, a Samsung clone of the popular-at-the-time Blackberry, circa 2008. I replaced it with the iPhone 3G, which had a sealed-in battery , and never looked back.Indeed, it was the iPhone that drove the smartphone industry to adopt non-replaceable batteries. Apple’s breakthrough device was sleeker than its competition, largely because the sealed battery allowed for a slimmer design. And as consumers demanded thinner smartphones, competitors followed suit.
Sixteen years later, you’re hard-pressed to find a flagship smartphone with user-swappable power cells. They do exist in, but the screens tend to be smaller, they use older tech and often aren’t water resistant. “It’s harder to seal a removable battery , but it’s not impossible,” Sag said. The XCover Pro is resistant to fresh water to a maximum depth of almost 5 feet for up to 30 minutes, according to Samsung.But sealed batteries have a big downside. All power cells degrade over time, and while modern lithium-ion batteries have decent longevity, they eventually cease to hold a charge. That means a costly repair visit or buying a new phone.