Hot Swap: Is It Time For Smartphone Makers to Reconsider the Removable Battery?

Smartphone longevity and e-waste have never been more important, perhaps reintroducing an old idea is necessary

In product life cycles we see trends that were thought to be relics of the past come back to life as part of a revival. When I was a kid I saw this happen with bell-bottom jeans. Originally a huge fashion hit in the 1960s, the flared bottom jeans were reintroduced in the mid-1990s and were suddenly the peak of fashion. We have seen this in music as well where the vinyl record, once a relic of a time where music was made differently, has seen a renaissance as the way to listen to albums as they were intended.

As the smartphone matures and ages, one has to wonder if it too will start to see a resurgence of old ideas that are reimagined for a new audience. Gen Z seems to have less positive feelings about the tech and smartphone landscape than previous generations, with some taking to using “dumbphones” to step away from smartphone addiction. One reason for the apprehension toward tech is the sense that phone makers have gotten too greedy and not given the consumer the choices that they used to have in the early days of the cell phone. One such feature that could see a resurgence is the removable battery. But is this convenience of a different time worth reviving?