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401 points Bluestein | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.379s | source
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userbinator ◴[] No.44361743[source]
When unscrewed, users are likely to be greeted with an option to remove the battery as well as it isn’t attached to the device with the help of glue but rather with additional screws.

What a horrible state of things that "not gluing the battery in place but screwing it in" is considered an improvement. IMHO smartphones have been on a horrible decline ever since ~2016. Before then, most Androids had [1] easily replaceable battery, no tools required at all; [2] microSD slot; [3] headphone jack; [4] (many) dual SIM; [5] (many cheaper models) easily rooted or unlocked by default. Now all we get are faster CPUs, more (non-expandable) storage, and far too many cameras.

There was also this memorable ad from Samsung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hIoyb9L5g0

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fulafel ◴[] No.44362671[source]
The article is misleading here in that the earlier Fairphones had removable batteries without glue.
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lawn ◴[] No.44362694[source]
The Fairphone 4 at least you could replace the battery without any screws at all. It took seconds and it's been extremely useful for me.
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1. Vinnl ◴[] No.44364382[source]
On the Fairphone 2 you could even replace the screen without screws. It made it unstable and prone to getting loose, and it was a huge improvement when the Fairphone 3 started using screws for that. It was a fun gimmick, but for something you replace that rarely, it's really not worth the sacrifice.

Screws keep them repairable and sturdy. It'll no longer be as easy to bring a spare battery to replace on the go, unfortunately, but unfortunately, it's a trade-off, and with most people already not doing that, it makes sense where they ended up.