I feel better to have the IR blaster and removable batteries back again, kinda like revisiting an old forgotten dear friend.

BTW to those who despise removable batteries, give it 8-12 months, you'll see a change in battery performance.
 
BTW to those who despise removable batteries, give it 8-12 months, you'll see a change in battery performance.

That is one thing about how I use phones - ever since 2012 I've never used one phone that long as a daily driver and since 2014 I've used two phones as daily drivers at a time. That means my usage is spread out among devices and I'm upgrading a lot, so you're absolutely right that there probably is degradation - but with my use case I'll be likely to never notice it. I also do tend to use the techniques to maximize battery longevity, such as avoiding low charges, eliminating excess time on the charger, trying to keep it between 40 and 80% as much as possible, etc.
 
That is one thing about how I use phones - ever since 2012 I've never used one phone that long as a daily driver and since 2014 I've used two phones as daily drivers at a time. That means my usage is spread out among devices and I'm upgrading a lot, so you're absolutely right that there probably is degradation - but with my use case I'll be likely to never notice it. I also do tend to use the techniques to maximize battery longevity, such as avoiding low charges, eliminating excess time on the charger, trying to keep it between 40 and 80% as much as possible, etc.
Do low battery charges such as 20% or less hurt the battery's in the long run? You say you keep them between 40 to 80% as much as possible? Is this better for a battery at this higher scale phone such as a LG V20 ...... IYHO?
 
Do low battery charges such as 20% or less hurt the battery's in the long run? You say you keep them between 40 to 80% as much as possible? Is this better for a battery at this higher scale phone such as a LG V20 ...... IYHO? [url]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d114/slave2_ragdolls/2.gif[/URL]
Lithium based rechargeable batteries like a happy medium, not being either fully charged or discharged. Anything above 75-80% or below 20% charge causes increased degradation. Charging to 100% and immediately using it isn't such a big problem, but leaving it fully charged is. Draining until it's empty would do quicker damage, but doing so once in a while is ok as long as it's not left like that.

If you plan to keep a spare battery for occasional use or shelve this phone for an extended period of time, leave it charged 50-70%. This storage charge limits the degradation during storage, which is why they only come partially charged when you buy them.
 
.....A better question should be, why can you live without them?

The secret is a spare battery and a charging cradle for the spare.

I *never* plug my phone in. I constantly have a battery charging. When the battery in my phone gets low, I just swap batteries. I'm never without my phone, or tethered to a charger.

I can't imagine any other way.

You can get the spare batteries with charging cradles here: BCK-5200 | eBay.

100% agree with OP...

It also helps that opening the V20 ‘s battery door is VERY easy and feels quite solid, so no worries that swapping out on a daily basis might put unnecessary wear & tear on the mechanism, or, like with some phones getting the battery door off is so frustrating you ONLY care to do it if a “must”….

Also, with the ullta slim battery charger that double as a carrying case for the spare, there is really very little added bulk. And these things have come so far down in price, you can even get more than one if you just wish to leave them at the places you’re most like at, instead of carrying them with you. There was a time the OEM spare battery kit with charger was upwards of $129 , now I see them from OEM as little as $39.99….

Here's the thing... UNLESS & UNTIL you actually begin to swap the battery out on a daily basis INSTEAD of charging the phone, you will NOT see the FULL benefit of having a spare charger with a, "2nd battery charged fully 100% always at the ready", and never ever having to deal with plugging your phone in to charge….(which may not SEEM like a hassle, but ONCE u never have to, you’re like Tony The Tiger everyday…., this is ggggreat!!!” lol

BTC
 
In the past I bought extra replacement batteries for my phones but hardly ever used them. The last three phones I've owned did not have user replaceable batteries. Having a replaceable battery is not a priority for me since my battery usually lasts all day. I have a 22,300 mAH portable battery charger that I keep in my bag in case I need extra juice.
 
This is life right here. Spare battery kits eliminate the anxiety of having a dead battery.

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100% agree with OP...

It also helps that opening the V20 ‘s battery door is VERY easy and feels quite solid, so no worries that swapping out on a daily basis might put unnecessary wear & tear on the mechanism, or, like with some phones getting the battery door off is so frustrating you ONLY care to do it if a “must”….

Also, with the ullta slim battery charger that double as a carrying case for the spare, there is really very little added bulk. And these things have come so far down in price, you can even get more than one if you just wish to leave them at the places you’re most like at, instead of carrying them with you. There was a time the OEM spare battery kit with charger was upwards of $129 , now I see them from OEM as little as $39.99….

Here's the thing... UNLESS & UNTIL you actually begin to swap the battery out on a daily basis INSTEAD of charging the phone, you will NOT see the FULL benefit of having a spare charger with a, "2nd battery charged fully 100% always at the ready", and never ever having to deal with plugging your phone in to charge….(which may not SEEM like a hassle, but ONCE u never have to, you’re like Tony The Tiger everyday…., this is ggggreat!!!” lol

BTC

I have my phone in constant use. I swap batteries several times a day.
 
OP, I LOVE your approach. Removable batteries have pretty much been present in all of my smartphones. The "battery pull" was a technique I'd use on my BlackBerry devices and on my LG G3 whenever there would be a glitch or an issue - I swear by them! And yes, having your phone never tied to a charger and having a spare battery on the go is so efficient and smart! Good for you!
 
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Everyone has different priorities. I personally despise removable batteries in mobile devices. I feel that they're a design blunder. At the same time, I am glad that someone is still doing them because there are quite a few people out there that really need that option to get through their use case and I know everyone's use case varies significantly from mine.
I like them. Were it not for my Note 4 and a new battery I would be desperate.
 

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