Apple’s admission that it slowed down older iPhones - via an iOS update - in order to preserve their performance should be a lesson for smartphone manufacturers in 2018.
I’m not talking about how to better handle their PR should a similar revelation crop up, rather it’s time to rethink removable batteries.
The decision was made roughly four years ago, by all smartphone manufacturers (with the exception of LG), that design trumped functionality and, therefore, removable batteries were out. But if we’re at the stage where a device maker is secretly slowing down their devices in camouflage software updates in order to offset battery degradation, then it’s time to reopen the debate.
The smartphone market has changed since removable batteries were phased out a few years ago. Not least that smartphones are a lot more expensive now, with some top end models tipping over into $1000 territory. These devices are investments, they’re not disposable objects that need to be replaced every 12 months. At $1000 you should expect a reasonable return on usage, which, to me, is more than two years.
Yes, Apple offers a replacement battery service. But until this PR disaster unfolded, that costed $79 with zero choice of who does the repairwork.
It’s that word, "choice", that is the core of the problem here. Choice has been taken away, which ultimately makes for a poorer smartphone experience. The choice of upgrading because you want new features, rather than being forced to because your phone can’t hold a charge for more than two hours, no longer exists. Nor does the choice of holding on to a beloved, perfectly functioning, phone that only has one, solvable problem: the battery.
I understand why enclosed smartphone design works for manufacturers. The short shelf life of lithium-ion batteries keeps users coming back for new devices, it’s a profitable model. Also, design-wise, it just looks better. But given the popularity of both battery pack cases and power banks, I’d hazard a guess that customers are happy to trade astechics for functionality.
There will be additional trade-offs, though, if removable batteries become popular again - namely the water and dust resistance that’s common for most top-end handsets.
But, I’m sure the combined creative genius of silicon valley and beyond can come up with a design idea that looks better than previous generation devices and retains modern design principles. LG had a stab at it with the G5 and its battery that slid out from the bottom of the device, which kind of worked. If anything, LG’s experiment shows there are creative solutions out there.
So let’s hope that 2018 is the year that smartphone makers reconsider their position on enclosed handsets, and give some choice back to consumers.
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