Removable battery

A removable battery can be easily taken out of a device by the user and swapped for another one if it's not working properly, or as an alternative to power banks. When it comes to phones, removable used to be a given; now, they're a dying breed.

Some might say that this change in the smartphone market happened thanks, to some extent, to the popularity of Apple's iPhones, whose batteries were never removable. As the years passed and mobile technology evolved, however, Android phones have increasingly let go of swappable batteries (flagships have already forsaken them altogether).

At first glance, renouncing the convenience of removable batteries may sound senseless. However, it's been a trade-off: despite their advantages, swappable batteries compromise design possibilities, limiting manufacturers to delivering products with thicker profiles and non-premium enclosure materials. What's more, the in-demand water resistance feature requires sealing that is antithetical to removable batteries.

If you're not ready to abandon the practicality of removable batteries, there's no reason to panic – well, at least not yet. Although extinction seems to be closer and closer, several mid-range and budget smartphones with swappable batteries are still out there. Swappable tablet batteries are an even rarer species, but you've still got a few options. We just recommend that you slowly get yourself ready to say goodbye to this highly convenient feature of times (not so) long gone.