Ask Lemmy

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Some companies are still trying.

I've got a ulefone 27T. It's the phone equivalent of a tank. It also includes thermal and night vision, and underwater video modes. I would also give it good odds of surviving being used as a self defence weapon.

Downside is it's a relatively unknown Chinese brand.

They keep making them taller and thinner but my pockets stay tiny :(

At some point, the super thinness hampers proper ergonomics. Also has to affect rigidity and durability.

There's Unihertz. They have some interesting devices, but unfortunately they aren't sold where I live. A lot of them are just screwed together.

Unihertz believes that there should be different types of smartphones for all kinds of people. That’s why we are committed to making unique smartphones. We hope people can have more diverse choices.

I can get it from resellers on places like Allegro, but I am really worried about returns or warranty. I have some specific requirements that I basically just need to try out, and then if necessary, return the device.

Last time I bought 3 candidates before making the final decision.

I want a phone that takes Dewalt cordless tool batteries

I'm not sure why you're worried about the connector since USB-C is mandated. Batteries will likely still be model specific since they'll need to come in different shapes and sizes depending on the model and it's internal hardware layout. I'm sure they'll just use standard connectors on the battery itself since there's little upside to engineering something special when the battery is already going to be specific to the phone.

That's already done, but IIRC it enters in effect in 2027

That would require them to make devices that don't instantly fail due to water damage or similar environmental hazards.

Do modern cell phones meet these requirements? I'm seeing at least two or three different points of failure on my OnePlus right off the cuff.

I had a phone with a back cover that popped off without screws. It was the stupidest fucking design.

Drop your phone? Phone explodes and battery falls out.

Put your phone in your tight pants pocket wrong? Back cover comes off.

Toolless designs are great for things you access frequently. The only time I had to open the back of that phone was to put a sim card in it. Phones should be more repairable, but I want them to be held together with screws so they don't fall apart during the 99.9999% of the time they're not being opened.

If anything like how they were before - dead easy. I had one for my old HTC Hero that was just a chunky ass battery with a bigger back to suit. Wouldn't put it past a manufacturer now to make it difficult on purpose though.

You can get 'charging cases' that are loaded with an extra battery, cover the phone, and plug into its charging port as a workaround for sealed devices. There's usually a button that switches the case on and starts charging the internal battery from the external one.

Back in the day, the Galaxy Note 4 had this monster of a battery made for it by Anker, and yes it came with a replacement door. It was a beast.

The waterproof IP rating is a misdirect. We had waterproof phones with replaceable batteries, they just weren't required for most people. Batteries fail at a predictable rate, and decreasing or dead batteries are the primary reason people upgrade their phones.

Phone manufacturers wanted to seal their devices to make people buy a new phone when the battery dies. They started making a big deal about IP ratings, because it was a byproduct of gluing everything shut. But how often do you actually get your phone wet? Everyone has one story about dropping a phone in the toilet, or falling in a pool, but those instances are rare. not every phone will get wet or dusty, but every phone battery will die eventually.

Which will be absolutely dumb. It's been proven a few times that removable batteries are possible with waterproof certifications.

Waterproof certifications will be dropped.

Not sure about that...

I mean, its technically do-able:

See: Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro - Removable battery, headphone jack, IP68 rating, "Military Grade" (MIL-STD-810H compliant), expandable storage (sd card slot), 1080p 6.6-inch LCD display, Gorilla Glass victis+, USB 3.2 25W charging, fingerprint sensor. The whole package.

Only downside is the shitty cameras and slow processor.

I don't give a shit about waterproofing. I want more battery, repairability and a headphone socket.

But that's not what normies want. So fuck me.