You may not have thought much about the new phone in the works from Finnish device maker Jolla, but I spotted something in the design that struck me as interesting — particularly for those of us hoping to see how the best cheap phones evolve. Among the features listed for this Jolla phone are a back cover you can swap out for one with different colors and, more importantly, a user-replaceable battery.
That wasn't all that uncommon among cell phones back in the day, when handsets came with batteries that you could easily remove yourself. However, modern smartphones have opted to seal the device completely, making it impossible for the average user to actually access any of the hardware.
Certainly, this makes a lot of sense — the internals of a phone are incredibly delicate, and sealing the entire phone helps to keep them protected. On top of that, it also allows phone makers much more freedom when it comes to the look and thickness of their devices.
Why replaceable batteries make sense in cheaper phones
Different people buy cheaper phones for different reasons. Still, I think there’s a common thread — people want something that’s easy to use, easy to maintain and delivers good value for the price.
To that end, having a removable battery can make phone maintenance a lot easier. Battery replacements are one of the more common phone repairs that people will have. Not only can this process be annoying, but it can also be pretty expensive for most devices.
A phone with a removable battery could deliver a much cheaper (and easier) experience. Is your phone suffering from diminished battery life? Just go to the store, buy a new battery, and swap it in for the older power pack. As an added bonus, you also wouldn't have to spend as much time in said repair centers.
It's not just that it's easier to repair a removable battery— they can help increase your phone's usability, too. When you can replace the battery yourself, you no longer have to worry about carrying around a portable charger. Just replace the battery with a fully charged one, and you're good to go until you get back home.
Finally, replaceable batteries make it much easier to maintain a healthy battery life. Swapping batteries back and forth should help those cells last longer, so you won't have to replace them as often. That could mean a marked decrease in electrical waste.
The drawbacks to replaceable batteries
OK, so replaceable batteries for all phones, right? Well, maybe not so fast — there are drawbacks to consider as well.
Having a replaceable battery completely tanks the idea of having a decent IP rating. That might not be a problem for a cheap phone, where you can live without a heavy-duty water-resistance rating. When you're paying $799 or more for an iPhone 17 or similar flagship, though, you're going to expect greater durability.
On top of that, removable batteries offer much more limited choices when it comes to certain design elements. For one thing, the phone requires a much more rigid internal architecture to allow the batteries to comfortably fit. In comparison, a sealed phone offers a lot more freedom when it comes to battery shape and point connections.
It's also worth noting that removable batteries often offer much less capacity than internal cells do. For instance, you'd struggle to see one reach the same overall battery life as, say, the record-setting OnePlus 15. In other words, while you can easily swap the batteries out, you'll also find that you have to.
There's a place for replaceable batteries
Nevertheless, I can see the advantage of having the option available for phones, even if it's not possible for many of the best phones from Google or Samsung. And even I don't think that every cheap phone should offer a replaceable battery.
But I would like to see some phones have that feature. Rugged devices and phones geared toward powers users seem like a natural fit for such replaceable batteries.
However, I would love to hear your opinions on the idea, as well as what design changes you would want to see when it comes to affordable phones. Let me know in the comments below.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
