Why don't E-readers have a Replaceable Battery

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by HLS

I have not seen a cell phone with a removable battery in 10 years. Most people upgrade long before a battery goes bad and its a motivator to buy more devices. They want you to spend money

I think this is at least the 3rd time I've said this in this thread, but I had a phone purchased three or four years ago that had a removable battery, and somewhere upthread I posted a link to a notice of a new phone coming out in 2020 that was supposed to have one. They're rare but they still exist.

I

[thompsonmax]

Probably because they dont want we use e-books forever. We need to change it every 3-5 years because of battery problem and this is the rison how they can earn more money. The same thing with our smartphones. Every 3-5 years we need to change it because previous one doesnt work properly.

[Richwood]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I think this is at least the 3rd time I've said this in this thread, but I had a phone purchased three or four years ago that had a removable battery, and somewhere upthread I posted a link to a notice of a new phone coming out in 2020 that was supposed to have one. They're rare but they still exist.

I

I have a current model dumb flip phone from Consumer Cellular with a replaceable battery. In fact the battery needs to be removed to add an additional SDHC memory card.

[mdp]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I think this is at least the 3rd time I've said this in this thread, but I had a phone purchased three or four years ago that had a removable battery, and somewhere upthread I posted a link to a notice of a new phone coming out in 2020 that was supposed to have one. They're rare but they still exist

And I had posted a link for the thousands of models in the decade. Since your notice of a new phone has literally truth, but to the skimmer it may sound like "just one", I reiterate with a link of the 44 models from 2019 on:
https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php...BatRemovable=1

You posted about the Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro. I wanted instead to make a note about the akin Samsung Galaxy Xcover FieldPro: a very ruggedized device thought for "field professionals" including law enforcement, military, firefighters, medics, etc. Includes clickable hardware buttons and push-to-talk, surrounded by rubber.
"IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins); MIL-STD-810G compliant; DGUV112-139 certified; Emergency PTT key".
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_gal...ldpro-9937.php
As it would be extremely normal - if the world still worshiped good sense (which the anglosaxon world should maybe really stop lightly calling "common") - to know that you do not tell a professional "Problem with a battery? See a repairs shop". Once upon a time professionals, or professional profiles, were regarded and explicitly targeted by the market.

It will be the specific mark of this point in history, the disregard of the professional profile.

__

But I wanted to post today because of a few-hours-old piece of information, news to me. I was told at a repairs shop that an increasing current trend sees batteries glued to the electronics of the device. Now, as people here that use replaceable batteries may know, if a battery has a troubled history, it inflates - new batteries packs are perfectly flat, old ones may have bellies, have bulges. And the conclusion of the technician is, that in fact, it happens that these devices with a glued battery pack, owing to its physical behaviour, can break: the inflated battery can break the screen, the display. Gravity is not anymore your chief enemy, your chief worry, according to people that daily repair displays.

[jago25_98]

Originally Posted by mdp

(batteries are the main problem in tech obsolescence )

For me, inflation is less the concern and more just the fact that the batteries need replacing.

I've seen quite a few fail though and it's both dangerous and annoying that the batteries are getting glued down.

Capitalism doesn't seem to have an answer for this. People aren't smart enough and keep getting onlt part of what they deserve.

[Dr. Drib]

I'm offering to expand this discussion into the realm of ebook readers that utilize both batteries and some kind of solar power configuration.

One was built with solar energy around 2013. We have wrist watches that also rely upon solar energy.

So why not both?

Going slightly outside the discussion here, has anybody noticed the reliance (preference?) of buttons - again! - on ebook readers after what I term the 'touch-screen craze'? We seem to be going in circles in some regard, which is personally fine by me since I truly love the buttons on my Kindle Oasis 3 (finally released from Customs when they reopened after 3 1/2 months due to Covid-19). I can see batteries making a comeback on ebook readers, especially if the technology undergoes a huge development.

Wouldn't it be great to have a battery the size of a wrist-watch controlling your ebook reader, one that can simply be replaced by taking out a nickel from your pocket and unscrewing the opening and popping in a new one?

[Greg Anos]

I think the move back to buttons is driven by the fact that the screen gets too dirty from continual page turning.

[Ekaros]

I think one reason for getting away of them is the thickness and waterproofing, which can be used as selling point.
Now personally I don't think thickness is a big deal for reader, and a thicker device might even be preferred. Also I did have device with very similar thickness, but replaceable battery so that is kinda out.

But for waterproofing yes, connecting battery or rubber covers is more complex.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I'm offering to expand this discussion into the realm of ebook readers that utilize both batteries and some kind of solar power configuration.

One was built with solar energy around 2013. We have wrist watches that also rely upon solar energy.

So why not both?

Going slightly outside the discussion here, has anybody noticed the reliance (preference?) of buttons - again! - on ebook readers after what I term the 'touch-screen craze'? We seem to be going in circles in some regard, which is personally fine by me since I truly love the buttons on my Kindle Oasis 3 (finally released from Customs when they reopened after 3 1/2 months due to Covid-19). I can see batteries making a comeback on ebook readers, especially if the technology undergoes a huge development.

Wouldn't it be great to have a battery the size of a wrist-watch controlling your ebook reader, one that can simply be replaced by taking out a nickel from your pocket and unscrewing the opening and popping in a new one?

I find it absolutely amazing that so many people own solar powered watches and do even know it. I constantly get people in my store wanting to change the battery in their solar powered watch because the watch has stopped running. I had one just yesterday with a Citizen Eco Drive. 99% of the time the watch stopped running because they put it in a drawer, or some where else that deprives the watch of the light it needs to recharge the capacitor.
I fully expect that if they make a solar powered eReader I will get lots of customers wanting to replace the battery.
Apache

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Greg Anos

I think the move back to buttons is driven by the fact that the screen gets too dirty from continual page turning.

The screens on my devices don't get "dirty." My Kindles may get smudgy, and the occasional water droplets that leave marks. But if my hands are dirty enough to make my devices dirty, I wash my hands.

Regular skin oils leaves marks on my iDevices, but the Kindle screens don't seem to show those so much. I pretty much touch the screen in the same place when reading, most of the screen is never touched unless I'm dinking with menu settings.

I don't see a "move back to buttons" either. My Oasis 2 would be better without the page turn buttons IMO. Leave the wider bezel on one side, and remove those buttons, fix the dismal battery life, and it would be perfect.

[Ekaros]

Now I wonder if a solar powered reader with reasonable features is even possible. Ofc, if lot of processing is off-loaded to other machine it might work, but still. Probably not exactly the user experience and storage space one wants.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I'm offering to expand this discussion into the realm of ebook readers that utilize both batteries and some kind of solar power configuration.

One was built with solar energy around 2013. We have wrist watches that also rely upon solar energy.

So why not both?

Going slightly outside the discussion here, has anybody noticed the reliance (preference?) of buttons - again! - on ebook readers after what I term the 'touch-screen craze'? We seem to be going in circles in some regard, which is personally fine by me since I truly love the buttons on my Kindle Oasis 3 (finally released from Customs when they reopened after 3 1/2 months due to Covid-19). I can see batteries making a comeback on ebook readers, especially if the technology undergoes a huge development.

Wouldn't it be great to have a battery the size of a wrist-watch controlling your ebook reader, one that can simply be replaced by taking out a nickel from your pocket and unscrewing the opening and popping in a new one?

I do have a watch that uses solar power. It's a Citizen watch.

As for buttons, it's time for them to go away again. I don't want to pay for them. But as for batteries, I'd like to have a user replaceable battery. But, if Readers did have a user replaceable battery, sales would drop. A lot replace their Reader when the battery is not holding a charge well enough. My old 650 needs a new battery and if I still was using it, I would have attempted to replace the battery. My H2O is not the easiest to replace the battery. But given that the battery is still good enough, if the battery was to need replacing, I might get a new Reader at that point.

I would only want solar power if the charger could be turned on and off.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Greg Anos

I think the move back to buttons is driven by the fact that the screen gets too dirty from continual page turning.

That I have to disagree with. I found the eInk screens with touch get no more or less dirty then the screen without touch.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I do have a watch that uses solar power. It's a Citizen watch.

As for buttons, it's time for them to go away again. I don't want to pay for them. But as for batteries, I'd like to have a user replaceable battery. But, if Readers did have a user replaceable battery, sales would drop. A lot replace their Reader when the battery is not holding a charge well enough. My old 650 needs a new battery and if I still was using it, I would have attempted to replace the battery. My H2O is not the easiest to replace the battery. But given that the battery is still good enough, if the battery was to need replacing, I might get a new Reader at that point.

I would only want solar power if the charger could be turned on and off.

You do realize that you can still buy new e-readers without buttons, right? As for wanting to turn a solar charger on and off, you could do that with a cover

Shari

[mdp]

Originally Posted by jago25_98

For me, inflation is less the concern and more just the fact that the batteries need replacing.

I've seen quite a few fail though and it's both dangerous and annoying that the batteries are getting glued down

Sorry but I see that you had me state «batteries are the main problem in tech obsolescence». I did not say that and I do not think that. Where did you read that?

I think that: (*) on palm devices I will want to replace the battery with a bigger one, as I do (for clear practical purposes - you want it thin have it thin, you want it long-lasting have it long-lasting), that (*) I should be free to replace them hassle free as a basic feature (there is hardly a need to do differently), that (*) I should be free to turn off my device at will as a basic condition (you cannot fully trust what is inside). And of course, that batteries may fail, get old etc. and a fix should not require a professional.
And I also just noted above that (*) it is officially recognized that replacing the battery is a core professional feature, since Samsung is doing accordingly for its professional range, and that (*) reportedly glued batteries can break the device (by bending it and cracking it).
And (*) I am skeptical that proper battery management can be done with power banks - batteries do not like being charged frequently. And also, (*) I use different batteries for different purposes - that which I use for tethering is not of those which I carry around.

Originally Posted by jago25_98

People aren't smart enough and keep getting onlt part of what they deserve.

I am so convinced of that that I try not to make it a constant statement, for diplomatic reasons. But hey, if you say it first... (One note about terms: moving money is voting, "they" - Median Jacks - buy, hence the get what they deserve. The problem is that they/this damage/s the rest.)

And/but in fact the problem is not obsolescence: the problem is that everywhere (not just personal assistants) new products are getting worse and worse. Take again the example of my post above: Samsung comes out with an implicit "But hey, we do not forget that there exist doctors, law enforcement and military, firefighters (etc.)" - in general, *professionals* (to whom reliability of instruments is important etc.) - since when the general idea about consumers is instead that of "buyers killing time"? This worsening comes from median buyers' acceptance and subscription to the worsened products.