There are some Android devices on the market today that still feature removable batteries, something that used to be standard on older cell phones. It was a desirable feature since you could simply replace a degrading battery with a new one and restore its battery life.
But Apple never included removable batteries on their iPhones, and I’ll explain why below.
The biggest issue with removable batteries is how much space they take up. This is due to housing components that aren’t necessary for a non-removable battery, since they can simply be glued inside a device without any extra parts.
Not to mention, they can be any shape Apple wants in order to optimize space. For example, some iPhones feature an L-shaped battery to squeeze in more capacity than a rectangular shape would allow.
Another issue is waterproofing. If your phone’s battery can come out, water can find its way in, which is a problem, since users tend to drop their phones in toilets, puddles, or even put it through the washing machine on accident. So a high water resistance rating is a crucial feature.
Plus, the benefits of removable batteries aren’t as relevant today as over a decade ago. Battery technology has improved so much that most phones are able to last all day without needing a battery swap.
And the number of discharge cycles batteries can sustain without degrading is higher than ever, meaning a phone purchased in 2010 may have needed its battery replaced much sooner than an iPhone purchased a couple years ago.
But I can’t leave out the unspoken benefit this has for Apple. Users who do hold onto their iPhones for many years will eventually notice a decline in battery performance. And since they can’t replace the battery themselves, they’re left with two options: buying a completely new iPhone, or at least paying for a battery replacement. Both of which means more profit for Apple.
