Quote:
Originally Posted by tubemonkey
My old-school flip-phone phone has a removable back cover and battery. It doesn't take rocket science to design smartphones and tablets to do the same thing.
Why have user replaceable batteries? To have a spare when not near a power source.
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Bad idea from a company perspective. NiMH still has lowish density and a fairly high self-discharge, while most consumers don't have a clue about lithium cells. They're not as care-free as other batteries.
If Li-Io cells are used/stored/transported in a closed container when one of them decides it is having a very bad day -- impromptu pipe bomb. Won't exactly level a city block, but it'll leave scars. Vented dielectric a potential health hazard, fires that react violently to water; in case of IMR cells rapid discharges with potentially lethal currents. Doesn't happen often, but once is enough for a PR nightmare.
Hard wired into a device, it doesn't matter as much. The casing provides some protection from physical abuse and people are worried about their fragile plaything anyway. Loose batteries have no such protection and they get dropped or spilled upon all the time, because -- hey, it's just a battery, right?