[Nexus 4 General] goatgoatgoat:
I guess everyone has different priorities. I purchased the N4 because it was a four core phone with reasonable specifications. My other option was the similar spec'd LG 4X HD but it had less RAM, the thermally troubled Tegra 3 SoC and would need a custom build of AOSP (which didn't suit me, as a Dev and a "hack for the hell of it" phone I like to compile my own Android and kernel). On the other hand the 4X has a swappable battery and a µSD slot, something which ludicrously appears to be an endangered species on gadgets of late. Expandable storage I can live without considering the 16GB flash of the N4 but having a battery that isn't user serviceable for no good reason other than the fact they wanted to give the phone a stupid glass back (given how easily they break I can't imagine who thought this was a good idea) is unforgivable. I would much rather have a Galaxy Nexus style plastic back that I can pull off easily than a "premium" looking glass back that I can't remove without a Torx screwdriver. I could have almost forgiven LG if they made this decision in order to fit an unusually shaped LiPoly pack that made full use of the surface area. The fact is this phone - given the processor and IPS screen needs a 3800 mah pack at a /minimum/. We should be able to have about six hours screen on time on medium brightness with the processor at stock voltage. SOTs <6h are not acceptable in a modern phone IMHO. The N4 on stock battery, if micromanaged can do at most 4.5h SOT. Quoting standby or talk time on specification sheets doesn't accurately reflect what most users now do on these devices.

The Achilles heel of smartphone is the display backlight. Most smartphones will happily decode MP3s for hours if not days. That said, the battery life of the N4 is actually good when you consider it only has a 2100 mah cell in its svelte little back. The display is surprisingly efficient and the processor especially when slightly undervolted is downright frugal on juice. It just wasn't a big enough cell for the application.

When you release a phone with a removable back and battery, you can put a nice thin cell and back on it and take it to market knowing that thin phones are hot right now and the majority of users who only use their device lightly will be satisfied. Those who aren't can invariably purchase an extended battery and a fatter back cover or just buy a desk charger and a few spare batteries to lug around. Everyone wins. When you release a phone with a back that isn't easily removable - particularly a phone that was especially targeted at geeks and sold as a dev phone - you have to cater for your market. An extra 1500 mah would have added only a few millimeters to the phone and cost only a fraction more to produce yet just that fraction more power would have pushed a phone that was /almost/ good enough on the longevity front over the line. Clearly market research has revealed this, given the recent phones which have been engineered for decent screen time like the Moto X and the RAZR Maxx. The least LG/Google could have done is made a limited production run of an extended battery and a fatter back to accommodate it. If they were concerned about warranty issues then distribute it only to their service centers and force users to take their phone into a local service shop for the 5 minute swap.

That said, there is nothing stopping a third party accessory company like Anker from doing just what I described and producing a kit for the N4. I know I would buy an extended back tomorrow if there was a commercial option. I have designed an extended case to be 3D printed and a new case back extension in ABS that I can solvent weld to an existing back to make it fatter but nothing will look as good as a commercial solution.

I was tempted - as some others on here have to buy the Zerolemon case and modify it to my needs or to simply print a battery case and DIY it. This is attractive as one doesn't need to make permanent changes to their N4 but the big problem with these charging cases are they are notoriously inefficient (you're stepping cell voltage up to 5V, delivering via USB into the phone that then steps it back down to charge the internal cell) and very, very bulky. You'll also lose qi and NFC while the case is on (unless you put a qi receiver into your case, again adding more bulk) so at best the case is a handy thing to stash in your travel bag to use temporarily but not viable for someone to use constantly.

I find it interesting given the rise of 5+ inch phablets that barely fit in a pocket that people find an extra ¼" thickness that objectionable given the vast difference it makes to how long your cellphone can remain autonomous. Clearly people feel differently than I do. What we really need is a quantum leap in battery technology that doubles energy density. Call me cynical but if this became reality I suspect that phone manufacturers would use this not to increase capacity but to make already ridiculously thin phones even more demure in the girth department, so to speak.

That said I guess people have different lifestyles and occupations. A traveling salesman or tradesperson is going to feel stronger about this issue than a desk bound executive who always has access to his charger.

... and that's what makes sites like xda so good!